Speaking, Workshops, Coaching, & Personal Writing Retreats
Visit the Events page to see my upcoming schedule.
SPEAKING
Are you looking for a passionate and inspiring speaker for your conference, symposium, group or corporation? I speak and teach from both head and heart, informed by my life experiences, education and craft.
Watch this three-minute Nature Conservancy video on pollinators for an example, or sample this keynote talk. (It’s the full talk, in two parts.)
I just wanted to tell you how much your talk meant to me. You are an incredible person, a beacon of light and wisdom to the rest of us. — Conference attendee
Email me, and let’s talk!
WORKSHOPS
Teaching for me is another way to offer my gifts, whether helping writers reach their dreams through creative writing workshops, helping scientists communicate about their work, or by helping gardeners grow sustainable landscapes that restore the vibrancy and health of nature right at home. I'm a dynamic teacher, listening to my students, adjusting to their needs, and digging deep to inspire and inform. I bring all of my experience in life and work, all of my knowledge and my whole heart to my students to help them grow, learn and reach for their dreams.
My workshops can be customized to suit the audience and the length of time available, from a few hours to a week. Read the examples below, and then contact me to talk about what you're looking for.
CREATIVE WRITING
Stories nurture our connection to place and to each other. They show us where we've been and where we can go. They remind us of how to be human, how to live alongside the other lives that animate this planet. …No one story can give us the whole picture. We need every voice to speak its version of the truth from the silence. We need every story to guide our lives. —Walking Nature Home, A Life's Journey
Words to Live By
What do the words we use mean? And how can we call on their essential power to guide our craft and imagination? Build a “word prompt ring” with key words to motivate and inform writing and life.
Thank you for sending me out to look at the stars last night before I went to bed and for giving me a push in the direction of taking charge of my dreams. — Workshop participant
Finding Voice and Grace in the Hard Stuff
How do we handle the hard stuff in our writing? How do we write about the issues that are controversial, painful, or just no fun? Practice writing techniques that strengthen our voices and reveal the grace and wisdom to be found in tough times and tough writing.
This was my favorite workshop at the conference. It gave me great tools for dealing with current issues in my writing. –Writing the Hard Stuff workshop participant
Field Notes: Writing From Life
Use the techniques of scientists to sharpen your observation skills and bring the richness of detail to your work. Draw on the lessons of nature to stimulate your creativity and hone your words.
Your workshop was exactly what I needed. I can’t thank you enough for inspiring my writing. — Memoir writer
Take One a Day: Haiku as Writing Practice
Show up! is one of the most difficult tenets of writing. The ancient art of haiku teaches us how to be present and make use of every moment. Think you don’t have time to write? Try one haiku a day, and watch your creativity grow and your words come forth.
GARDENING FOR FOOD AND HABITAT
Cultivating a Sustainable Kitchen Garden
We really are what we eat! Whether you tend a large garden plot or just a few pots, find out how growing your own food can make your body, table and community healthier.
She was my favorite presenter–bring her back, please! –Cultivating a Sustainable Kitchen Garden workshop participant
Planting a Thriving Garden Community
How do you find the plants that will thrive on your site? What can you do to keep them healthy and to attract the other species that help your garden flourish? Learn how to grow and tend a happy, sustainable garden.
COACHING
Thanks for breathing life into my words. You bring a story to life with what you leave out. — TED speaker
Your experience and wisdom shone through in everything you showed and advised me. …Now I am looking forward to the work ahead. You provided both inspiration and specifics that enable me to not just plan but "do." — Doann Houghton-Alco, author of Voice of a Voyage