Hello, and thanks for being here.
Bio
I'm a senior fellow, teacher, and writer who develops collaborations for planetary health. My work integrates science with contemplative practice to create a more compassionate and resilient world. I believe that relationships with nature can be a source of wisdom that guides better decisions for people and all of the natural world. My work seeks to deepen relationships with nature, and thus to transform how we understand, value, and care for nature.
My perspective is shaped by over two decades of environmental leadership across sectors: within academia, communities, and policy & business contexts. I have taught retreats and led initiatives that help move from observation, to understanding, to action. I use relational approaches grounded in systems thinking.
Currently, I serve as Senior Fellow for Planetary Health with the Garrison Institute and Founding Member for Culture with the Hudson Estuary Resilience Effort (HERE). I'm also an affiliate with the University of Vermont (Gund Institute for Environment and the Institute for Agroecology) and I'm a co-author with The Nature Record (a national science assessment of nature for the U.S. with over 175 co-authors).
Previously, as Director of Environmental Policy and Partnerships with the University of Vermont, I helped form a new Climate Measurements Center of Excellence and launched a university-wide research focus on environmental justice. I also led teams in producing the Vermont Climate Assessment and climate and biodiversity science assessments for leaders in federal agencies and the White House.
So far, these efforts have:
• Developed collaborations that bridge traditions in science, policy, and practice to improve planetary health and resilience;
• Guided organizations to assess (roots of the word meaning "to sit beside") -- and to manage ("to handle") -- their impacts and interdependence with nature;
• Designed and led strategic initiatives to invest in nature and people; and
• Co-authored 50+ publications and technical reports on systems change, biodiversity, economics, and environmental policy.
Publications include 40+ peer-reviewed research articles in journals such as Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences, Environmental Science & Policy, and Sustainability Science, and public-facing pieces in outlets such as the New York Times, The Hill, and Bloomberg Law. My Google Scholar profile has more info. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=u4Er1EkAAAAJ&hl=en
Originally from Baltimore, I'm based in northern Vermont. I received a B.S. in astrophysics from Haverford, studied science education at Stanford, and earned a Ph.D. in natural resources and ecological economics from the University of Vermont.
Bio
I'm a senior fellow, teacher, and writer who develops collaborations for planetary health. My work integrates science with contemplative practice to create a more compassionate and resilient world. I believe that relationships with nature can be a source of wisdom that guides better decisions for people and all of the natural world. My work seeks to deepen relationships with nature, and thus to transform how we understand, value, and care for nature.
My perspective is shaped by over two decades of environmental leadership across sectors: within academia, communities, and policy & business contexts. I have taught retreats and led initiatives that help move from observation, to understanding, to action. I use relational approaches grounded in systems thinking.
Currently, I serve as Senior Fellow for Planetary Health with the Garrison Institute and Founding Member for Culture with the Hudson Estuary Resilience Effort (HERE). I'm also an affiliate with the University of Vermont (Gund Institute for Environment and the Institute for Agroecology) and I'm a co-author with The Nature Record (a national science assessment of nature for the U.S. with over 175 co-authors).
Previously, as Director of Environmental Policy and Partnerships with the University of Vermont, I helped form a new Climate Measurements Center of Excellence and launched a university-wide research focus on environmental justice. I also led teams in producing the Vermont Climate Assessment and climate and biodiversity science assessments for leaders in federal agencies and the White House.
So far, these efforts have:
• Developed collaborations that bridge traditions in science, policy, and practice to improve planetary health and resilience;
• Guided organizations to assess (roots of the word meaning "to sit beside") -- and to manage ("to handle") -- their impacts and interdependence with nature;
• Designed and led strategic initiatives to invest in nature and people; and
• Co-authored 50+ publications and technical reports on systems change, biodiversity, economics, and environmental policy.
Publications include 40+ peer-reviewed research articles in journals such as Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences, Environmental Science & Policy, and Sustainability Science, and public-facing pieces in outlets such as the New York Times, The Hill, and Bloomberg Law. My Google Scholar profile has more info. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=u4Er1EkAAAAJ&hl=en
Originally from Baltimore, I'm based in northern Vermont. I received a B.S. in astrophysics from Haverford, studied science education at Stanford, and earned a Ph.D. in natural resources and ecological economics from the University of Vermont.
Below are photos I've taken or appeared in.
For about a decade, I've engaged with a simple, personal, daily practice of greeting the sun. Every day I wake up, I acknowledge where we are, the particular place I'm in, and how something beautiful is happening here. Early in my life, I could think and talk about how the sun moved through the sky in annual cycles. But it's been different to experience it slowly over many years.
For about a decade, I've engaged with a simple, personal, daily practice of greeting the sun. Every day I wake up, I acknowledge where we are, the particular place I'm in, and how something beautiful is happening here. Early in my life, I could think and talk about how the sun moved through the sky in annual cycles. But it's been different to experience it slowly over many years.
Hinesburg, Vermont, US
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Port Mouton, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Looking south from the top of Camel's Hump, Vermont
Renewing our love for Earth while celebrating the Earth Charter with Sally Linder, Sam Crowell, Tristan Leggett, and a young tree we planted next to a tree planted 25 years earlier at the same site in Shelburne Farms, Vermont
The "Renewing Our Love For Earth" event drew about 1000 participants and featured The Ark of Hope, created by Sally Linder
Land-based practices, meditation, and nature awareness study have been important parts of my life for many years.
Gathering in a prayer circle with Mayan and Hawaiian teachers
Climbing has been an important part of my life for over 20 years, drawing me to places like Yosemite, the Gunx, Seneca Rock, the Adirondacks, and the Pyrenees.
On-sighting a memorable route called "Moons of Pluto" in Smith Rock, Oregon. As an astrophysics major in college, I kept trying to remember the names of Pluto's moons, which are named after mythical figures of the underworld like Nix -- the mother of Charon -- and Hydra.
Enjoying a nice fall day on a route called "Radical Sabbatical" in Bolton, Vermont
