Naturalists

Olivia VanDamme on Surfing, Community, and Connection

Olivia VanDamme On Surfing, Community and Connection Intro Olivia VanDamme comes from a family who has a natural connection to the sea, so as an educator, poet, surfer and naturalist her ties to nature run deep. We caught up with Olivia in...

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Naturalists

Sharon Dorsey — Seeing Wildlife in the Everyday

Sharon Dorsey Seeing Wildlife in the Everyday Intro We’re excited to add Sharon Dorsey to our team of talented Naturalists. Coming from the eastern lands of the US, Sharon is an upcoming thought-leader in the birding and science community and someone to...

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Naturalists

Richie Winter — Climbing Towards Inclusivity

Say howdy to this daring adventurer. Richie lives life on the edge — really though. He’s a rock climber and photographer who likes to see the world from all different perspectives, which sometimes requires a lil bit of climbing. As a member...

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Naturalists

Sara Wolman: Conservation Through Creativity

Sara Wolman is an award-winning Graphic Artist, Conservationist, and Science Communicator. Her art reflects the relationship she has established with the environment and serves as a reminder of the inherent connection we all have with the natural world. She strives for her...

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Naturalists

Monica Semergiu — Visual Storyteller by Nature

Tell me more about your relationship with public lands. What do they mean to you? First of all, I want to say that I believe we can’t really “own” land/the earth. The best we can be is stewards of this land, and...

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Naturalists

Rashid Clifton: The Best Times are Spent in Water

Hi! My name is Rashid Clifton. I was born and raised in Charlotte, North Carolina, but I have been calling Encinitas, California home for the past two years. Tell me more about your relationship with public lands. What do they mean to...

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Naturalists

Amelia Winger-Bearskin: Water Protector

We’re spotlighting Amelia — Deer Clan member of the Seneca-Cayuga Nation of Oklahoma. She stays busy as an Artist, Professor, and Founder of the UF AI Climate Justice Lab. Her primary focus: addressing the global water crisis. Can you tell us a...

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Naturalists

Kevin Condon: Making the Field Accessible

My name is Kevin Condon, and I am the director of The Bird School Project, which is an outdoor education program that operates in the Monterey Bay region of California. We provide schoolyard birding programs for roughly 10,000 students annually, mostly in...

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Naturalists

Krystal Aguilar: Capturing the Epic

Tell me about your relationship with public lands. What do they mean to you? I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I didn’t grow up with access to public lands. I was born in NYC and lived in Queens for...

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Naturalists

Trevor Port: Eco-Friendly by Design

Hello! My name is Trevor Port, and I’m the Founder/Designer behind Keep Earth Around, a multidisciplinary design studio that works to elevate Mother Nature’s voice through Earth-friendly visuals and messaging. I’m 30 years old, and am from San Diego and currently living...

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Naturalists

Chloé Blanchard — Surfing Through Life

Blessings! Chloé here — born and raised in the French part of Canada, about an hour north of Montréal, Québec. I grew up on the foothills of a ski mountain and luckily was born before the era of smartphones, which allowed us...

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Naturalists

The Guero Bird Club

We are Güero Bird Club. We go birding. Güero is a torta shop in Portland, OR. Our bird club formed when we realized that a cook and a bartender both loved to watch birds and that other cooks and other bartenders wanted...

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Naturalists

Jason Hall – Community in Birding

Hello. My name is Jason Hall and I’ve been an avid birder for just about 20 years. For many of those years, I considered myself the “exception to the rule” as one of the only Black or Brown birders around. It wasn’t...

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Naturalists

Liz Clark: The Sailing Surfer

Hi, I’m Liz Clark– surfer, sailor, captain, author, nature & animal lover, and environmentalist. I grew up in Southern California and now live in Tahiti, French Polynesia. Can you tell us a bit about your passions beyond “work”? I’m lucky to say...

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Naturalists

Kyle Ramsey: Dad by Nature

What does being a dad mean to you? It’s the greatest reward I could have ever been given. I get so excited when I watch him learning as he listens to me talk about what I see on our hikes. Just the...

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Naturalists

Honoring Black Birders Week

The next 7 days hold great significance for birdwatchers and people across the globe as Black Birders Week is observed. In this newsletter, we’re diving into the background and significance of Black Birders Week, highlighting a few Black Birders and Naturalists that...

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Naturalists

Alex Troutman: Going With the Flow

What’s Up, Y’all? I’m Alex Troutman, aka N8ture_AL; I’m a Black Wildlife Biologist and Environmental Educator from Austell, GA. I love that my job is in a field that I am passionate about. My job allows me to travel and also gives...

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Naturalists

Take a Ride With Taylor O’Sullivan

What is your relationship with nature like and how do you express it? The ocean is perhaps my greatest muse. I grew up in Southern California, so I’ve been ottering around in the ocean since I was a child. My reverence for...

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Naturalists

Josiah Patrick: Reconnecting Humans With Nature

My name is Josiah Patrick. I am a nature photographer and budding naturalist based in Atlanta, Georgia. I am passionate about the conservation of the natural world. How has learning about the environment impacted your actions? It has made me more conscious...

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Naturalists

Troy Bynum: Photography in the Field

Can you tell us a bit about your passions beyond “work”? From a young age, I’ve always had an interest in exploring nature. I remember visiting Wissahickon Valley Park in Philadelphia with my parents and exploring the trails along the creek and...

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Naturalists

Get Artsy with Emily Piper

My name is Emily Piper, and I am an artist, educator, and lover of all things living. My passions for natural history, biology, and creatures fuel my work and the ways I navigate my life. Originally from the midwest, I grew up...

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Naturalists

A Gander Through Daniel’s Lens

Daniel Schechner is a Photographer and Creative Producer based in Vermont. He specializes in photography, videography, social media management, and brand identity development. ​On top of this, Daniel founded Wishbone Collective — a welcoming and inspiring environment for artists to create and...

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Naturalists

Skating With Sarah

Hey! My name is Sarah, I’m an immigrant from Brazil, and after moving to San Diego, I found my passion for art. Down here, I run a clothing brand with my life partner, as well as a skateboarding nonprofit. I live in...

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Naturalists

Dexter Patterson: Flyest Birder in the Woods

What can concerned athletes, scientists, artists, or creatives do in the face of global challenges? We all have a voice, and some of us have platforms to amplify those voices to a broader audience on our blogs and social media channels. The...

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Naturalists

This is Travis Coleman

He owns a manufacturing business, primarily working with high-tensile strength rotomolded polyethylene… you got that? If not, I don’t blame you! To sum it up, rotomolded polyethylene is a plastic that is easily recycled. The “high-tensile strength” part means it’s ultra-durable. In...

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Naturalists

Tierney Moses — Art, Nature, and a Bit of Mezcal

Can you tell us a bit about your passions beyond “work”? A life goal is to make my passions also my work but there are some things like surfing, music, hiking, and exploring the world that only sometimes turn into work. I...

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Naturalists

Jesse Sunwolf: Artist, Herbalist, Naturalist

Tell me more about your relationship with public lands.What do they mean to you? For me, public lands tell a lot of indigenous stories and having native blood; I share in those stories. Also, being an herbalist, the protection and stewardship of...

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Naturalists

Mary Tolosa: Staying Curious

My name is Mary Tolosa. I’m a curious designer, explorer, and lifelong student based in the Bay Area. Currently, I am a Color, Materials, & Finish Designer (CMF) for Specialized Bicycles, helping lead CMF design across our products in bikes, helmets, shoes,...

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Naturalists

Ty Williams: Art Navigated by Sea

Tell me more about your relationship with public lands. What do they mean to you? I grew up in and around the ocean and continue to spend the bulk of my days there. It saddens me in a lot of ways how...

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Naturalists

Boom Nuanual: Capturing Nature’s Gifts

My name is Boom Nuanual (pronounced 'boom nua•nua'). I’m a visual and audio creative based in the Sunset District, San Francisco, CA. Tell me more about your relationship with public lands.What do they mean to you? Access to public lands serves as...

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Naturalists

Lauren Esposito: Arachnologist, Naturalist, Conservationist

Hi there! I am a hella queer arachnologist (spider, scorpions, the like) at the California Academy of Science here in the Nocs home of San Francisco. I love my job. I get to travel the world documenting what lives on our planet...

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Naturalists

Strike a Pose for Arisa Yoon

Can you tell us a bit about your passions beyond “work”? It’s funny because when I think of my work, I instantly think about my passions because they’re synonymous. Are there times when work really does feel like WORK? Of course, but...

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Naturalists

An Enriching Conversation With Pete Thoene

Your Name: Peter Kealii Thoene Age: 33 Where you were born: Kealakekua, Hawaii Where you live now: Honolulu, Hawaii Profession: Naturalist GuideEthnicity: Native Hawaiian / Caucasian Quick intro about you and your background: My name is Peter. I’m from the island of...

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Naturalists

Time Well Spent With Susan Pina Mensink

We had a lovely time catching up with content creator, Susan Piña Mensink.She led us through a trail of childhood memories — all of which guided her here.As a content creator, Susan considers the brands she works for; what values do they...

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Naturalists

Take a Walk with Isaiah Scott

Tell us your name, age, where you’re from? My name is Isaiah Scott. I am 18 years old and I’m from Savannah, Georgia. Born and raised. How are you liking it out here in California? I’m just blown away, this is an...

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Naturalists

Let’s get to know Johnie Gall

Howdy, good to see ya! I’d like you to meet naturalist, Johnie Gall. She’s a writer/photographer/producer, and most importantly — an environmental advocate. Johnie exemplifies how to fuse a career and lifestyle with a sense of empathy for our planet. No joke...

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