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Anna Peterson
Cofounder
Anna is a conservation biologist and writer who uses stories, mindfulness, and outdoor experience to promote and protect nature.
Anna has worked for 25 in years as a conservation biologist and educator for organizations such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, University of Minnesota, and other non-profits and educational institutions. Her research and education interests coalesce around birds and the bird migration phenomena that occur in Minnesota and throughout the Great Lakes region.
Anna is a MN State Arts Board grant recipient for her writing that weaves together the vulnerability of migratory birds and her own journey to survive systematic disempowerment from living with chronic migraines. Her education includes a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology and teaching certificates in mindfulness meditation and yoga.
Anna enjoys canoeing, trail running, cross-country skiing, all kinds of nature observation (especially birding and experiencing nature’s awe with a toddler), and the tending to her yard prairie. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband, daughter, 2 cats, and a plethora of pollinators.
Ryan Atwell
Cofounder
Ryan is an environmental sociologist and interfaith spiritual director passionate about relationships and change as core ingredients of all life.
Ryan brings two and a half decades of experience as a social-ecological systems scientist and educator for organizations including the National Park Service, the US Department of Agriculture, nonprofits, and several colleges and universities. He also works in interfaith spiritual formation, prioritizing relationships among ecology, spirituality, and embodied practice.
Ryan’s holds a Ph.D. in Natural Resource Ecology & Management and an MA in Interfaith Spiritual Formation. His professional training includes certifications as a Somatic Experiencing Practitioner (anticipated 2025), Mindfulness Meditation Teacher, and Yoga Instructor.
Ryan loves experiencing nature and moving his body through activities like cross-country skiing, trail running, paddling, and foil surfing. These outdoor activities and embodied practices such as yoga, meditation, and somatic experiencing have helped him work through chronic pain and care for his mental health. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife, daughter, and two quirky cats.
