Christiana Moss
CHRISTIANA MOSS is managing principal and a founding partner of Studio Ma, the current AIA Arizona Firm of the Year and a recent Architectural Record Design Vanguard Firm. Her interests in advanced environmental design and the relationship between natural and cultural systems inform her design philosophy. She is one of fiveStudio Ma principals and practices collaboratively with Christopher Alt, Dan Hoffman, Jason Boyer and Tim Keil. The hallmark of studio is a commitment to sustainability and research, seen most recently in Princeton University’s net-zero ready 715-bed Lakeside Graduate Student Community.
As part of the firm’s mission of advancing the practice of sustainable design, Studio Ma has recently developed a “triple net-zero” concept for higher education research buildings and practices using an integrated design process, for its campus, cultural and urban infill projects. Their work on university campuses focuses on student residential life, academic and research projects. Other notable recent projects include Scottsdale’s Museum of the West, a Smithsonian affiliate, Arizona State University’s Manzanita Hall, Northern Arizona University’s Native American Cultural Center, the Cranbrook Institute of Science addition, master planning and cabin prototypes for Summit Powder Mountain, PRD845 and artHAUS, an urban infill development. Studio Ma has received significant recognition for their work, including AIA Arizona Honor awards, the Chicago Athenaeum and SCUP/AIA National Honor for Building Design. Their buildings have been featured in Metropolis, Architectural Record and The New York Times.
Christiana received her Bachelor of Architecture from Cornell University's College of Architecture, Art and Planning.
3 words to describe Nature?
Essential
Integral
Threatened
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility
Awe
Self-reflection
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Fire Island
Oak Creek Canyon, AZ
My back yard
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
When I’m looking out to the ocean I feel small and infinite at the same time.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
When I’m in a forest I feel sheltered, embraced and connected to the earth.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
I haven’t seen a volcano yet.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Thankful for its rising and anxious for its return when it sets.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Hearing thunder makes me want to seek shelter.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
I enjoy feeling the wind on my face and prefer to be in it instead of hearing it from the indoors.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
This is a difficult question. I love them all and they are all connected, perhaps some at different times. I began as an ocean person. The desert was once an ocean and I now enjoy the expanse of sky of both, the silhouette of mountains and the unique life water’s absence creates in the desert. The forest is a place I go to be immersed in the smells and sounds of the earth and I long for this too, perhaps I will become a forest person.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
1 (being most important)
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I lived as a child on Fire Island without cars, free to run and swim in the ocean, walking in sand barefoot all summer long, picking blueberries and chasing rabbits. I lost this when I moved to New York when I was 12 and I’ve been longing to return to life without a city ever since.
Ardy Sobhani
ARDY SOBHANI is an entrepreneur and business strategist, energized by ideation, iteration, and systems design. After earning an MBA in Design Strategy from California College of the Arts in 2012, Ardy helped launched Oru Kayak via Kickstarter with his two co-founders. The response to the project was incredible, with over 700 backers supporting the folding kayak company. In three years since, Oru Kayak has grown quickly, from a weekend hobby to young and scrappy startup to international brand. all under the guidance of Sobhani, Oru Kayak's CEO.
Today the company markets and sells through a wide variety of channels, has a robust and efficient manufacturing and fulfillment process in Southern California, and has developed key partnerships with , and many other major distributors. Looking forward, the company--which has doubled in growth each year since its founding--is poised for rapid expansion, riding a wave of good fortune and a dedication to the aggressive strategies put forth by Ardy and the rest of the executive team. Oru Kayak's dream of changing the way people experience the outdoors is closer than many believe.
As a leader, Ardy is motivated by a desire to use human-centered design to make the outdoors more accessible for all. He believes that clever, forward-thinking solutions will soon create game-changing products and services in the outdoor industry, and that Oru Kayak is position well to be a catalyst for this change. Ardy uses design thinking frameworks to inspire innovative thinking, merging design and business to create and deliver value to the customer and faster growth for the company.
3 words to describe Nature?
Freedom
Fresh
Recharge
3 things Nature taught you?
Ecosystem - Everything has a purpose and nothing is wasted.
Flow - the easiest path forward. Nature always finds it.
All the answers we are looking for are in nature, but they are hard to find.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The waters that surround the cities. We need to utilize these natural water parks!
The Beautiful North of Iran " Shomal"
My favourite tree in the neighbourhood
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm and at the same time strong. Always there to take care of you and never let go.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Respect. Our elders with much wisdom
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Never seen a volcano in person but it is very powerful. It's time for the earth to breathe.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Another day about to start or end :) Future or the Past. Both are very powerful.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Love it! Louder, please!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Something is about to go down! We need to listen closely to what the wind is telling us.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I grow up in Tehran, Iran mountains city but lived in California for the most of my life. I love the desert for it vastness and its honesty. I love the ocean as it takes care of us. Mountains for their powerful stand and they are fun to play in. Forest for the oxygen the make. How about mountain forest next to ocean or lake.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10. I need more of it.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Camping in the forest of Iran. I LOVED it!
Brian MacKay-Lyons
BRIAN MACKAY-LYONS received his Bachelor of Architecture from the Technical University of Nova Scotia in 1978 where he was awarded the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Medal. He received his Master of Architecture and Urban Design at U.C.L.A., and was awarded the Dean’s Award for Design. In 1985, he founded the firm Brian MacKay-Lyons Architecture Urban Design in Halifax. Twenty years later, Brian partnered with Talbot Sweetapple to form MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects Limited.
The firm has built an international reputation for design excellence confirmed by over 125+ awards, including the Royal Institute of British Architects International Fellowship in 2016, the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada Gold Medal in 2015 and Firm Award in 2014, six Governor General Medals, two American Institute of Architects National Honor Awards for Architecture, thirteen Lieutenant Governor’s Medals of Excellence, eight Canadian Architect Awards, four Architectural Record Houses Awards, eight North American Wood Design Awards and in 2017 the firm received the Global Award for Sustainable Architecture. Also in 2017, the firm has been shortlisted for the prestigious Moriyama Award (result pending). A fellow of the Royal Architectural Institute of Canada (FRAIC), and the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA), Brian was named Honorary Fellow of the American Institute of Architects (Hon FAIA) in 2001 and International Fellow of the Royal Institute of British Architects (Int. FRIBA) in 2016.
He is a Professor of Architecture at Dalhousie University where he has taught for over thirty years and has held seventeen endowed academic chairs and given 200+ lectures internationally. In 2004 he was visiting professor for the Ruth and Norman Moore Professorship at Washington University in St. Louis.
Ghost (1994-2011) was a series of international Architectural Research Laboratories that took place on the MacKay-Lyons farm. Ghost was founded by Brian as a meeting place for an international ‘school’ of architects who shared a commitment to: landscape, making, and community. The final installment of Ghost took the form of a three-day historic gathering where the twenty-five invited guests and speakers commiserated over these shared values and their ‘resistance’ to the globalization of Architecture.
The work of the firm has been recognized in 330+ publications including six monographs: Seven Stories from a Village Architect (1996); Brian MacKay-Lyons: Selected Works 1986-1997 (1998); Plain Modern: The Architecture of Brian MacKay-Lyons by Malcolm Quantrill (2005); Ghost: Building an Architectural Vision (2008); Local Architecture: Building Place, Craft, and Community (2014); and Economy as Ethic: The Work of MacKay-Lyons Sweetapple Architects, authored by Historian Robert McCarter, published April 2017. In addition to these monographs, the work of the firm has been featured in 100+ exhibitions internationally.
3 words to describe Nature?
As a fellow Canadian, Nature is IMMENSE. But, as a Nova Scotian, all Nature is a mixture of both CULTURAL and natural landscapes. As an architect, Nature is the ultimate design MODEL.
3 things Nature taught you?
NATURE WINS. Any attempt to beat nature loses.
ELEGANCE = economy of means.
RYTHM of the seasons.
We learn our manners at home, then take them out into the world. As a child, I have been imprinted by the landscape where my ancestors have dwelled for thousands of years.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
EDGE, where the land meets the sea.
ACADIE, the local Micmac word for the ecologically rich tidal estuaries around the Bay of Fundy, where I hunted and fished as a youth.
DRUMLIN, a hill that points in the direction of the retreating glaciers in the last ice age.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
I feel connected to the INFINITE. (Prospect)
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
I am ALONE. (Refuge)
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
I see a PORTAL to the center of the earth.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
A sunrise or sunset is a seasonal CLOCK.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Thunder, universally inspires TERROR.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
The wind is the weather FORECAST.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Clearly an OCEAN person.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
Nature connection is essential to my/our well-being, or GROUNDING, so it is a 10.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Dip netting spawning gaspereaux at dusk on spring evenings with friends, in the rapids, where the fresh water from the forest drops into the salt tidal estuary water. This is only one of the seasonal RITUALS that marked my PLACE in the world.
Jennine Cohen
JENNINE COHEN is a the Managing Director of the Americas for GeoEx. A trusted adventure, luxury and travel expert, Jennine also supports travel conservation efforts. She is a member of the Board of Directors for the International Galápagos Tour Operators Association (IGTOA) and has been featured in Travel & Leisure, Afar, Conde Nast Traveler, Vogue, YahooTravel, Fortune, Forbes, ABC, CBS, Travel Weekly, TravelAge West, Recommend Magazine, SmartMeetings, Travel Alliance Media and beyond. Besides sending people traveling around the world, Cohen advises, coaches and helps small businesses, women entrepreneurs, healers, and business leaders to uncover their everyday magic.
3 words to describe Nature?
Peace, Pachamama, Purity
3 things Nature taught you?
Like nature, I am a force;
Hitting the reset button in nature = clarity;
No regrets for going bigger
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The South Yuba River, Nevada City,
Wrangell Saint Elias National Park – Alaska,
Dead Horse State Park - Utah
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
I want to be out there, in the waves instead of sitting on the shore
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Like everything is right in the world
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Mother Earth is amazing
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Like the days are precious – and we should appreciate and have gratitude for each uniquely beautiful day.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
At home
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Intrigued
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain – but love them all deeply
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I didn’t have much exposure to the wilderness as a child, and my first real introduction was in college through UCLA’s Outdoor Leadership Program. My first backpacking trip with UCLA was through Sequoia National Forest – it was how I fell in love with the West.
I was surrounded on that trip by much more experienced peers who had spent their childhoods enjoying frequent family camping trips. I on the other hand, didn’t even know how to set up a tent – let alone use topo maps and a compass. Despite this, as we hiked through the mountains and under some of the largest trees on the planet, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction, calm, sense of purpose. Though I was an absolute beginner, but my unbounded excitement for my new found passion over time led to my competence in and eventual addiction to the outdoors. My life was forever changed after that trip, and my career in the adventure travel industry born.
Coincidentally, that same trip happened to fall over 9/11. We had been in the wilderness and seemed to be the last ones on the planet to find out about the terrorist attacks to the World Trade Center – emerging from the woods a full week after the tragic event. Not being surrounded by news all week likely shielded us from the high levels of stress and anxiety that the rest of the country was suffering from.
It is a good reminder about the importance of disconnecting from the noise of today’s anxiety inciting media – in order to intuitively return to the abundance of calm and clarity.
Bruce Poon Tip
Entrepreneur, leader and philanthropist BRUCE POON TIP is the founder of adventure travel company and social enterprise G Adventures, the world’s largest small-group adventure travel company, with 23 offices worldwide offering more than 650 tours on all seven continents and serving 150,000 travellers a year.
Bruce is also the founder of the nonprofit foundation Planeterra in 2003, which harnesses the power of the tourism industry to direct travel dollars into vulnerable and underserved communities around the world. His work with organizations such as the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), the Multilateral Investment Fund (MIF), like-minded companies and indigenous people has supported more than 40 unique community development and relief projects around the world, with another 50 in development.
In 2012, Bruce was inducted into the Social Venture Network Hall of Fame, joining celebrated entrepreneurs such as Richard Branson (Virgin Airlines), Anita Roddick (The Body Shop), and Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield (Ben and Jerry’s Ice Cream). He was also awarded a Queen Elizabeth II’s Diamond Jubilee Medal, recognizing significant contributions to society, and was named Entrepreneur of the Year in 2016, 2006 and 2002.
Bruce’s first book, Looptail: How One Company Changed the World by Reinventing Business, a New York Times bestseller, was the first business book to be endorsed by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, who penned the book’s foreword. In 2015 Bruce released his second book, Do Big Small Things, a gorgeously designed journal about life and travel that takes readers on a journey and invites them to share their own inspiration and creativity.
G Adventures has been named one of the 50 Best Managed Companies for over 10 years and is repeatedly recognized as a “best place to work” in Canada, the US, the UK and Australia.
3 words to describe Nature?
Happiness
Peaceful
Beauty
3 things Nature taught you?
Being humble,
Importance of stillness
Awareness that we’re surrounded by beautiful things
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Serengeti, Galapagos and the Geelong Bird Sanctuary
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Free
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Small
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Invincible
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Light
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
All of the above
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Growing up in Calgary I spent a lot of my spare time in ponds after school, knee-deep in mud. I lost track of time catching frogs and observing tadpoles in transition. I was fascinated by natural biology.
Gary Turk
GARY TURK is an award-winning filmmaker and spoken word artist best known for his viral film ‘Look Up’, attracting over 500 million views worldwide. Through poetry and film, Gary explains how overuse of smartphones and social media can disengage us from real relationships, human interactions and living in the real world.
‘Look Up’ is currently the most viewed Spoken Word film on YouTube, and went on to win Best Viral Film at Cannes. Scroll down to watch his latest video - IN OUR NATURE
Gary’s work, which has explored our relationships with money, politics and nature has gone on to inspire masses across the globe and gained worldwide coverage including BBC News, Fox News and TIME.
Gary has appeared on The Today Show, Good Morning Britain, BBC Breakfast, Sunrise (Australia), among many others.
Gary continues to make short independent films, as well as performing live around the world. He can also be found giving talks, workshops & performances at schools, universities, and corporate events.
3 words to describe Nature?
Boundless
Magnificent
Inspiring
3 things Nature taught you?
To travel
To take my time
To appreciate the little things
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Looking Glass Rock, Appalachian Mountains, NC.
Cuckmere Haven, South Downs National Park, England.
Beneath the Redwoods, Mendocino CA.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Protected
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Inconsequential
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Like everyone and everything is connected
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Like looking for lightning
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like there's no point standing still
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain person - I love being able to take in my surroundings from up high (especially if I can see Oceans, Forests or Deserts from there).
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
An easy 10 - If I ever don't feel 100%, I know that being in Nature will always make things better, put things into perspective, and provide the answers I need.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
After a long day of trail hiking with my cub-scout, we went to sleep under the stars in our sleeping bags on the forest floor. What I did not realise as we went to sleep was that I still had a cereal bar in the pocket of my shorts. When I woke up I noticed there were lots of tiny pieces of foil wrapper in my sleeping bag. I climbed out to find that my shorts now had a large hole in them leading to my pocket, which had clearly been chewed, and inside my pocket was the remaining foil wrapper and the crumbs of a cereal bar that I had not eaten.
I became immediately certain that I had been attacked by a bear in my sleep, and that I must have somehow slept through the encounter.
Our group leader then reassured me that considering the size of the hole in my shorts, and the fact my sleeping bag and limbs remained intact, it was most likely a mouse that attacked me during the night.
I often remember this moment in nature as a child, as part of me still likes to believe it could have been a bear.
Scott Sampson
SCOTT SAMPSON was born and raised in Vancouver, BC. He is a dinosaur paleontologist, science communicator, and passionate advocate for reimagining cities as places where people and nature thrive. He serves as the President and CEO of Science World British Columbia.
Scott’s scientific research has focused on the ecology and evolution of Late Cretaceous dinosaurs, and he has conducted fieldwork in many countries, including Kenya, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Madagascar, Mexico, the United States, and Canada. He has published numerous scientific and popular articles, and regularly speaks to audiences of all ages on topics ranging from dinosaurs and education to sustainability and connecting kids with nature.
Sampson has appeared in many television documentaries and served as a science advisor for a variety of media projects, most recently the BBC movie, Walking With Dinosaurs. He has authored multiple books, including Dinosaur Odyssey: Fossil Threads in the Web of Life, and How to Raise a Wild Child: The Art and Science of Falling in Love with Nature. However, he is perhaps best known as “Dr. Scott,” host and science advisor of the Emmy-nominated PBS KIDS television series Dinosaur Train, produced by the Jim Henson Company.
3 words to describe Nature?
Interwoven, Nested, Evolving
3 things Nature taught you?
Wonder, Deep Connection, Humility
3 most treasured Nature spots?
While I have had the pleasure of traveling to a number of countries around the world, my most treasured nature spots have been those that I have been able to return to again and again. They are the ones I know the best, and that resonate with me most deeply.
Long Beach (Tofino area), Vancouver Island
Marin Headlands, California
Red Rock Country, southern Utah
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Awe (in its vastness)
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Wonder (in its deep, mostly unseen interconnections)
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Humbled (by the sheer power it represents from within the Earth)
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Tiny, and a little off balance (sitting, as I am, on the side of a giant, rolling sphere)
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Resonance (it is as if I feel the thunder more from the inside out, than the outside in)
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
A deep appreciation for shelter
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Growing up in Vancouver, BC, I was raised at the intersection of ocean, mountain, and forest, so for me they are interwoven. But if I had to pick one only, it would be the ocean.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
While still a child, camping with my family in the interior of British Columbia, I went off on my own (as usual) in search for interesting rocks and (hopefully) fossils. I spent a joyous hour or two on the side of a steep, boulder-strewn slope, turning over rocks and hunting for whatever wonders might be revealed. (I may have rolled a few rocks down the hillside as well.) Eventually I stopped and sat for a long while on a flat rock with a view of the valley below. When I finally headed back to our campsite, I wanted to show my parents where I had been. Late in the day, we walked back to the spot, to find a rattlesnake lounging on the very same flat rock I had sat on just hours earlier. I presume that it was soaking in the last rays of sun before a night of hunting. Although my first reaction was a twinge of fear, my lasting sense was one of interconnection—with the snake, the rock, and that place.
Camille Preston
CAMILLE PRESTON is a psychologist, executive coach, consultant, speaker, and internationally recognized expert on Virtual Effectiveness. She is the founder and CEO of the organizational consulting firm AIM Leadership, and the author of two books: Rewired: How to Work Smarter, Live Better, and Be Purposefully Productive in an Overwired World and Create More Flow: Igniting Peak Performance in an Overwired World.
For more than twenty years, Camille has guided leaders, executives, policy makers, professionals, and individuals alike to new heights of leadership, performance, efficiency, and greater happiness and fulfillment. Her clients span industries and fields around the globe, including executives from NBC, Zappos, MGMMirage, Citrix, the Corporate Executive Board, Mars, Verizon, GE, CapitalOne, the US Army, and many others.
Beyond work, Camille is an avid runner, yogi, and adventure traveler. She has worked on five continents, traveled to 39 countries, and currently lives in Cambridge, MA with her husband, Mark, and their son, Preston and daughter, Adeline.
3 words to describe Nature?
Life-source (vital, energizing)
Teacher
Diversity (if you connect with how amazing, vast, diverse and profound nature is - it transforms your interactions elsewhere…. if you know the dessert and the ocean and the mountains - it helps you deal with different personalities, different life experiences)
3 things Nature taught you?
Centering
Humility (so beautiful, so powerful, so ever-changing)
To recharge OFTEN (being in nature recharges…)
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Sitting in a kayak in the center of Squam Lake - especially early morning, at dusk.
Top of Powder Mountain, in Utah - vast views, diverse landscape, intersection of so many forces - wild and beautiful.
Church Island Chapel - Squam. It is a sanctuary in a pine grove, surrounded by water… where I have gone with my greatest heartaches and greatest desires
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Any type of water is profoundly powerful for me as I have a lot of fire in my personality. I need to be around water otherwise I’m off balance. I always seek out water - on my morning runs, on my ideal vacations, etc.
Something about the moisture in the waves, the space that sits above the ocean.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Reminded that I am just part of a larger system, a speck on this earth. You see the grandeur, the longevity, the strength - and it gives me focus.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
It gives me the force to change, surrender to greater things. I loved driving in Chile - so many roads are built to frame a volcano. Almost as if there is deep reverence for their force to create and destroy.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
Morning - I think about where / what to create, how to leave a mark and feel a sense of deep possibility.
Evenings - I think about all that is, all that I have been blessed with. There is a sense of gratitude to be.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Humbled by the powerful force of nature - AND all that I don’t understand about it.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Grateful to snuggle deep into bed. For having safety, protection, and emotional community.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I’m a water person… I need to be.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10…. I can tell when I haven’t been “in it”. Nature drives where I live, how I engaged, the ways I create balance within myself.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Every summer I spent at Squam Lake. All this time unplugging, slowing down, learning a new rhythm, adapting to a new pace of life. We would also spend 3-4wks as a family backpacking. Now, as a mom - I’m humbled that they would leave the lake and “choose” a harder interaction with nature - to teach us life skills.
David Nihill
DAVID NIHILL is the author of the best-selling book Do You Talk Funny? and the Founder of FunnyBizz, a community, writer platform, and conference series, where business meets humor to abolish boring content. His work has been featured in Inc., Lifehacker, The Huffington Post, Fast Company, The Irish Times, WSJ, and Forbes. A graduate of the UCD Michael Smurfit Graduate Business School he calls San Francisco home when immigration officials permit, and was named on the 2017 Irish America 100 List, which recognizes the accomplishments of the best and the brightest Irish-American and Irish-born leaders.
3 words to describe Nature?
Inspiring, awe, wonder
3 things Nature taught you?
Patience, appreciation, fear
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Annanpurna Nepal, Tofu Mozambique, Salt Flats Bolivia
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Like kiteboarding or swimming
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Like running but also like stopping
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
In awe
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Grateful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Alive
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like kiteboarding
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9..but why not 10, it should be 10 :)
Share with us a childhood nature memory.
When I was 7 years old I went fishing for tadpoles by a small river. I urinated without surveying my surroundings and had an argument with an electrical fence. Exactly as memorable...and painful as it sounds :)
Anique Coffee
ANIQUE COFFEE grew up in the US where she studied Marketing + Entrepreneurial Ventures. After a four-year stint working with Creative Services at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Anique started her own agency, providing a range of services to companies, with a focus on corporate identity and branding. After selling the agency, Anique moved to California and joined the Silicon Valley life in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she helped launch and grow various startups. Anique is driven by relationships and results, and loves connecting with others through shared ideas and celebration of unique differences. Stemming from a love for travel and new cultures, Anique recently relocated to Barcelona, Spain and runs The Collective remotely, embracing the digital nomad lifestyle, enabling her to connect with people and brands all over the globe.
3 words to describe Nature?
Vast. Organic. Expansive.
3 things Nature taught you?
To breathe. To wander. To be open to the things nature shows you when you wander.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The Chuckawalla trail inside Red Cliffs Desert Reserve, near St George Utah
Dipsea Steep Ravine Loop Trail near Stinson Beach, just over the Golden Gate Bridge, north of San Francisco
Monterosso al Mare along the Cinque Terre trail in Italy
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm. I had my energy read a few times and every single reader immediately said that water was my element - the natural element that I use when I'm seeking calming. It's true.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Grateful. Trees are so amazing. They are living, breathing network of organisms that provide oxygen for us to breathe and work WITH each other to survive. I highly recommend this radio lab podcast to understand how amazing forests and trees really are: http://www.radiolab.org/story/from-tree-to-shining-tree/
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Cautiously optimistic.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Renewed.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Homesick. I grew up in Central Florida where thunder and lightning storms are almost a daily occurrence. I used to love sitting on the front porch watching the storms, and when a hurricane was on the way, it would be fun to watch some of the natural debris like Spanish moss whipping around in the huge oak trees in our yard.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you Feel?
Nostalgic for Florida. I have many memories of stormy days and hurricanes there.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Can I be all of them? I love the ocean, but frequently crave the quiet mountain life. I love the lush bright green varieties you can find in the forest. I also lived in the desert in St George Utah for a bit and while I won't live there again, I really miss the red rocks and gorgeous succulents.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
11. Given our current tech-obsessed culture (which I am often guilty of as a business owner), I find myself craving a hike or a quiet sit on beach weekly. I try to give in to these cravings as much as possible to hit the reset button on myself.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Camping as a family was a big part of my childhood. We'd often pack up the car and caravan with some other friends to a campsite. I specifically remember one evening at dusk - my favorite time of the day - where I found myself in a field, surrounded by fireflies. I had seen and caught them before, but this time was different. Its one of those moments in my life that's frozen in my memory and was also some kind of out-of-body experience. I can almost see myself swirling around the field, delicately touching the fireflies one by one. Magical bugs. I love them!
Dave Freeman
DAVE FREEMAN have traveled over 30,000 miles by kayak, canoe and dogsled through some of the world’s wildest places, from the Amazon to the Arctic. National Geographic named him and his wife, Amy Freeman, Adventurers of the Year in 2014. Their images, videos, and articles have been published by a wide range of media, from CBC, NBC, and FOX to the Chicago Tribune, National Geographic, Outside, Backpacker, Canoe and Kayak, and Minnesota Public Radio. When Dave and Amy aren’t on expeditions or speaking tours, they guide canoe, kayak and dogsled trips near their home on the edge of the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness in Northern Minnesota. Check their educational company - Wilderness Classroom.
3 words to describe Nature?
Calming, dynamic, grand
3 things Nature taught you?
Confidence, humility, happiness
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness
Lake Superior
Amazon Rainforest
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Alive
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Young
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Alert
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
It depends on the situation anywhere from excited to terrified.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean and Forest, but lakes and rivers more than anything.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I remember by first canoe trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness when I was 12. I remember listening to loons calling on calm evenings and catching small mouth bass. It felt like we were in the middle of a vast Wilderness even though we had just scratched the surface.
Arita Baaijens
ARITA BAAIJENS is an explorer, biologist, photographer and writer. She is forever curious about the world and explores both physical landscapes and Mindscapes, those last remaining white spots on the world map that Google Earth is not able to find. Fellow Explorers Club, Royal Geographical Society and WINGS Worldquest, who selected her for the Wings Humanities Award 2014. She has completed over 25 desert expeditions on camel throughout Egypt and Sudan. She is the first woman to have crossed the Western Desert of Egypt solo on camel and the first Western woman to travel the Forty Days Road on camel twice. In Mauritania she photographed the last surviving female caravaneers. Currently Arita Baaijens travels and works in Siberia and Papua New Guinea, to research traditional cultures and sacred landscapes at risk. In 2013 she was the first to circumambulate the Altai Golden Mountains in the heart of Eurasia: 4 countries, 101 days, 1500 km on horseback. In March 2015 the Spanisch Geographical Society honored Arita Baaijens as Traveler of the year. She proudly carried the WINGS flag twice.
Baaijens is a pioneer, innovator and connector. She uses deep mapping and story telling to open people’s minds to different possibilities of explaining the world.
Arita Baaijens has produced radio documentaries, a virtual reality film (2016) and video dispatches about her travels. She has published numerous features about her journeys (see attachments) and to date has published seven books, including the award-winning Desert Songs: A Woman Explorer in Egypt and Sudan (AUC Press 2008). She is one of 50 explorers portrayed in “Modern Explorers” (2013, Thames and Hudson). Her book Looking for Paradise (Atlas Contact, 2016) was short listed for the prestigious Dutch Jan Wolkers Award. Baaijens' photographic work has been exhibited in museums and gallery's in England, Sudan, Egypt and the Netherlands. Her 2016 exhibit Search for Paradise in the Ketelfactory Gallery, Netherlands, drew many visitors and caught the attention of the media. It included photography, film, soundscape, a deep map and public lectures. Baaijens is in demand as a speaker both in the Netherlands and abroad, and has presented two TEDxtalks. She is a regular speaker on television and radio. 100+ interviews in magazines and newspapers.
3 words to describe Nature?
Miraculous, Resilient, Omnipresent
3 things Nature taught you?
Joy. The meaning of the word Sublime. Also: We need nature, but nature doesn't need us.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Treasured spots are always Nature spots! The first spot that comes to mind is a lonely and incredibly beautiful and also terrifying spot in the Western Desert of Egypt. It's an 'eagles nest', an outcrop on the edge of a steep and endless limestone cliff. At this spot the surface falls away on all sides but one, the view is incredible. Behind me empty desert, chalk hills, loneliness. And far below sanddunes wherever the eye turns. Incredible, the sand stretches further than the horizon, all the way into Libya. Spectacular, the spot is a strange and horrifying beauty. I have always felt that this is what our planet must have looked like in the days that man was not yet born. Untouched. Scary also, because my water was almost finished when I reached this sport and if I could not find a safe way down the steep cliff that would have been the end of me and my camels .
Second place that comes to mind is the Ukok plateau in south-west Siberia, the Altai Mountains. A very lonely and remote spot, an iconic and sacred glacier valley surrounded by high mountain peaks covered with ice and snow. It is right on the border with Mongolia, China and Kazakhstan. Rivers are being born there! Rivers that carry water for 7000 km north to the Arctic Sea. 9 months of the year it is impossible to be there, too cold, too windy, too dangerous. In the summer months the top layer of the frozen soil melts, which creates small streams and dangerous swamps. Many beautiful lakes. View of mountains, tundra and clouds is majestic. Genesis all over!
the Third spot is my garden and tiny hobbit house in the country side. I couldn't live in Amsterdam if it weren't for this tiny refuge in the country side. It is a strange place, a green oasis tucked away between a high way and the biggest petrochemical industry area in the Netherlands. And yet, the green oasis which is part of very old agricultral land has survived and I feel extremely grateful whenever I go there.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
To be honest, Oceans don't attract me very much. I do like to scuba dive in the Red Sea, it always reminds me of my time in the mother womb. Safe, warm, nourishing, beautiful. If I meet the ocean standing on the beach then something funny happens. 'I' stop to exist, 'it' expands, I am the waves and all it contains. I guess the oceans are the alpha & omega of all that is. I wished scientitsts and researchers would leave the depths of the ocean alone. Allow the ocean to keep its secrets, give it privacy! As an explorer I much prefer to stay on land.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
The forest, strangely enough, is also not my favorite environment. Claustrofobic, I need empty spaces, views in 360 degrees. Which doesn't mean that I don't love forests, I do! Trees are my friends. They supply oxygen, literraly and figuratively speaking.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Wow!! Here are forces at work that we humans don't control. Volcanos keep us in check and remind us of our hubris
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Since I became a desert explorer I learned about the power and the magic of a sunrise and a sunset. And I completely understood why the ancient Egyptians worshipped Ra, the sun god. In the desert I would wake up 2 hours before sun rise, feed the camels, eat breakfast, load the camels and go. That first hour of walking with the camels, pure bliss. As soon as the sun announced its arrival and the first sliver appeared above the horizon I knew that within two hours she would make me suffer. But I always welcomed her with a song (it was no conscious decision to sing, it just happened): 'Here comes the sun,' na na na, etc The sun creates the day and brings life. Then, after a long and hard day walking in the heat, I again enjoyed the last hours of day light and would watch, with relief, shadows appear. Those wonderful shadows recreated the 3D world that had disappeared between 9 am till 3 pm. I never ever would miss the spectacle of the sun saying good bye, I would watch in silence how the world I knew would come to an end. After the last sliver of red had fallen of off the earth (that's how it felt) the sun would set the clouds on fire before it finally disappeared. She left me the moon, the stars and sometimes complete darkness. Nighttime. 10 hours of blissful sleep!
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Alive and in awe, the gods are speaking!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Hard to describe, it is a mix of awe, joy, feeling extremely alive and alert, and yet infinitely small, just the way I like to feel.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Empty spaces: desert, steppe, tundra, you name it. As long as it is untouched and vast and dangerous for humans
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I grew up near a huge forest. We would go there on Sundays, my parents on their bicycles, my brother and I on the back seat. We would bring snacks, lemonade, sweets. I would disappear in the forest. Trees were pillars of my castle. Moss was the softest carpet imaginable. Dew drops were jewels. It was so quiet! Of course the birds sang and the insects buzzed. But the play of light and shadow, those high trees... created a solemn atmosphere. I would choose a big stone that was covered with soft moss and grass: my throne. And I of course was Alice in Wonderland.
Katie Losey
A lifelong wildlife enthusiast, KATIE LOSEY loves to explore the world’s most far-flung corners and hopes to inspire others to live out their wildest adventures through her words and images. At the heart of what guides most of her decisions is learning from the natural world, a strong thread throughout her life. Out of college, she began working at nonprofit Puppies Behind Bars, and too many times found herself reading National Geographic articles about the plight of African and Asian elephants. A year later, she was at an elephant sanctuary in Thailand. Her experiences connecting with these brilliant creatures continues to shape her world.
After returning to NYC from Southeast Asia, Katie found a home at an experiential travel company that plans private, custom journeys. Her trips have put her beneath orangutang swinging across Borneo’s canopy, gliding alongside sharks in Cuba, dancing on a 10,000 year-old glacier in British Columbia, and tracking gorillas in Uganda. Katie’s passion to link travel with conservation spearheaded Absolute Awareness, which connects travelers with the world’s wild places, creatures, and traditions to help champion and protect them.
In 2015 she became a member of The Explorers Club, whose mission is to advance field research, scientific exploration, resource conservation, and the ideal that it is vital to preserve the instinct to explore. In 2017 she co-chaired the 113th Explorers Club Annual Dinner, helping conceptualize and execute the longest standing philanthropic event in NYC history and a gathering of > 1200 world-class explorers in New York City.
3 words to describe Nature?
Genius, wise, interconnected
3 things Nature taught you?
Be patient
Seek symbiotic relationships
Find your own rhythm.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Malaysian Borneo Rainforest
Underwater world
The stream behind my house growing up in NY suburbs.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
At ease
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Inspired
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Calm.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Serene
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
8
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Everyday after school I would go down to the stream behind my house and hang over a log that had fallen across the stream and watch the minnows, crayfish, and would just be so happy. I would bring my friends down there and I would know every rock, every fish hiding spot, the sunny spots, the bugs ones...loved it down there!
Richard Titus
RICHARD TITUS was named one of the Wired 100 in 2010. Serial entrepreneur and executive, Richard has a passion for technology & innovation. His startups include Razorfish, Schematic & Videoplaza. Titus's most recent startup, Prompt.ly, was co-founded in 2013 and sold in 2016 to Breezeworks.
More recently, until February 2017, Richard led customer experience for Samsung Electronics Visual display division globally. While there he led User experience & design globally, and portions of its product planning & new product development functions for Consumer Electronics & Digital Appliance divisions. Richard has been an active blockchain investor & advisor for 5+ years, his most recent ICO’s include Hive and 2030.
Richard previously he held senior leadership roles at the British Broadcasting Corporation (Future Media Controller) where he launched iPlayer and the BBC mobile service and subsequently served as CEO of Associated Northcliffe Digital, the digital holding company of DMGT’s (Daily Mail) digital holding company. He is based in San Francisco, California.
3 words to describe Nature?
Warm (even when cold), Calm, Home
3 things Nature taught you?
Respect for my limitations
Humility around our role on earth
Awe of the complexity, grandeur and ingenuity
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Iceland - the whole damn thing
Atacama desert, Chile
Yosemite Valley, California - which is magical even now after 10+ visits
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Mediative effect of the waves
Longing to escape wherever I am (swim away).
Eagerness to jump on a wave.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
I love the forest for the organic.
The surprise that the bed of pine needles could be so rough, prickly and yet simultaneously soft and welcoming.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
It’s funny I just saw one in Nicaragua this week. A melding of fear, awe and fascination with the danger & power + warmth of what lies beneath the surface.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
My house is in the hills and faces east. I watch the sunrise every day its part of my meditation routine. I feel a sense of rebirth, beginning, but also quiet contemplation. Happiness. No sunrise has ever made me feel sad.
Sunset, I always feel a mix of sadness about those things left incomplete and relief from the same burden.
When my daughters were younger, I used to wake them up to watch the sunrise. We pretended we could conduct it! "ok over there lets get a little more opacity on the water now. People work with me there’s too much bloody purple.. " that kind of thing. They loved it. They still describe those memories as some of their favorites.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Tumultuous Excitement
Expectation
Occasional dread
When my daughters were young, and somewhat afraid of thunder & lightning, I used to lay in their room (high on a hill where we felt on par with the storm) and I would pretend I could “speak storm” - translating the sounds into funny conversation.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Anxiety. Its the only storm sound I don’t like. Years of danger rock climbing and camping. Wind was something that could cause significant distress.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain for sure. though ocean gets a strong 2nd mention.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
Nature is where I go to recharge - even nature photos help me center myself.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
As a child we drove from Orange County CA to Washington DC across the country. Twice. I remember being astounded at the diversity of landscape, the way it evolved and iterated. I found the land and nature would reflect themselves in the people. The Stoicism of the montana’ians. The Friendliness of the midwest farmers…
Alison Davis
Alison Davis is co-founder of Fifth Era. She is a global strategist, finance professional, public company board director and active investor in growth companies. She is currently a director of Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), Fiserv (FISV), Unisys (UIS) and Ooma (OOMA), and is chair of the advisory board for BlockChain Capital. She is a former director of, City National Bank (CYC), Diamond Foods (DMND), First Data Corporation (FDC), Xoom (XOOM), and many private companies and was the Chairman of LECG (XPRT) until its sale in 2011. She has chaired audit, compensation, and governance committees and is a frequent speaker on corporate governance. Alison was previously the managing partner of Belvedere Capital, a private equity firm focused on investing in US banks and financial services firms. Prior to this, Alison was the Chief Financial Officer of Barclays Global Investors (now BlackRock), the world’s largest institutional investment firm with more than $1.5 trillion of assets under management. Earlier in her career, Alison spent 14 years as a strategy consultant and advisor to Fortune 500 CEOs, boards and executive teams with McKinsey & Company,and as a practice leader with A.T. Kearney where she built and led the global Financial Services Practice.
Alison is also the co-author of the best selling books Build Your Fortune in the Fifth Era: How to Prosper in an Age of Unprecedented Innovation & Corporate Innovation in the Fifth Era: Lessons from Alphabet/Google, Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Microsoft
Alison is active in the community supporting non-profits and social enterprises as a board director, fundraiser and volunteer. She has been frequently named a “Most Influential Women in Business” by the San Francisco Business Times. She received a B.A. Honors and a Master’s in Economics from Cambridge University in England, and an MBA from the Stanford Graduate School of Business after completing the first-year at Harvard. She was born in Sheffield, UK, is now a dual US/UK citizen and lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband, Matthew C. Le Merle, and their five children.
3 words to describe Nature?
Vast, magical, glorious
3 things Nature taught you?
To breathe
To be delighted
To be in awe
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Any grassy spot where I can sit or lie in the sun and let the earth hold me
A secret bench on Ring Mountain Tiburon from which to view the Bay and coastline and Marin townships
From a canoe in the middle of Lake Tahoe
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Alive
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Blessed, happy
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Exhilarated and powerful
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Energized, bold
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean or Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
7
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Rambling in the Yorkshire Moors and Derbyshire Dales with my grandfather and often getting delightfully lost
Rick Roberts
RICK ROBERTS is the Director, Hospitality Operations for Summit Powder Mountain in beautiful Eden, Utah. Summit Powder Mountain is a year-round destination for an ongoing program of events and activities - a home to the emergent culture of creativity and collaboration exemplified by the Summit community. Summit Powder Mountain is the largest skiable resort in North America and is preserving its magical skiing experience for generations to come and to save it from overdevelopment. Summit is now focused on building a new urban village at 8600 feet, showing that by developing a portion of the mountain responsibility, the entirety can be saved from overdevelopment.
Prior to joining the Summit family, Rick served 21 years in the Air Force as a dedicated and experienced thought leader and innovator with a history of delivering measurable results while leading teams of 500 in dynamic, combat and non-combat environments. He is a highly decorated veteran that possess a comprehensive background of managing large scale hospitality operations, fitness and recreation programs, human resources, and capital planning.
Additionally, he volunteers for Healthy Body Healthy Life, a non-profit educating individuals, changing families and growing communities. He is extremely passionate about outdoor recreation and the therapeutic effects it can have for veterans challenged with post-traumatic stress.
3 words to describe Nature?
Inspiring, calming, pure
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility, courage, determination
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Havasu Falls, Interlocken, Switzerland, Cliffs of Moher
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Vulnerable...it's another world
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Powerful
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Thankful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Anxious
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Attentive
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I was always fond of being out on a lake fishing with my Dad. After serving in WWII, Korea and Vietnam, fishing brought him peace and joy. I appreciate those special moments with him.
Praveen Varshney
PRAVEEN VARSHNEY has been a principal of Varshney Capital Corp., a Vancouver based merchant banking, venture capital and corporate advisory services firm, since 1991. He is a director or officer of various publicly traded companies including Mogo (Co-Founder) and BetterU Education Corp. He is a Co-Founder of G-PAK and former CFO of Carmanah Technologies Corp. which became Canada's largest solar company. He was Co-Founder of a predecessor of Mountain Province Diamonds who’s Gahcho Kué in September 2016 became the world’s largest new diamond mine since 2003 & De Beers’ second-largest producer behind its Jwaneng mine in Botswana.
Mr. Varshney is a Toniic member and a long-time member of both EO Entrepreneurs Organization & TiE (Founding Director). He’s on a number of non-profit boards such as The Varshney Family Charitable Foundation, OneProsper.org and a Founding Member of instrumentbeyondborders.org. Mr. Varshney is a SVP Vancouver Partner, a Vancouver Police Foundation Trustee, and on the Advisory boards of Room to Read - Vancouver and The Thomas Edison Innovation Foundation in New Jersey, USA.
Mr. Varshney is a past recipient of Business in Vancouver's 40 Under 40 Awards.
3 words to describe Nature?
Amazing, beautiful, wonderful.
3 things Nature taught you?
To be grateful for the things in life that are free & can provide so much happiness – grass, flowers, trees.
Can also be a force to be reckoned with so to be respectful of that & situations that can arise.
There has to be a God, who else & how else could all this have been created!
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Any beach on the planet, especially in Pt.Roberts, WA, USA where we have a small cabin by the ocean.
Walking through Pacific Spirit Regional Park near our home in Vancouver with our labradoodle dog, Ozzy.
Anywhere in Hawaii like on the Big Island where we have a home.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Wonderful!
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Alive!
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
In awe!
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Thankful to be alive & happy.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
A bit scared & a bit in awe.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
A bit scared & a bit in awe.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Wow tough choice, I’m going to go with Ocean.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10 but 12 if you’ll let me go with it.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Growing up during the younger years, because our parents didn’t have much money, we did a lot of picnics so I have vivid amazing memories of all the various parks in the city & neighboring areas we’d visit, my siblings & I would toss a baseball around & even play hockey on the grass with street hockey sticks!
Julie Pointer Adams
JULIE POINTER ADAMS is an artist, floral designer, and most recently, author and photographer of a book on hospitality called Wabi-Sabi Welcome: Learning to embrace the imperfect and entertain with thoughtfulness and ease. She lived in Portland, Oregon for a number of years where she developed and directed the international community events for Kinfolk magazine alongside Editor Nathan Williams. Julie currently resides in Santa Barbara, California with her husband, Ryan.
3 words to describe Nature?
Healing, calming, worshipful
3 things Nature taught you?
To let go of worry; to be still and listening; to find beauty in unsuspecting places.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Sauvie Island, Oregon; St. John River, New Brunswick, Canada; beaches along the Santa Barbara, California coastline
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Powerless and grateful
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Quiet
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Small and temporal
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Happy-sad and hopeful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Grounded
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Alive and reflective, as if a change is coming.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10!
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Most summers as a child were spent visiting my mother’s extended family in New Brunswick, Canada along the St. John River. I remember long days spent outside swimming, canoeing and exploring, but I particularly recall one day sitting hidden in the midst of tall grasses on a sloping hillside, shaded by birch trees. I felt in that moment that nature would always be a safe hiding place—a place to retreat to and be cradled by.
Kengo Kuma
KENGO KUMA was born in 1954. He completed his master’s degree at the University of Tokyo in 1979. After studying at Columbia University as Visiting Scholar, he established Kengo Kuma & Associates 1990. In 2009, he was installed as Professor at the Graduate School of Architecture, University of Tokyo.
Among Kuma’s major works are Kirosan Observatory (1995), Water/Glass (1995, received AIA Benedictus Award), Noh Stage in the Forest (received 1997 Architectural Institute of Japan Annual Award), Bato-machi Hiroshige Museum (received The Murano Prize). His recent works include Yusuhara Wooden Bridge Museum (2010), Asakusa Culture and Tourism Center (2012), Nagaoka City Hall Aore (2012) and Ginza Kabukiza (2013). Outside Japan, Besancon Arts and Culture Center, FRAC Marseilles and Aix-en-Provence Conservatoire of Music were completed in 2013. Currently, about 100 projects are going on in Japan, Europe, USA, China and many other Asian countries. Kengo Kuma & Associates are also engaged in the designing of the new national stadium in Japan.
Kuma is also a prolific writer, including Anti-Object, translated into English. Most of his latest titles have been published in English, Chinese and Korean and have won wide readership from around the world.
3 words to describe Nature?
Integration, interaction, softness
3 things Nature taught you?
Kindness, warmth, calmness
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Kanda River near my house, cemetery near my workplace, & the blue sky
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Why could it appear so different every day?
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Calm down and relax
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
The axis, the verticality that connects the earth and the sky.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Memory of summer holiday in childhood
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Sound of the glass trembling in my old house I lived as a child.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
There was a bamboo bush behind our house. I often changed into rain boots to explore the nature there.
Maita Barrenechea
MAITA BARRENECHEA is a pioneering and leading luxury and experiential Travel Specialist, based in Argentina. She is the founder of MAI 10, one of the world's most prestigious Luxury and Experiential Travel companies. Travel+Leisure has awarded her, for several years now, as one of the World's Top Ten Power-Brokers, Most Informed, Well-connected and Influential persons in the travel industry. Town & Country magazine named her "The Travel Goddess". She is a Case Study at Wharton University as the most successful women entrepreneurs in South America and is featured as one of the main characters in the book "Women Entrepreneurs - Inspiring Stories". The leading luxury travel association Virtuoso, which gathers the top travel and hospitality companies in the world, awarded her with the Best of the Best Travel Award, Best Event Planner, & Best Voyager Club Event. Her clients include U2, Jimmy Buffett, Caroline Kennedy, Jane Fonda, Mick Jagger, Michael Keaton, and many others.
3 words to describe Nature?
Marvel
Life
Glory
... oh and Creation
3 things Nature taught you
Humbleness
Wonder
Gratitude
(but then also Respect, Care, Patience, Appreciation, Imagination, Silence)
3 most treasured Nature spots
A mountain stream
A glacial lake
A coral reef
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Freedom, Rapture, Musical, Harmony, Melancholy, Respect
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Secluded, Happy , Solace , Accompanied, Moody
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Awe, Restlessness, Uncertainty
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Love, Romance, Emotion
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Respect
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Courageous, Desolate
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain with forests (or the green valley between mountains)
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
The memories of camping and listening to the silence of the night and the sounds of nature are very dear to me. I remember the breeze at the top of the trees, the calling of birds when they start to serenade the day, the break of dawn and the glory of the morning, all of it brings magical memories to me.
The first time I looked underwater a coral reef, I was marvelled by the magic of life found under the sea.
I fly-fish and feel there is a profound connection with nature. When I am at the river, I can sit by the bank for hours, listening to rushing water and the breeze in the trees. I love to peruse at rocks and driftwood, and walk downstream watching the bird life around and the insect hatches.
I enjoy the theory that surrounds the art of fly-fishing, learning to read the river to guess where the trouts are lying, understanding the cycle of nature, the food sources we try to imitate, more so if you tie your own flies. You learn to look out for surface activity which will become the target of your fly presentation so as to draw the attention of the fish, you search the ripples to anticipate the direction of their moves, you sight birds collecting insects in the air or off the water, and watch the rolling rise of a trout. The purpose of fishing may be to outsmart a fish, but soon you learn how selective they can be.
There is also the innate beauty in a fly cast. The rhythm and graceful curves of the line in the air and the constant aim of the perfect loop. Fly casting has a poetic nature of its own. But what I enjoy the most about fishing is being immersed in nature, feeling the sounds and the silence, the murmur of the river, and discovering the surrounding wilderness. I've learnt to bird-watch and am infinitely intrigued by the behaviour of birds, I enjoy studying the wildflowers and identifying animal tracks.
When you fish you interact with nature. You feel the water, the wind, the strength of the current. I can still feel the thrill of a trout taking the fly and relentlessly fighting to get away. It is quite magical to cast a dry-fly and let it drift along the surface, and alas, see the actual bite and feel the adrenaline that follows. But there is so much peace when you are enveloped by nature that I many times find myself wishing a fish will not bite, so as not to disturb its life nor the tranquility of the spectacle.
Robert Clark
ROBERT CLARK is a freelance photographer based in New York City, working with the world's leading magazines, publishers and cutting edge advertising campaigns, as well as the author of four monographs: EvolutionA Visual Record, Feathers Displays of Brilliant Plumage, First Down Houston A Year with the Houston Texans and Image America - the first photography book shot solely with a cellphone camera. During his twenty-year association with National Geographic, Clark has photographed more than 40 stories. His cover article "Was Darwin Wrong?" helped National Geographic garner a National Magazine award in 2005. Early in his career, Clark documented the lives of high school football players for the book Friday Night Lights. In 2003, the Museum of Fine Arts Houston brought Clark back to Texas to capture the first year of the new NFL team, the Houston Texans. Clark recently directed the short film "8 Seconds" as part of an advertorial campaign for Russell Athletic. He lives in Brooklyn with his wife and daughter, and is the owner of Ten Ton Studio in the Brooklyn Navy Yards. He can be followed on Instagram.
3 things Nature taught you?
Patience
The awesome power of geological evolution
How fragile it all is when we ignore it
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Joshua Tree
The Kluane National Park, Canada
The Andes, above the Sacred Valley
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Full of possibilities
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
I find forests spooky.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
I repelled into Vesuvio for a National Geographic story and it made me feel the power of Nature at awe of the amount of force that was released in the blasts from the volcano.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
I think about good light for photography, and either way it is a new beginning.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Reminds me of my childhood in Western Kansas.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Running in Western Kansas, it is always windy in my home town.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
l love the desert.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
Increasingly more important after living in Brooklyn for so long.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My home was on the Monarch butterfly migration route, I remember going to a creek in a park and sitting down and having the butterflies cover me from head to toe.
Chef Nyesha J. Arrington
A former apprentice of legendary French Chef Joel Robuchon, Nyesha is celebrated for her advocacy of using farm fresh, locally, and responsibly sourced ingredients.
In 2012, she was recognized by Zagat.com as one of the 30 Under 30 - LA's Hottest Up-And-Comers as well as Where LA's top talent under30. She was also profiled in LA Weekly's People issue as one of the most 69 interesting people to watch in 2012. In 2013 she won the cooking competition show Knife Fight on Esquire Network and later returned to Knight Fight in 2014 as a Guest Chef Judge. In 2015, Nyesha crafted the creative cooking vision behind Progressive California Cuisine at LEONA, in the heart of Venice, CA. During her tenure with LEONA, GQ Magazine named Arrington’s Hibiscus-Cured Yellowtail dish “ Most Sexy of 2016 ”, and Nyesha was also awarded the title of " Chef of the Year " - EATER LA. In 2016 Chef Arrington was awarded “Top 10 Dish of Los Angeles 2016” - Jonathan Gold .
Currently, Nyesha continues to innovate by drawing inspiration from her diverse cultural background and French-technique while maintaining her mission to spread the message of love through food using every plate as a new canvas of creation.
3 words to describe Nature?
Life, Inspiration, Seasonal
3 things Nature taught you?
Respect, Culture, Lifecycle
3 most treasured Nature spots?
1 Vasquez rocks
2 Poppy fields antelope valley
3 Monkey canyon ( hidden waterfall)
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Zen
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Rooted
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Respect
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
At peace
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Vulnerable
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like a pilar
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean for sure!
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Fishing with my Dad is one my my favorite childhood memories. I remember going out to lakes and catching my first fish made me feel powerful. I'll never forget the respect for life I learned those days.
Carine Clark
CARINE CLARK serves on the Executive Board of Silicon Slopes. She has decades of experience building successful software companies and most recently was the CEO of MaritCX, Allegiance Software and CMO of Symantec.
She has been recognized with numerous awards, including being inducted into the Utah Technology Council Hall of Fame, named 2016 EY Entrepreneur of the Year Utah Region, and 2015 CEO of the Year by Utah Business magazine. She was ranked by ExecRank as #47 of all CMO’s worldwide in 2012. Clark received her bachelor’s degree in organizational communications as well as a master’s degree in business administration.
In 2012 Carine was diagnosed with a rare form of Ovarian Cancer. She did 18 months of treatment and is nearly 5 years clear from her toughest chemo. She works as an advocate for cancer research, works with newly diagnosed patients and mentors many young people in her spare time. This summer she will be riding on the Hunstman Cancer’s Survivor team at the Little Red Bike race. She’s hopelessly devoted to the men in her life: her husband of 34 years and her two amazing sons. She’ll tell you she’s the most blessed human on the planet.
3 words to describe Nature?
Captivating, Breathtaking, Peace
3 things Nature taught you?
1. That the planet is glorious.
2. That nature has a soul and a personality.
3. That she can delight in the smallest and biggest ways.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
1. Napali Coast in Kauai, Hawaii
2. Zions Canyon in Southern Utah
3. The Pennine Alps which includes Monte Rosa and the Matterhorn.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Anxious - the power scares me and yet I'm drawn to it.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Protected.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Awestruck that the planet is creating new parts of the planet.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Happy to still be on the planet. I try to watch the sunrise everyday over Mt. Timpanogos in Utah.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Alive. I can watch it for hours.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like it's trying to tell me a story with highs and lows.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mountain.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
Can I say 20? I get super cranky when I can't get outside every day.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
When I was 10 my parents would alternate summer weekends between Virginia Beach and the Blue Ridge Mountains. I remember sleeping in a tent in the Blue Ridge Mountains in the pouring rain and staying up all night listening to the rhythm of the rain not wanting to fall a sleep and not wanting it to stop. I was warm, safe and dry but I felt like I was inside the rain clouds listening to the rain in the forrest.
Davis Smith
DAVIS SMITH is the founder and CEO of Cotopaxi, an outdoor gear brand with a humanitarian mission. He is also a member of the eight-person United Nations Foundation's Global Entrepreneurs Council. Davis is a serial entrepreneur who previously started Baby.com.br, Brazil’s Startup of the Year in 2012. Davis holds an MBA from the Wharton School, an MA from the University of Pennsylvania, and a BA from BYU. Davis is an adventurer who has visited 70 countries. He has floated down the Amazon on a self-made raft, camped in the Sahara Desert, kayaked from Cuba to Florida, and explored North Korea.
3 words to describe Nature?
Raw, Fragile, Inspiring
3 things Nature taught you?
I began spending time in the outdoors before I can remember, but some of my first lessons learned while adventuring with my father are that:
1. Nature needs to be respected because while infinitely beautiful, it will eat you alive.
2. In my lowest moments, nature has lifted me up and inspired me.
3. I’ve always felt that nature has shown me that there is something bigger than myself. Spending time in the outdoors connects me with things that are truly important.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
1. The red rock canyons of Southern Bolivia, where I lived for a number of years as a young adult.
2. Cotopaxi national park in Ecuador, where I spent some of my childhood and early teen years.
3. The Wasatch Mountains that tower above Salt Lake City, where I currently live.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Small and vulnerable.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Safe, overwhelmed with beautiful sounds, smells and sights.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Humbled and melancholy (I grew up in the Andes surrounded by amazing volcanos which I often summited with my father).
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel…?
Overwhelming joy. Is there anything that can fill a heart or bring a smile faster?
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
An urge to run and duck for cover!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel…?
Somewhat intimidated, but I love the sound when I’m in a tent.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I’ve spent eight years living in the Caribbean, so I’m obsessed with the ocean. I love kayak touring, diving, snorkeling, spearfishing and camping on the beach. That said, I’ve lived in Utah for a number of years now and have really grown to love the mountains.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is to your well-being?
8. I love the outdoors, but I own an outdoor gear brand and have a small family, both which keep me indoors quite often. I’ve found that surrounded by people I love, I can also get immense joy even when not outdoors.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Some of my fondest memories as a child were spending time adventuring with my dad. We once built our own raft and floated down the Amazon river fishing for piranha. We also survived on uninhabited islands in the Caribbean, spearing fish with home-made spears. My brother and I spent hours every day exploring and building forts in the jungle behind our home when we lived in Puerto Rico. My childhood is full of memories in nature. Most incredibly pleasant, but some memories are of times that were terrifying and scary. It was those moments, however, that gave me such a deep respect for nature and taught me to respect it and always be prepared for the worst.
Hiroko Demichelis
HIROKO I. DEMICHELIS holds a Master of Science in Clinical Psychology and one in an Applied Positive Psychology (University of East London, Uk). She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, she is certified in neurofeedback and in EMDR. She is trained in Mindfulness (Bangor University) and she is an advocate for modern meditation. She is the owner of the Vancouver Brain Lab, a clinical practice dedicated to support individuals to heal, flourish and reach their potential. Also, She is the co-founder of Moment Meditation, a project based on science based meditation. She is the proud mom of Blanca, she loves good Italian fashion, design and gelato.
3 words to describe Nature?
Pristine, astonishing, restorative.
3 things Nature taught you?
You cannot stop the wind with your hands, everything shifts and nothing stays the same. When in the quicksand, stop fighting and try to float
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Third Beach. Whyteclyff park (the little island you can only reach w low tide), a secret little fall on the way to Whistler
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
The sound of the waves calms whatever storm is happening in my brain. I swim in the ocean all year long. I go and I scream out loud (it is soo cold so to distract myself I scream: "it's tropical!!!" ). It feels like a hug!
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Forests feels like a crowd of friends!
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Volcano! I have only seen Mount Etna in Sicily from afar. It made me feel like I should always be humble!
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
A wonderful holiday in the BVI. Romantic. ;-)
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Childhood in Venice, where everything shakes!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Safe if I am cosy at home.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean, big time.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9. A lot.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My childhood was spent in Venice, Italy. We have a very special type of nature is Venice as it is surrounded by a lagoon. One of my best memories is being on my dad's rowing boat, in the lagoon, my mom and dad chatting, playing guitar, drinking wine with friends, and us children watching the stars.
Ru Mahoney
RU MAHONEY is a freelance Science Impact Producer based in Seattle, WA. She works at the nexus of conservation, education, and storytelling to catalyze interdisciplinary approaches to increasing science literacy and engaging public audiences. Her research on science communication has been supported by the National Science Foundation, and she has been a contributor to Jackson Hole WILD, Science Media Awards and Summit in the HUB, Utah Public Radio, TEDxHunstville, and the National Children's Forest program. Ru is currently a research and impact production consultant on two feature-length documentaries.
3 words to describe Nature?
Primal. Nostalgic. Restorative.
3 things Nature taught you?
That change is inevitable, that those who adapt thrive, and that if you make Nature your home you can be at home anywhere.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Lake Superior is powerful. I spent a lot of summers in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. If I could buy a lake cottage tomorrow, it would be somewhere along the coast of Superior.
The west coast of Scotland is stunning. My father's family emigrated from there, so I'm a little biased. But there's a reason the drive from Glencoe to the Isle of Skye is world-famous. I'll keep going back as long as I'm living. It's all my favorite colors and landscapes in a beautiful day's drive. Even if it's cold and rainy, which is often.
Pololu Valley on The Big Island in Hawai`i is worth getting up before dawn for. It's wild north shore waves, stacked mountain cliffs, and moss covered trees all in one. Plus the trail down gives a perfect vantage for watching the sunrise so the sea cliffs slide through gradients of pink and gray light. It's really special.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Dangerously prone to immediate wanderlust.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Present. This is my happy place and where I go if I need clarity and peace.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Insignificant. I recently had the chance to be very close to gushing lava and my reaction was surprisingly visceral. I often feel a sense of belonging to nature. Like it knows me, and if I'm respectful I will be safeguarded. (That's not really true of course, but that feeling makes me careful but brave.) With the lava I felt a strong sense of not belonging. It was an interesting first for me.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Really conscious of time passing, and a determination to make the most of it.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Calm. Happy calm. That might sound counter-intuitive, but I grew up in Florida where thunder was frequent. I think it triggers a sense of nostalgia and well-being for me. It's definitely the best soundtrack to sleep to.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Introspective. Like change might be coming, either outside or inside myself.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Mostly forest for sure, but forest near the ocean. The smell of salt in the air is one of those simple things that make me feel grounded and deeply satisfied. I recently moved to the Pacific Northwest and I can't get enough of being near beautiful forests that smell like salt and earth. It's definitely where I feel most like myself.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10! It's an enormous part of my identity and the catalyst for most of my self-knowledge.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My family spent quite a lot of time outdoors. My parents where both school teachers and we lived out of a van in the summers, usually heading north to the Boundary Waters, into Canada, sometimes taking trains further north when there weren't any roads to take. I didn't know the term "dirtbagger" then, but we were living that lifestyle to the max every summer of my life. It fundamentally shaped who I am.
One summer we were camping near Au Train, MI and there were northern lights. I was pretty young - maybe six or seven? - but I remember my parents waking me up and giving me a big blanket to wrap up in. Then my dad put me up on top of our van and I remember sitting up on the roof watching the aurora and thinking the world was full of magic.
My mother
Families are complicated. After 15 years of tumultuous and often absent communication, my mother and I have mended our differences and picked up where we left off, back to a time when our relationship was what one of a mother-son should be. A lot of who I am today is because of her, even my love of nature. As a young boy, she always made sure that we spent as much time exploring the shores of the St-Lawrence river or roaming the local woods. I am really grateful for the values and skills she taught me. Thank you mother.
3 words to describe Nature?
Beauty, Respect and Strength
3 things Nature taught you?
That beauty doesn’t cost a thing. That it is the best place for your mind to wander and meditate. That we need to respect it because, simply, we are part of it.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Close to water so that I can hear the sound of waves or the sound of a running creek. Leaning against a tree so that I can feel its energy. Walking under the rain, even better when it is warm.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
In peace, meditative, and small.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
If alone, I am a bit worried. If I am with others, I feel in harmony, I feel the energy.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
In awe... from far away. But also insecure.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Happy, calm, mesmerized by the perfect beauty. I am fascinated by how it changes, how it evolves - the colors, shades and forms.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
I simply love hearing thunder! It is so delightful! It is exciting! I want to run outside and watch the storm... from sitting on a chair on a veranda though!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
I love falling asleep to the sound of the wind whistling. That said, I wouldn’t want to be in a hurricane or tornado - terrifying!
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Water!! Whether the ocean, a river, or a creek.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10. But at the same time, I am not dependant on it to be happy.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
One memory I have is at my grand parents’ chalet, there was a vast field nearby where we gathered wild berries. Another one is by the St-Lawrence River where I spent countless hours playing in tide pools looking for little fish and shells. I also remember loving relaxing in a hammock, looking up to the sky and the top of trees, just letting my imagination run free.
Meredith Shirk
MEREDITH SHIRK is the founder of Svelte, a multifaceted approach to attaining one’s optimal lifestyle. Shirk is passionate about achieving peak performance and has consulted for major fitness brands. She is currently developing a line of health food products. She holds a NASM Personal trainer and Fitness Nutrition Specialist Certifications and is a former 3x All - America collegiate water polo player.
3 words to describe Nature?
Powerful. Unmoving. Serene
3 things Nature taught you?
Sufficiency. Patience. To Be humble
3 most treasured Nature spots?
7 Sisters, Baja Mexico. Open Ocean near West palm beach Florida. Under the ocean
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Calm. Reflective. Grateful
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Small. Appreciative. Awe struck
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Vulnerable. Curious. Amazed
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Happy. Peaceful. Like time has stopped
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited. A bit scared. Intrigued
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Nostalgic. Restless. Like I need to nestle in
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
OCEAN ;)
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
12
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I used to dive the reefs of west palm beach with my father and sisters. No matter what mood i was in every time i was submerged in the ocean water, everything was calm. One afternoon my dad took me to dive the "Breakers Reef" and I remember diving down to the bottom (maybe 10 feet), and just sitting there. I was just 13 or 14 years old, but I vividly remember seeing a large group of jacks swimming in front of me. They were HUGE fish, but just so graceful in the water... That moment has stuck with me as I just remember the feeling of being so small in something so vast and beautiful...
Cody Shirk
CODY SHIRK is an international investor who sources his deals by one simple method: exploring.
3 words to describe Nature?
Pure, vast, mystery
3 things Nature taught you?
Humility, joy, fear
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Channel Islands (off of California), Baja desert, Central America jungle
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Humbled
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Curious
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Fearful
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Lucky
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Alive
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Aware
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I grew up in a rural area of Malibu, CA. I didn't have any friends that lived close by, so I'd spend most of my days hiking or surfing by myself. On the weekends, I'd often pack a small backpack with water and food. I'd just start walking into the hills, bushwhacking the coastal chaparral and avoiding cactus. I always wanted to know what was around the next corner, because I knew there was a good chance no one had ever walked the ground that I was on. I've always like that feeling. The feeling of mystery. Of curiosity. Of knowing that the next corner could be hiding an incredible secret. On one of these hikes, I had probably walked several miles into the hills. It had taken me hours of climbing over rocks, avoiding yucca bushes, and picking ticks off my arms. I was probably 12 years old at the time, so although I was adventurous, I still had that childhood fear of the unknown inside of me. I ended up hiking into a dried up creek bed with sheer stone walls on either side. After walking up the creek bed for a little while I came to a huge rock that was a waterfall during the rainy season. At the base of the waterfall was a small amount of water. I couldn't hike up the waterfall face and either side was impassible. It was a box canyon. What I didn't notice was that there was an enormous coyote drinking water from the tiny amount of left over water. It's grey coat perfectly blended in with the stone background. Frozen in fear, I just looked at the animal. I realized that I had completely blocked it's exit, and I knew that I was in an extremely vulnerable position. I though the coyote was going to eat me. I just stood there. The coyote finally walked towards me and passed by me within an arms length. It didn't run and it didn't avoid me. It just casually walked by while making perfect eye contact. Maybe some kind of mutual understanding.
Michele Benoy-Westmorland
MICHELE BENOY-WESTMORLAND is a freelance photographer represented by Getty, Corbis, and other major agencies. She is a Fellow with the International League of Conservation Photographers and The Explorers Club. In 2001 she was inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame. In 2015, she received the NANPA Fellows Award. She has won several awards, including the Environmental Photography Invitational, Photo District News, and the PNG Underwater Photo Competition. Her work has appeared in Outside Magazine, National Geographic Traveler, Outdoor Photographer, Scuba Diving, and many other conservation, outdoor, and underwater magazines. She is currently directing her first documentary “Headhunt Revisited”, the story of Caroline Mytinger, an American portrait painter best known for her paintings of indigenous people in the South Seas during the late 1920s.
3 words to describe Nature?
Awakening, spiritual, renewing
3 things Nature taught you?
Humbleness, respect, patience
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea; Cape Nelson, Papua New Guinea; the mountains & forests of the Pacific Northwest
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
You now are asking the right person! Peaceful, joyful and sometimes sadness in respect to the condition of our ocean environment
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
I feel much the same about the forests as I do the oceans.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Awe, amazement, admiration
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Joyful, thankful, restful
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Amazement, wonderment, sometime surprised with a touch of fear
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel?
Since I lived in Miami during Hurricane Andrew, howling winds always make me feel a little stressed and careful about being outdoors.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Spending time camping in beautiful forests with my family
Charlene Winfred
CHARLENE WINDFRED is a Fujifilm X-Photographer who captures exquisitely the byproduct of a life in perpetual transit. She was born and raised in Singapore. She lived for 15 years in Australia. In 2013, she sold everything and began the life of a nomad.
3 words to describe Nature?
Overwhelming, longing, life
3 things Nature taught you?
That life persists. That death comes for us all. That to be able to walk, to test my body against the earth, is one of the finest abilities I am lucky enough to take for granted (at the moment, anyway)
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Arches National Park. The open ocean. Any inner city park, being the closest I normally get to Nature... sad but true!
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Overwhelmed and calmed at the same time
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Like I want to go for a very long walk and look at everything. This very rarely happens, however.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
I've never actually seen one, so I'll get back to you when I do!
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Sunrise - it's been a while since I've seen one of those. Next! Sunset - whenever I'm in a position to see an entire sunset vista, it honestly makes me feel like having a glass of wine.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Glad to be inside!
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Like I want to be outside, running around like a crazy person.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Of the 4, the Ocean has been the only one I can say I've been to enough to be familiar with its many moods. I like to think I'd be a mountain person, because I find rocks strangely comforting to be around (and climbing is one of the things I've wished I could afford to do since I was a kid), but that could be me romanticizing both mountains and my affinity for them! Again, will get back to you if/when that actually happens.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10, because it's everything. We can't live without nature can we?
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
There are no maritime background, or lineage of proud/rogue sailors in my family’s runaway past. My father was a mad keen fisherman though, and that’s probably where my draw to the ocean started. Dad would disappear for days on these extended fishing trips in the South China sea when I was little, bringing back ice chests full of all sorts of fish and a bunch of awesome stories each time (he was a sensational story teller). I begged to go for years and kept being told it would happen as soon as I was old enough.
So that was my 8th birthday present. My parents worried for their small, sickly child out at sea during the onset of the monsoon season, but as Dad would recall about 20 years later, I’d positively flourished in those 5 days. That was the beginning of yearly trips in Malaysian waters.
The things I remember about being at sea: Stormy days – large approaching masses of angry water waiting to eat the boat, securing anything that would fly when being tossed around. Listening to the boat creak and moan woefully in the thrash. Afterwards, small fish roiling on the water as the clouds moved away, far as the eye could see in every direction; a lone marlin worrying a frantic ball of its prey in the water, the glorious still-frame of a sailfish in flight, a line of sunlight gleaming off its saltwater lacquered dorsal fin, down curved flank and flashing off its sickle of tail. The curious, heady mix of brine and diesel fumes (and in this case, old fish) that to me, will always mean “port.”
But what I retain most about those days is staring up at clouds puffing into existence, wavering shards of sunlight converging conical to a point in the water, or at a horizon that was never really still, the way it is on land. I never took to fishing, but it allowed me to spend days dreaming in any available spot on the boat, with or without a rod in hand.
Flemming Bo Jensen
FLEMMING BO JENSEN is a Fujifilm ambassador, official Red Bull photographer and renowned music photographer. Music, especially electronic music, is a big part of what makes his heart beat. For him, being able to combine music and photography is a dream come true. Since November 2009 he has lived as a nomad. He was the former Head of IT in a Danish Government agency, but wanted to see new horizons and left Copenhagen and his job in 2009. He has been on the road for more than 7 years now, and is still wandering the world, although can usually be found in Copenhagen during the summer months, enjoying the music festivals. He is the author of the ebook GET IN THE LOOP – How To Make Great Music Images.
3 words to describe Nature?
Awe-inspiring. Heals. Home.
3 things Nature taught you?
I was born and brought up on a dairy farm, so here goes: Respect and love for our planet, nature and animals. Where I truly belong. And a cow standing on your 8 year old foot will not move and not care how much it hurts.
- oh as I started traveling, I learned a 4: Nothing more dangerous than a wounded mosquito!
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Arches National Park, Utah, USA. Rottnest Island, Western Australia. My home country and landscapes of Himmerland, Denmark.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
I was born on a farm, not near water so it used to make me feel great fear and a little bit drawn to it at the same time. Now that I learned how to swim and free-dive it still makes me feel fear - but now I want to go in it and explore!
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Peaceful, in a fairy tale, carrying mosquito repellent, afraid we will someday have no more forests.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
I will let you know when I see one!
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
I am not a morning person so sunrises are rare, unless they happen at 10am in the Scandinavian winter and I can have a coffee with it! Sunset makes me feel like bliss, like we are given a few minutes glimpse into a possible state of the world if we tried harder to protect nature, a few minutes where everything is alright.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Time to get the cows inside :)
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cold. The wind is always cold in the Nordics.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Desert. I love wide open spaces.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10. My body couldn't breathe without it. My soul couldn't live without it.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I used to take our dogs for long walks down the fields, just to be out there alone (featuring cows), in a wide open space feeling that everything is possible.
Kedyn Sierra
KEDYN SIERRA is W.I.L.D.'s 1st scholarship recipient. He is an Adventure & Commercial Photographer and Filmmaker, a proud brand ambassador for Guayaki Yerba Mate and sponsored photographer for SOG Knives, Kokatat, Klean Kanteen, Confluence among others. His work has been featured by DPR Construction, NOLS, Voltaic Systems, The Leader, National Geographic Student Expeditions, Environmental Traveling Companions, Klean Kanteen, Sierra Designs, and The Wild Image Project.
3 things Nature taught you?
Humbleness, responsibility, self-worth
3 most treasured Nature spots?
I met a weasel by a small creek in the middle of the Alaskan wilderness, I feel absolutely upset that I can’t pinpoint it.
The second spot is Raymond Lake on the PCT Trail. I’ve never felt utter pain and exhaustion from a hike so for that it takes second.
The last place that comes to mind is Avalas Beach, a small patch where people can kayak into while on Tomales Bay. Avalas shows you the meeting point of the bay and the great pacific ocean.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
I feel calmness from the tranquility of the water. I realize I am simply a piece to a greater magnificent piece of life.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
The forests make me feel immersed.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
When I saw a Volcano (sleeping volcano) I felt on top of the world. 360 view of the landscape definitely feels phenomenal.
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
I feel short on time. The minute the sun sets, the day has ended or begun depending on what's happening. Sunrises make me appreciate everything because I rarely get to see those.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Thunder makes me feel refreshed.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
When the wind howls it focuses me.
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
A Forest person - conditions tend to be unfavorable in the Forest though it’s the only place you can truly feel the way everything is connected to one another.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
I would put a 10 to Nature for my well-being. Without it, I can’t seem to understand anything.
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
My family was born into a minimalist lifestyle in the middle of the Yucatan peninsula. I was raised around animals, cows, turkeys, chickens, ducks, cats, dogs amongst others. It wasn’t in a farm environment but rather heavy forest. The memory of the endless roaming with the imagination of a bliss kid was absolutely phenomenal and short lived.
Ayelet Baron
AYELET BARON is the visionary author behind Our Journey to Corporate Sanity: Transformational Stories from the Frontiers of 21st Century. Prior to being a speaker, coach, workshop facilitator, and committed to making a transformational impact on business, Baron was an Innovator-in-Residence in Roche/Genentech's Strategic Innovation Product Development organization, and a Chief Strategy Officer for Cisco Canada.
3 words to describe Nature?
Humans. Grounding. Reality. We are nature; nature is grounding; nature ground us in reality.
3 things Nature taught you?
To appreciate beauty as is. To recognize the life force in animals, plants and humans. To remember to follow nature in business - a time to plant, a time to water, a time to nurture and a time to harvest.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Diving in Fiji - the most spectacular underwater park; white sands of Turks and Caicos, and the deep blue Mediterranean Sea.
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
At peace. The whole experience of the beauty and infinity of the ocean from looking to listening to breathing it in is exhilarating.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
In awe imagining what the trees have witnessed while we simply pass by in a flash. The conversations they must be having must be incredible as they show us what a connected network truly is.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
The fire within each of us that can tip over at any moment and that emotions are natural if we allow them to be expressed
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
The cycle of life and death, with the depth of colors and opportunities
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
The power of nature to make a statement and bring clarity
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Alive and attune with reality
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean first but I love them all ... what could be better than an ocean with a mountain, forest and/or desert? I have had the pleasure of experiencing many breathtaking combinations
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I will always remember the first time I walked through an orange orchard in Israel when I was 6 years old and got to pick oranges from the tree. That smell of the orange buds has stayed with me forever. Then, my grandfather retired and bought an almond orchard and as a kid, I spent hours peeling the two cases of almonds and organizing them in neat piles. It helped me appreciate the source of our nutrients and also sparked a love of creation with cooking naturally. I always need to know where the food we consume comes from in nature.
Connor Beaton
CONNOR BEATON is the founder of ManTalks, an international organization focused on mens health, wellness, success and fulfillment. Connor is an international speaker, podcast host, Business Coach and lifestyle entrepreneur. Before founding ManTalks, Connor worked with Apple leading high performance sales and operations teams. Since founding ManTalks, Connor has spoken on stage at TEDx, taken ManTalks to over a dozen cities internationally and has been featured on platforms like HeForShe, The Good Men Project, UN Women, CBC, CNN, the National Post and more.
3 words to describe Nature?
Breathtaking, God, understanding.
3 things Nature taught you?
Resiliency, humility and the ability to be in the present.
3 most treasured Nature spots?
The cliffs and beaches on the Amalfi coast in Italy, Camping at lake Garibaldi in BC & Secret Beach in Kauai, Hawaii
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel…?
Connected to myself, calm and at peace.
When you see a forest, it makes you feel…?
Strength and comfort simultaneously.
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel…?
Powerful and in awe
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Humbled by life existence.
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel…?
Somehow always surprised and reminded of how small we are.
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Connected to everything
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Forest & ocean. I can’t choose just one. My favourite place to be is facing the forest with the ocean sounds at my back.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Erick Tseng
ERICK TSENG is a Product Director at Facebook where he oversees product management for the company’s global advertising growth and solutions. Erick joined Facebook in May 2010 as the Head of Mobile Products.
3 words to describe Nature?
Magical, beautiful, essential
3 things Nature taught you?
To take risks, how much beauty there is in the world, how fragile our existence is on this earth
3 most treasured Nature spots?
Yosemite, Galapagos, Himalayas
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
Small
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Fresh
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Empowered
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
Calm
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
Excited
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
Cold
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
Ocean
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
10
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
Traveling to a beach near Cape Cod, Massachusetts, and going tide-pooling amongst the rocks. I loved looking for little fish, crabs, and mussels tucked away in the shallow waters. I'd also collect fresh seaweed, and my mother would clean it up, and cook seaweed pork soup that night. Delicious!
Chip Conley
Bestselling author, hospitality entrepreneur, disruptive business rebel, and social change agent, Chip Conley is a leader at the forefront of the sharing economy. At age 26, the founder of Joie de Vivre Hospitality took an inner city motel and turned it into the 2nd largest boutique hotel brand in the world. Inspired by psychologists Maslow and Frankl, Chip’s books, PEAK and the New York Times bestseller EMOTIONAL EQUATIONS, share his own theories on transformation and meaning in business and life. Chip was CEO of his innovative company for 24 years. In 2013 he accepted an invitation from the founders of Airbnb to help transform a promising home sharing start-up into what is today the world’s largest hospitality brand. As Head of Global Hospitality & Strategy, Chip taught his award-winning methods to hundreds of thousands of Airbnb hosts in nearly 200 countries, and created the Airbnb Open that brings thousands together in a global festival of belonging (he transitioned to a part-time role as Strategic Advisor for Hospitality and Leadership in January 2017). Chip founded Fest300 in 2013 to share his passion for travel and the world’s best festivals (the company merged with Everfest in 2016 where he is part-time Chief Strategy Officer).
Chip has received hospitality’s highest honor, the Pioneer Award, joining industry icons Marriott, Kimpton and Wynn. He is the founder of the Celebrity Pool Toss, which has raised millions for the Tenderloin neighborhood where he opened his first hotel, and San Francisco’s Hotel Hero Awards that shine a light on the unsung heroes serving hotel guests every day. Chip holds a BA and MBA from Stanford University, and an honorary doctorate in psychology from Saybrook University. He serves on the boards of the Burning Man Project and the Esalen Institute.
3 words to describe Nature?
Spiritual. Cleansing. Awe-provoking
3 things Nature taught you?
Animism: everything has spirit
There are forces way bigger than me
Discover the pace of nature
3 most treasured Nature spots?
A deserted beach in Baja
The Ventana wilderness in Big Sur
A quiet rice paddy field in Baja
When you look at the ocean, it makes you feel...?
The vastness: there's so much above and below the surface to explore, I wish I had many lifetimes to do this
When you see a forest, it makes you feel...?
Trees breathing with me and the phenomenally complex and beautiful eco-system
When you see a volcano, it makes you feel...?
Metaphor for powerful human emotions
When you see a sunrise or sunset, it makes you feel...?
The end is also the beginning
When you hear thunder, it makes you feel...?
There is nowhere to hide
When you hear the wind howling, it makes you feel...?
I'm reminded of the stunning scene in American Beauty when the two teenagers are staring at the video of the plastic bag in the wind...wind creates life
Are you an Ocean, Mountain, Forest, or Desert person?
I can't say I'm only one of these but if I had to choose one, it would be Ocean.
On a scale of 1 to 10, how important is Nature to your well-being?
9
Share with us a childhood nature memory?
I remember staring at a live starfish on the beach I'd found and realized how much life was under the sea.