༄ The Earthward Story ༄

Stories are essential to the human experience. They are the oldest ways that we make sense of the world and of ourselves — helping us to understand what is dear to us and to see how we can cultivate betterness each other, and the living world around us. At their core, stories bring us closer to all things life — drawing us into deeper kinship with animals, plants, people, and this beautiful planet that we call home.

EARTHWARD grew from the belief that the world needs more people paying close, creative attention to the natural environments that share this home — and more support for those who yearn to turn that attention into stories that create positive change.

In 2021, I earned my Master of Science degree from Columbia University’s Graduate School of Journalism, where I gained some very valuable tools that I am deeply grateful for. But some of my most important teachers have always been the natural places and animals beyond any traditional classroom. I believe storytellers should remain students of the earth: curious, humble, observant, and in relationship with the living world they hope to write about and photograph. 

I also know that not everyone has the time, money, or desire to go to graduate school — and not every important lesson about writing, photography, reporting, pitching, and staying rooted in the world comes from more years of traditional schooling. In the years since earning my degree, I have worked as a freelance science journalist (writer and photographer), with my work in National Geographic, Scientific American, Smithsonian Magazine, Atmos, National Wildlife Magazine, Grist, Popular Science Magazine, The Flow Trip Magazine, The Inertia, and more. I’m often asked how to get published in these places. My honest answer is: begin not with where you want to publish, but with what story feels most important and compelling to tell.

Aha! But...how do you find that story? How do you shape it into a pitch? Who do you send it to? How do you make it stand out? How do you tell it with care? How do you even tell it at all? How do you connect with editors? How do you build a career that keeps you connected to the natural places you adore, when so much of the work happens on a screen?

These programs offer guidance around those questions in a way that is individualized and compatible with your work/schooling/life schedule(s). They are an invitation to reconnect with a primal, unfiltered sense of wonder and play, where doubt doesn't cloud creativity or curiosity, and where we will celebrate both your inner child, your current you, and your future self.  

These programs are crafted for scientists looking to make a transition into a more creative field, and for all levels of writers, photographers, journalists, and visual storytellers who are interested in: nature, climate, science, travel, personal essay, photography, narrative journalism, or stories rooted in place. We’ll work on story ideas, pitches, voice, structure, visual storytelling, building your portfolio, sharpening your skills, getting your work out into the world, keeping your sparky passion alive, and getting you prepared to pitch and follow the stories of your dreams.

At their core, each program is centered on looking EARTHWARD: getting your feet in the grass and the soil (or in the ocean!), paying close attention to the world around you, and learning to notice what’s already there, and how "small" observations can grow into strong stories. 

All EARTHWARD mentees join a special community (and WhatsApp group :) ) of fellow creatives, naturalists, storytellers, and people who care. Beyond your program you will always have a place here — a lifelong circle of support, connection, networking, and encouragement as you continue to find your way as a storyteller and an eternal student of the Earth. 

While this is not necessarily a promise of immediate publication, it is a space for serious attention where you will gain tools, encouragement, editorial guidance, and learn the important work of how to turn your passions and curiosities into an outlet-worthy piece that you are proud of and fulfilled by. 

༄ Overview of Programs༄

༄ Mentee Reflections༄