Recently, I have felt like the world is ending. My friends have nonchalantly referred to our current times as the “apocalypse” in casual conversation, and this sentiment feels increasingly more true as I scroll through coronavirus related news articles and updates on the rising death toll that litter my social media accounts. Long lines at
I used to go to the Ballard Locks as a child and watch the salmon swimming up the fish ladder. There were always so many of them! So active and so beautiful. My parents told me these ladders help salmon navigate around the Locks which were obstructing their natural migration pattern up the river. Childlike
on April 25, 2020
Explaining the Anthropocene
Anthropocene . For Kids, Teachers, and Parents . PodcastsThe term “anthropocene” has been getting thrown around recently to help understand humanity’s impact on the earth. But what does it mean? In this podcast, I break down the term and why people use it at a level appropriate for a middle schooler interested in the environment. Podcast transcription: I want to talk about my
Standing at the edge of the diving board, looking straight down, I become aware of the distance I contain. There is a long way from my eyes to my toes, twice that from my toes to the surface of the water, and again from the surface to the bottom of the pool. There is only
The pandemic has derailed reality at every level. Grocery shopping now seems like a suicide mission and people are already comparing the stock market crashes to the Great Depression rather than the Great Recession. The speed and intensity with which seemingly fundamental social structures are toppling reveals their inherent fragility. Recently, I’ve overheard a lot
on April 21, 2020
Teach Local: The importance of place based education in a climate crisis context.
Ecology . For Kids, Teachers, and Parents . Op-Eds . ResilienceThe ocean has been my life long companion and has played a key role in shaping and enhancing my education. Like most kids, the most impactful parts of my early education started long before I entered school. I grew up in a small, close knit community on the coast of Maine. Some of the first
on April 3, 2020
Anthropocene Lesson Plan
Anthropocene . Ecology . For Kids, Teachers, and Parents . ResilienceThis is a lesson plan for kids centered around the Anthropocene. It is best geared towards students in 4th-6th grade. It is made to function as a standalone workshop, but could also be incorporated into existing lessons or curriculum. While I have included a script and timeline for clarity, all activities are flexible. Enjoy! Goals: Students
on April 2, 2020
Spiny Pines at the End of the World
Anthropocene . Collaboration . Ecology . Mushrooms . Personal Reflections . Resilience“In open and disturbed landscapes, it’s hard to keep a pine down.” (Tsing, 169) This spiny, resilient tree is a subject of the utmost fascination for writer Anna Tsing, in her book “The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins.” Introducing the pine as an integral supporting
