I began to write during my years of leading nature hikes, teaching school children about plants, animals, and ecology. I have never stopped. With a Masters in English and a certificate in Graphic Communications, I have authored award-winning books for children and given creative writing presentations for elementary grades, sometimes as Shimmer the Dragon (for the youngest ones). As a VISTA volunteer, I became a communications assistant in Nevada for the Governor’s Commission on Volunteering, and later I was the graphic designer for the University of Nevada Knowledge Center. From 2017 to 2022, I pulled together a bi-monthly newsletter for the Oregon Chapter of the Society for Children’s Writers and Illustrators, which gave me further insight into the craft of writing. Now I am dedicated to writing about climate change and promoting climate fiction through my free newsletter at www.climatestorygarden.com. I believe if we want things to change, we have to imagine it, which is why I write stories that are more positive than the dystopian climate fiction that populates the genre. Research has shown that stories with hope and heart can inspire readers to act instead of sending them into despair, which results in apathy. I recently moved to the Puget Sound region in Washington, where I am becoming involved in climate activism.