Story as a Bridge Between Science, Culture, and Imagination

I teach people how to use story as a tool for connection with each other and with the natural world. My talks, masterclasses and workshops draw on decades of field cinematography, ethical storytelling and work with scientists, explorers and communities from Antarctica to Central Asia.

At the heart of my teaching is artivism: storytelling with a purpose. That might mean raising awareness, shifting a perspective, sparking a conversation or influencing a decision. It starts with learning to see.

I also consult on documentary, fiction and interdisciplinary projects, from film structure and screenwriting to storytelling for museums, science initiatives and public engagement.

THEMES

  • Artivism: storytelling for awareness, change and connection

  • Seeing before telling: observation, power and the camera

  • Field cinematography, from a camerawoman who shoots her own films

  • Ethical storywork in science and exploration

  • Deep time, dark skies and who gets to dream

HOW I WORK

  • Keynotes, public talks and artist lectures

  • University masterclasses and filmmaker workshops

  • Youth photography and film workshops, in the field and outdoors

  • Story clinics & mentorship for emerging storytellers

  • Narrative and editorial consultation

Selected Engagements

  • National Geographic Explorer–Educator Exchange: workshops and mentorship

  • Nat Geo Slingshot Challenge Takeover: conservation film workshops with high school students (Los Angeles and San Diego)

  • Deep Time: From Fossils to Stars: a National Geographic-funded curriculum connecting Mongolian youth to paleontology and astronomy

  • Cosmos Photo Camp: youth photography and astronomy in semi-nomadic communities (Kyrgyzstan)

  • University of Central Asia - guest teaching in ethical storytelling and documentary practice

  • American University of Central Asia - workshops on voice, interview, and field filmmaking

  • Cosmos Photo Camp - youth-centered storytelling and astronomy in semi-nomadic communities

  • Library of Congress American Folklife Center - oral history and cultural documentation initiatives

Let’s Work Together!

I welcome invitations from schools, universities, museums, conservation and exploration programs, foundations and youth organizations. I'm especially interested in groups that want young people not just to learn about the natural world, but to fall in love with it and speak up for it.

“Envoy” Film Still