Design Research Portfolio

Amble

Founder and Program Director

Amble is a sabbatical program for creative professionals to take time away with purpose. Creatives work on small but impactful projects with nonprofits and nature conservancies in exchange for unique lodging and meaningful experiences in beautiful destinations like Yosemite National Park and Glacier National Park.

Campfire Stories: Tales from America’s National Parks

Volume I

Co-Editor

Campfire Stories: Vol I (released in 2018) is an anthology of tales, songs, ballads, legends, short stories and myths collected from the communities in and around 6 of America’s favorite National Parks, featuring some stories by well-known writers such as John Muir, Bill Bryson, and Terry Tempest Williams, while others are from pioneer diaries or have been passed down through generations of indigenous peoples. The stories capture the essence of these lands and give a voice to the communities that share them.

Includes stories from: Great Smoky Mountains, Rocky Mountains, Zion, Yellowstone, Yosemite, Acadia

Campfire Stories– Tales from America’s National Parks and Trails

Volume II

Co-Editor

Campfire Stories: Vol II (released in 2023) includes contributors representing a range of rich and diverse voices, including from the BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities. Award winners such as Lauret Savoy, Rae DelBianco, and Terry Tempest Williams; newer voices including Derick Lugo, Rosette Royale, and Ed Bok Lee; and even a poet laureate, Rena Priest--who all share their unique perspectives on our national parks and trails.

Includes stories from: Everglades, Glacier, Olympic, Grand Canyon, Zion, Appalachian Trail & Pacific Crest Trail

Campfire Stories: Tales & Travel Companion

Coming Soon — Spring 2025 and Fall 2025

Expanding on the bestselling Campfire Stories volumes focused on national parks, this new series immerses readers in the storytelling endemic to America’s beloved natural spaces, offering unique tours through diverse histories, lore, and landscapes. Part story collection and part travel companion, each begins with a literary collection followed by a mini-travel guide that includes: community-sourced recommendations for outdoor activities, cultural landmarks, and historical points of interest that will enrich the reader’s experience, as well as tips on how to best travel lightly and respectfully through these scenic and varied public lands.

Campfire Stories Card Deck

The Campfire Stories Card Deck is a collection of 50 cards with storytelling prompts to help people of all ages find engaging and meaningful ways to tell their own stories with family and friends around the fire.

Campfire Stories Card Deck—for Kids!

Our follow-up Campfire Stories Deck–For Kids! is a collection of 50 cards—divided into two sets: 25 character cards and 25 action cards—with prompts to ignite kids imaginations and stories around the fire!

Artist Residency

National Park Service

Dave Kyu and I hosted the event ‘I Will Hold You In The Light’ at the Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, PA – bringing together 6 diverse performers responding to the theme of ‘The Pursuit of Happiness.’

This project was made possible and supported by the 'Imagine Your Parks' grant from the NEA, along with the National Parks Service Independence National Historic Park and Mural Arts Program.