CURRENT MISSION

build sustainable community!

ABOUT ME

I am a plant ecologist with a deep commitment to community building and sustainable living. For work, I do research on climate change impacts on plant communities and teach college courses in Ecology and Environmental Studies. Outside of work, I get involved in lots of projects- mainly revolving around homesteading, cooperative living, and skill-sharing. I have a partner, Adam, who works on public space/street use activism in San Francisco (e.g., improving pedestrian and bicycle spaces and bringing people together for street events like block parties and free movie nights etc), so I am also involved with some of his projects and my home base is with him in the Inner Sunset neighborhood of SF. But, I often travel and live elsewhere for chunks of time for work. This works out ok because I love connecting people and projects, and there are always new things to learn from the new places I visit and live in. I am passionate about working with others to create alternative ways of living/working/interacting that are ecologically, culturally, socially sustainable and FUN!

Why I’m on Couchsurfing

HOW I PARTICIPATE IN COUCHSURFING

Hosting, surfing, giving advice... I am travelling in Europe until Aug 2015 and then moving to Durango, Colorado for the winter- where I will be happy to host surfers. I can also give advice about what to do in the SF Bay Area since that was my home base for many years.

I currently live in Austin, TX with my sweetheart Adam. We are on a bike tour for the summer but can host when we return. We host a lot of cyclists through warmshowers.

COUCHSURFING EXPERIENCE

I've hosted surfers in santa cruz, scotts valley, and sebastopol and couchsurfed in south and central america and within the US.

Interests

ecology, climate change science, community-building, homesteading projects (like making cheese, bread, raising chickens and goats, etc etc), plant ID, non-hierarchical education, gift economy, skill shares, permaculture, crafting, public space activism, ecovillages and cooperatives, hiking, backpacking, telemark skiing, bike touring and sustainable transportation.

• chickens
• education
• cooking
• recipes
• cheese
• partying
• traveling
• homesteading
• music
• cycling
• hiking
• backpacking
• surfing
• skiing
• telemark skiing
• ecology
• teaching
• environmental studies
• science

Music, Movies, and Books

MUSIC: bluegrass, old timey, afro-cuban, salsa, bossa nova, etc etc. BOOKS: mostly read nonfiction books on ecology, social justice and food systems issues

One Amazing Thing I’ve Done

bicycling down the CA coast with my sweetheart

Teach, Learn, Share

I can teach you how to identify plants, milk a goat, make cheese, bake crusty bread, start a worm composting bin, etc. I like learning about local traditions, recipes, music, day-to-day life, etc in the places I visit, and get to know you! Also, because I have mainly lived in cooperative houses and ecovillages, I am always curious to see how other shared housing communities function.

What I Can Share with Hosts

I am eager to help out with just about any project around the house! I also love to cook and always look forward to sharing meals together when possible.

Countries I’ve Visited

Albania, Belgium, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Canada, China, Costa Rica, Croatia, Czech Republic, Ecuador, England, France, Germany, Italy, Macedonia, Montenegro, Morocco, Netherlands, Panama, Peru, Scotland, Slovenia, United Kingdom

Countries I’ve Lived In

Mexico, Spain, United States

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