….the realization that so many women (myself included) think they could never do adventure and outdoor things sparked a passion in my to help other women realize they are so much more capable that even they may be able to image. All the excuses of I'm not skinny enough, I'm not strong enough, I'm not young enough, I'm not brave enough, I'm not *whatever* enough slip away as I prove to myself I can do these even when when I'm not a peak performance athlete….
Read MoreI was born and raised on the Navajo Nation with the desert landscape expanding in all directions as far as I could see; my understanding of being human stemmed from this beautiful place, uncaged and free. My grandmother shared her ancestral wisdom with me about the Earth, our Mother, and how it is our responsibility to be the curators of the land. She explained our peoples’ rightful stake to this continent and our continued struggle to have access to ancient sacred lands.
Read MoreGrowing up in the summers on the Wind River Reservation, among the Wind River Mountain Range, playing outside jumping into dirt mounds and rivers; I always thought that was the only way of life. I thought that this gift of being in the “outdoors” was exactly what every kid was experiencing.
Read MoreThere aren’t a lot of women in forestry yet, and on top of that, I am a very small woman. Loggers often give me that look when they first meet me- it’s dubious, uncertain, or in the worst cases, patronizing. I’ve received some of the same reactions from my own colleagues and even my supervisors. It actually doesn’t bother me, provided they allow my work to speak for itself, and are able to change their perception of me. It does bother me if they continue to treat me as “less than” my male coworkers. I have to be suspicious of decisions made, when a male coworker is chosen for a task over me, or given greater responsibility……
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