About Us

Our Approach

Refined through practice and feedback.

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Our Vision

Explore why and how we do what we do.

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Our Work

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Anna Peterson
Co-founder

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 University of Minnesota, National Park Service, US Geological Survey, and other nonprofits and academic institutions. Her professional pursuits coalesce around using the power of story and experience to connect people to nature. She is especially interested in the bird migration phenomena that occurs throughout the Great Lakes region. Anna holds a Ph.D. in Conservation Biology.

Anna enjoys canoeing, trail running, cross-country skiing, and spending time in nature - especially birding, seeing the world through the eyes of her toddler daughter, and the tending to her urban prairie. She lives in Minneapolis with her husband, daughter, 2 cats, and a plethora of pollinators.

Ryan Atwell
Co-founder

Ryan is an environmental sociologist, ecologist, and interfaith spiritual director passionate about relationships and change as core ingredients of life.

Ryan brings two and a half decades of experience as a social scientist, ecologist, and educator for organizations including the National Park Service, US Department of Agriculture, Nature Conservancy, and other nonprofits and academic institutions. His background and work interests are rooted in the ingredients underlying social and environmental change. He also works in applied spiritual formation, prioritizing relationships among nature connection, embodied practice, and collective action. Ryan holds a Ph.D. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and an MA in Interfaith Spiritual Formation.

Ryan loves experiencing nature and moving his body through outdoor sports, especially when exploring with his two year old daughter. These activities and embodied practices such as yoga, meditation, and somatic experiencing are core to his mental and physical health. He lives in Minneapolis with his wife, daughter, and two quirky cats.