Contributors

The Resilient Activist enjoys sharing inspiring and nature-aware content from around the globe.  Hope you've enjoyed this article!

Sami Aaron is the founder of the nonprofit, The Resilient Activist, a nonprofit resource to build resilience, optimism, and hope in response to the impact of the climate crisis through community-building and deep nature connection. Contact Sami.

Elizabeth Allen is interested in working to better understand the intersections of complex topics such as climate change, poverty, disasters, public health, and mental health. She is a writer and researcher at heart who loves reading, journaling, and listening to Broadway musicals.

Briana is a wildlife ecology and conservation enthusiast. She has researched best practices for coral reef conservation in Belize, pioneered non-harmful methods of researching bats with white-nose syndrome, studied the relationship between the microbiome and cancer, and sought ways to reduce migratory bird mortality due to giant, reflective skyscrapers. She currently serves as Director of Community Engagement for Scraps KC, and she also teaches biology at Metropolitan Community College. Along with trying adamantly to reduce her consumption of single-use plastic, she is on a journey to implement activism into every aspect of her life in a balanced, mindful, heart-centered way.  Briana shares, "That is why I felt compelled to create this 'Ask The Resilient Activist' column, to answer the questions I found myself asking as I started my resilient activist journey."

A mom to 2 growing girls, a wife, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a cousin, a yogi, a foodie, a music lover, a co-worker, a beagle mom, a natural movement fanatic, a nature lover, an explorer...and someone who wants to leave the world in a better place for her daughters and others. Like slacklining, all the roles we play in our lives takes balance and mindfulness and practice. And these 3 guiding principles can be applied to how we treat and nurture the environment. It begins with my actions (big or small) and mindset and what I can share with everyone I meet.

Darlene Arnett has been a Missouri Master Gardener since 2012 and has obtained the Advanced Master Gardener certification. She loves veggie gardens and native plants of all kinds and wants to continue to educate herself and others about the intricate and interesting interactions of humans and the environment.  She loves passing on her knowledge and experience to others - even her mistakes!

Patti Beedles holds the unofficial title of Seed Nerd, and hopes to share her love of native plants with you. Patti works as a Program Associate with Kansas City WildLands, a program of Bridging the Gap.

Patti fell in love with the prairie ecosystem while earning her degree at the University of Kansas. She wove her love of native plants into her career working as the Grower at an ecologically based native plant nursery. Over her years at the greenhouse, Patti had the pleasure of propagating a few hundred species, including the threatened Mead's Milkweed (Asclepias meadii).

These days, she spends most of her time on the spectacular remnant landscapes in the Kansas City area, working to identify and collect native seed. Collaborating with a coalition of partners and volunteers, Kansas City WildLands Seed Team hand-collected 127 species and nearly 300 pounds of seed in 2017.

Patti enjoys homesteading, camping, and adventuring with her husband and 3-year-old daughter.

David Bilbrey is the founder of EcoThinkIt.com and the co-host of The Permaculture Podcast with Scott Mann. His focus is on regenerative enterprise and community development. He explores the intersection between permaculture and our economic and social systems. David has interviewed important thought leaders of our time.  Listen in at these links:

• Hunter Lovins https://www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/2018/1831/
• Otto Scharmer https://www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/2018/1813/
• Gregory Landua https://www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/2018/1828/
• Dr. Elaine Ingham https://www.thepermaculturepodcast.com/2018/1820/

Deborah Brenner-Liss, Ph.D. is a clinical psychologist in San Francisco. She has been in private practice since 1980. For the past 3 or so years, her passion and vision have been directed toward attending to the climate crisis. She is in the process of creating a website, Finding Right Balance, findingrightbalance.com. The website is devoted to addressing where and how we humans have fallen out of  "right balance" with Mother Earth and with our fellow non-human creatures -- and highlighting many authors and organizations with suggestions as to how to heal the rift and move forward toward righting this balance.

Audrey is an advocate, committed to making the world safer and a little more whimsical. She and her husband live in Lawrence, Kansas, and spend an inordinate amount of time being walked by their sweet dog, Desmond. Audrey loves crafting, reading, connecting with friends and family, and having an impact on our community. Follow Facebook.com/AUDBags for more info about her upcycling journey.

Dawn Downey writes essays about her journey through everyday life. The question she strives to answer: How does a sensitive elder woman of color thrive in an insensitive, white-centered, male-dominated, youth-oriented culture? The author of multiple books including Stumbling Toward the Buddha: Stories about Tripping over My Principles on the Road to Transformation, she also writes “Dawn Downey’s Teachable Moments,” a Substack newsletter. Blindsided: Essays from the Only Black Woman in the Room earned Book of the Year Finalist honors from the Independent Author Network. Downey lives in Kansas City, Missouri.

I grew up in a very large city with few vistas or greenery and only small patches of sky. I used to find the places that had no straight lines where it was easier to breathe and seemed to make more sense. I now live in a small town in the Midwest where there are wide open spaces and fewer shadows. I am an artist, a translator for plants and animals, and curious about all things in nature. I am currently writing and illustrating a book about my experiences with plants and animals. If you would like to find out more about what I’m doing or would like to share opportunities to further connect with the natural world, you can reach me at: vivian@vkanimalcommunication.com or through my website: VK Animal Communication.

Anna Gilmore is a humble student of "Writing for the Environment" offered at Rockhurst University who is interested in deep connections to earth through mindfulness, meditation, and movement. She is exploring sustainable agriculture through Worldwide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF).

Anna Graether is a board member of The Resilient Activist, a Johnson County Master Naturalist,and a Deep Roots Nature Advisor.  Her focus is on impacting climate change through speaking about, writing about and planting more native plants at home, in her neighborhood and in her city. *See Doug Tallamy’s book, Nature’s Best Hope: A New Approach to Conservation That Starts in Your Yard.

Tobi Holloway is passionate about taking good care of ourselves, each other, and our planet. She is on the Board of The Resilient Activist and a blogger on the site. "I am especially interested in aligning our strengths and choices with our highest values. This requires deep dives into what we really care about as well as a persistent, gentle vigilance to navigate toward it. My focus is on upstream changes to our mindsets and behaviors. I hope to minimize the trade-off between activism and self-care and instead maximize the way they enhance each other -- improving wellbeing at every level.  I’m inspired to be part of The Resilient Activist because of the positive, optimistic approach to effecting change when change is hard."

Mary was a founding member of the board of the Resilient Activist and does tech consulting for us. She would like to make more changes in the care of our planet than just refusing plastic shopping bags and over-packaged products. Even better would be to make big changes with kindness and a light heart. Contact Mary.

Laura Huff Hileman is a Jungian-oriented dreamworker and spiritual director who believes dreamwork offers us the wisdom, community, and perspective we need for soulful thriving in challenging times.  Through her practice, Fire by Night Dreamwork, Laura facilitates dreamwork for groups and individuals.  She teaches at The Haden Institute in North Carolina. Laura Huff Hileman, M.A., M.S., Certified Dream Mentor & Spiritual Director, Fire by Night Dreamwork

Christine is a senior interior designer and CEO of CJI Design Group. She believes in developing design solutions that improve her clients' quality of life through the incorporation of sustainable and motivational design practices.

Jennifer Keluskar, Ph.D. is a New York State Licensed Clinical Psychologist.  She specializes in cognitive-behavioral interventions for children, adolescents and young adults. Dr. Keluskar currently works in private practice and as an adjunct professor for St. John’s University.  She holds a voluntary faculty appointment at Stony Brook School of Medicine. Dr. Keluskar is also a contributing writer for Psychology Today’s online blog.

Ken Lassman is a fifth generation, lifelong resident of Douglas County in Kansas. He is the author of Wild Douglas County (2007) and Seasons and Cycles: Rhythms of Life in the Kansas River Basin (1985), and has a weekly online nature calendar at Kaw Valley Almanac. Ken is also an occupational therapist working at Topeka Independent Living Resource Center. He helped found and is a member of the Kansas Area Watershed Council and has led nature walks and given presentations to various organizations over the last four decades.

Naomi Latini Wolfe is an experienced educator specializing in creating equitable and sustainable learning environments. As a dedicated member of The Resilient Activist (TRA), Naomi leverages her expertise in accessibility, engagement, and diversity to develop online training curricula and spearhead DEI initiatives. With a background in adaptive content development and versatile written communication, Naomi brings strategic project leadership to TRA, ensuring their content resonates with diverse audiences. She holds a Master of Science degree in Sociology and has authored publications on accessible course design. Naomi's commitment to excellence has been recognized through various awards, including the Women Techmakers Ambassador from Google for Developers. Her passion for fostering positive change and promoting inclusivity makes her an invaluable asset to TRA's mission. Follow Naomi on Medium.

Sarah Mayerhofer writes about the messy beauty of being human in a changing world. She’s a yoga student & teacher, garden tender, sourdough baker, and sustainability nerd who’s obsessed with self-resilience and the power of slow living. Whether she’s taking a yoga class, starting seeds, or losing track of time in a good book, Sarah believes in small acts that root us more deeply in ourselves and our communities. Her work invites readers to pause, reconnect, and find meaning in the everyday.

Anne Melia is an environmental and political activist, currently knocking on doors and having as many awesome conversations as possible in advance of the August primary and November general election in Kansas. She is on a journey to re-evaluate her life goals and actions towards a path of deeper self-discovery and increased environmental and social activism. "The challenges of 2020 crystallized in my mind both the desire to become more actively involved in efforts to address climate change and social equity issues, but also the need for a nurturing community to provide safety and respite. Through the Resilient Activist, I have found opportunities for activism as well as connectedness and community. I am excited for the opportunity to join with Sami and others to further the vision and mission of the organization."

Ada wears many hats - she is a mom, a wife, a special needs teacher, a nature-lover, and an aspiring baker. She is fascinated with wizards and fairies. She is a Climate Reality Leader who manages Upcycle Philippines, an initiative that fosters awareness on upcycling as a system for environment conservation.

Blogger Alejandra Orozco focuses on a variety of sustainability aspects for our everyday lives. Read more of her insightful articles on Porch.com.

Phoebe Pinkner is a photographer, video editor, and communications professional focused on amplifying the vision of a joyful, intersectional, and irrepressible eco-revolution.

Magali Rojas is a lifelong learner and servant leader. Born in Mexico and raised in Kansas City, her upbringing shaped her passion for advocating mental health, environmental protection, and social justice. Her personal experiences inform her work. Her science is made up of her experiences. Magali has six years of non-profit experience with a background in health navigation, environmental justice, environmental assessment, and conservation.

The way she connects to people and these topics is her ‘what’. Her spiritual connection to the earth, which helped heal her in a time of hardship, is her ‘why’. The ‘how’ to what she does flows naturally like a river that confluences with a greater body of water. Her holistic approach and versatile knowledge make her someone that we can count on for support.

Beth Sarver is an Artist and Trauma-Informed Resilience Educator. Her approach to resilience skill building is centered in play, mindfulness, social emotional learning, creative problem solving and brain education. She feels the gravity of our environmental situation and the awareness of human suffering. As a mother, she is committed to breathe deeply and co-create a different story with our children-- one about wisdom, wellness and resilience. The Resilient Activist inspires the fierce mama bear within to dance, open-hearted, in the ongoing journey of learning and adapting in community. Check her website at www.BreathingRoomKC.com.

Amy Zoe Schonhoff is the founder of Mindfulness in the Heartland, a certified teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction through the Mindfulness Center at Brown University, and a certified teacher of Advanced Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness. Amy has also served as a nonprofit professional for over 20 years working in arts- and community-based organizations within Kansas City. In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family, hiking outdoors, and creating a sanctuary for pollinators in her garden.

Working to address the climate crisis is the best "job" Karen Uhlenhuth has ever had. Following decades as a reporter, first for The Kansas City Star and more recently for the Midwest Energy News blog, Karen decided she needed to retire so she could invest her energy in this most pressing of all issues. Along with her fellow activists with the local chapter of the Citizens Climate Lobby, she regularly contacts policymakers at the local, state and federal levels, something she recommends  for everyone. But she's found that what really satisfies is planting trees. She put the first few in the ground in her Midtown neighborhood 25 years ago, then had to back off a bit to raise daughters. Now she's back at it more intensively than ever. A crop of 80 trees will go in the ground this October, and Karen already is anticipating seeing these babies leaf out next April. There's no doubt that the best antidote to climate anxiety is to get out there and do something.

Lisa Walker is a proud SAHM (Stay at Home Mom). She enjoys trail hiking and beach-combing with her husband Jake when not busy with her boys and home improvement projects. She created NeighborhoodSprout.org as a passion project to share her love of homeownership with others.

Jack Adam Weber, L.Ac., is a celebrated poet, author, climate activist, organic farmer, licensed acupuncturist, and Chinese medical herbalist. He attended UC Berkeley as an undergraduate and graduated valedictorian from Chinese Medicine University in 2001. He has authored hundreds of articles, thousands of poems, and several books. He writes extensively on the subjects of holistic medicine, emotional depth work, mind-body integration, and the climate crisis, challenging his readers to think and act outside the box. His latest major work is Climate Cure: Heal Yourself to Heal the Planet. Jack is also the creator of “The Nourish Practice,” a rejuvenating meditation and Qi Gong experience that doubles as a somatic template for healing through the wounds of childhood. His motto for modern living is: “Keep it outwardly simply and inwardly rich.” His work can be found at his website: jackadamweber.com

Anna Woiwood writes social commentary novels centered around women in the mid-century. Her debut novel, The Veracity of Lies, was a finalist for a 2023 Golden Crown Literary Award in historical fiction and A Tiger in Suburbia was a 2024 Golden Crown Literary Ann Bannon Popular Choice finalist. She lives in Kansas City with her small cat son, Walter. Find her on Instagram @anna.w.writes.