If you’ve benefitted from the medications Ozempic, Wegovy, and others like them to treat diabetes and support weight management, thank the Gila monster. They have a hormone (exendin-4) that controls their blood sugar and delays the stomach from emptying, prolonging feelings of fullness. It’s similar in chemical composition to our GLP-1 hormone that performs the same functions in our bodies. However, the Gila monster’s exendin-4 allows them to stay healthy while eating only 5 to 10 times per year.
This ability to fast for long periods of time without impacting their health piqued the interest of endocrinologist Dr. John Eng and his team of researchers in the 1980s and 1990s. They set out to discover if a medication that mimics exendin-4 would help humans manage their blood sugar and weight.
A component of their venom, the Gila monster’s exendin-4 while similar to our GLP-1 was found by Eng and his team to be effective for much longer. In clinical trials, one injection of a medication inspired by exendin-4 helped diabetics keep their blood sugar under control for an entire week and decreased their appetite, helping them to lose weight, too.
Though it took decades of testing and evaluation, exenatide, a synthetic version of exendin-4 was approved by the FDA in 2005 to treat Type-2 diabetes. Research continued to evaluate it as a treatment for obesity and weight management. That research led the creation of semaglutide, the active ingredient in the drugs Ozempic and Wegovy.
Unfortunately, this creature who survived the catastrophic asteroid that wiped out the dinosaurs is steadily being wiped out by us. Their population is declining due to the pet trade and the destruction of habitat from agriculture and urbanization despite the fact that without them, the multi-billion-dollar drugs Ozempic, Wegovy, and others wouldn’t exist.
Nature, and the species with whom we share this one planet, are intricately tied to our health and well-being. Stories like that of the Gila monster and Ozempic remind us that nature is a research lab, pharmacy, archive, library, concert hall, and constant source of inspiration. When we threaten the lives of other species, we compromise our own opportunities to live well. There’s no getting around it: We are a part of nature, not apart from nature. How bright our future will be depends on how much we respect and safeguard the natural world, and the health of the ecosystems within which we all live.
IN BRIEF
Author, journalist, digital product manager, and licensed New York City tour guide. Creator and host of NYC's Secrets and Lies. Alumna of the University of Pennsylvania (BA), the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA), Arizona State University (Biomimicry), and the University of Cambridge (MSt in Sustainability Leadership).
I build digital media platforms, report on urban climate resilience and biodiversity, and produce live narrative experiences that connect communities to history, nature, and place.
THE DEEP DIVE
My work centers on a single thread: building systems and stories that foster deep connection to our shared world. Across digital streaming, environmental reporting, and live civic storytelling, I design experiences that help people understand complex ideas and the environments around them.
DIGITAL PRODUCT STRATEGY & MEDIA LEADERSHIP
At Carnegie Hall, I serve as Digital Product Manager, leading product strategy, operations, and technical delivery for the video streaming platform Carnegie Hall+. I translate artistic mission into scalable, high-performance streaming architecture that reaches audiences globally. Previously, I led agile product and delivery teams across operations and compliance at American Express, managed Broadway theatrical productions and national tours, and guided strategic initiatives across cultural institutions.
ENVIRONMENTAL JOURNALISM & AUTHORSHIP
As a freelance journalist, I investigate how living systems, urban infrastructure, and human culture intersect. My reported features on urban decarbonization, biodiversity, coastal resilience, and biomimicry appear in publications including Smithsonian Magazine, The Washington Post, Mongabay, Natural History Magazine, and Foreign Policy Magazine. In fiction, I write the Emerson Page young adult novel series, alongside upcoming historical fiction and nonfiction works on New York history, mythology, and human resilience. I also write Togetherhood, a LinkedIn newsletter focused on urban ecology and community restoration, and co-host the podcast Frameworks in the Wild.
LIVE EXPERIENCE & CIVIC STORYTELLING
As a licensed New York City tour guide and live event producer, I transform urban landscapes into shared narrative encounters. I created, produce, and host NYC's Secrets and Lies, an interactive live storytelling series staged across cultural landmarks including the New York Transit Museum, the South Street Seaport Museum, and the historic tall ship Wavertree. I also design and lead site-specific walking tours exploring coastal ecology, food history, and neighborhood evolution, often with partners at Climate Week NYC and the Natural Areas Conservancy.
DOUBLE OR NOTHING MEDIA
Through my independent production studio, Double or Nothing Media, I develop ventures across media, ecology, and public history:
Digital Products & Strategy: Architecting scalable digital platforms, streaming experiences, and operational models for mission-driven institutions.
Environmental Reporting & Publications: Delivering long-form reporting, books, and newsletters grounded in climate resilience and regenerative design.
Site-Specific Live Storytelling: Producing immersive live shows and educational walking tours that engage public audiences in community history.
CONNECT
Website & Production Hub: doubleornothingmedia.com and christaavampato.com
Newsletter: Togetherhood on LinkedIn - linkedin.com/newsletters/togetherhood-7273771832221089792/
Instagram & Threads: @christarosenyc
Emerson Page Novels: emersonpagebook.wordpress.com/
View all posts by Christa Avampato
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