I grew up in New Hampshire on an 85-acre farm with an apple orchard, sugar maple operation, and an organic greenhouse operation. I grew up delivering my Girl Scout cookies riding my donkey, Molly B, on the rural dirt roads.

I moved on through high school in Atlanta, Georgia, where I attended the Summer Honors Program and was the graphic and layout editor for the newspaper we produced weekly. I had always loved to write, and I loved piecing together the puzzle of the pages and finding where things would fit together.

I realized my dream of working in the horsemanship world by attending Meredith Manor School of Horsemanship, and then moving to Laramie, Wyoming, to train horses and instruct. But when I decided that wouldn’t be a very viable living I enrolled in the University of Wyoming with majors in business and journalism and a minor in animal science.

I changed my course throughout the next ten years to environmental interpretation because I saw how humans were changing environmental and cultural treasures. I became involved in the psychology of visitor behavior and learned how to change people’s actions to be in harmony with the other parts of the natural world. My writing was one vehicle, as I concentrated on nature writing to bring appreciation of these treasures, which would lead to understanding and motivation to take responsible actions.

I also attended the University of Oslo summer school and was part of a group that created the International Environmental Alliance. I sent out a quarterly newsletter on international concerns and articles sent to me from the Philippines, India and Pakistan, Poland, Israel, and other countries. Some of these countries could not communicate due to political issues, but they could send me information to disseminate to others.

After graduate school I worked in Nederland at the Memorex Telex satellite office, first as office manager, then editor, and finally as technical writer. We wrote manuals on computer hardware. I was handed a book on how to write HTML at that time, as we were on the cutting edge of the beginning of internet and email capabilities! Our office was under Off Her Rocker Antiques (now Crosscut Pizza).

As I continued my career, I went on to start programs in Environmental Education for recreation centers, Nature series, Montessori schools, and public schools. I started writing curriculum. I also started participating in historical reenactment at Mountain Man Rendezvous with the intent to teach others, especially children, about some history and different ways to view our natural world.

We started a group with education as our purpose, and I became the second newsletter editor and writer. I then became director of an Environmental Learning Center and wrote our marketing materials, as well as administering grants and performing all the administrative duties that fall to a director with a small staff! I did start a virtual administrative assistant business but became an assistant office manager at A Cut Above Forestry, so didn’t continue.

I have also wroked for the CSU Extension in Gilpin County, Wild Bear and Little Bear in Nederland.

Unfortunately, my personal writing has suffered due to my busy schedule. But I have always wanted to compile a book with my father’s and my writings – probably should include my mom also. I also have started a biography of my life dealing with the issues of the “Me Too” movement. There is an idea for a novel brewing in my head which will be based on some life experiences.

Right now, I am trying to exercise my writing brain by getting back to a bit of nature writing. I really enjoy being a part of The Mountain-Ear staff and helping Barbara free up some of her time to do the many other important jobs on her plate.