Blog

Uncover the stories, people, and processes that power our work.

Oct 29 2025

Encouragement as Oxygen: Lessons from My Mentor, John Reardon

My Adlerian mentor and counselor, John Reardon, passed away this weekend. His teachings on encouragement, courage, and connection have shaped every part of who I am — as a mother, a leader, and a human being. Even as I write that, I feel the layers of gratitude and loss rise together. When my daughter was […]

Read more →

Sep 15 2025

The Cost of Integrity: Why I Still Choose It

A Week of Hypocrisy and Harm Last week’s headlines troubled me. I heard the tragic news while driving to facilitate a wolf advisory group. Increasingly, people seem to be resorting to violence against those with different beliefs. Political institutions value performance over principle. Public shows of loyalty from people who, in the same breath, punish […]

Read more →

Jun 17 2025

Beyond Emotional Intelligence: 5 Steps Toward Emotional Inclusion (Even If You’d Rather Numb Out)

Let’s be real. Some days, it feels easier to push emotions down, check off the boxes, and pretend everything’s fine. That emotional silence was the norm in my family—and, as it turns out, also the unspoken rule in much of my conservation career. But it’s costing us our health, our connection, and our purpose. What […]

Read more →

May 3 2025

Emotional Support Is the Leadership Skill Conservation Forgot

🔥 Conservation Leadership Is Burning Out—Here’s Why It Matters When I was in college—more years ago than I care to count—I didn’t worry much about the future. The path felt hopeful. The conservation jobs were there. The work ahead felt bright. But now, the emotional tone of the conservation workforce has shifted dramatically. From undergraduates […]

Read more →