Ayesha Ali, Federal Policy Coordinator at Kiss the Ground, is a researcher, political ecologist, and firm believer in the intrinsic value of nature. She holds an M.A. in Global Environmental History from Uppsala Universitet centered on agricultural production and global food supply chain policies, where she specialized in California’s 20th-century water laws and policies and the contemporary groundwater crisis. Happiest when outside, Ayesha develops a deeper connection to the earth by backpacking, foraging, and gardening.