Kathryn True, Pacific Northwesterner, Writer & Naturalist, standing on a pier with water, sky, and clouds behind her

A Little About Me

I’m most at home in the oft-damp and cool cedar-forward forests or driftwood sculpted shores of the Pacific Northwest. Raised in Oregon, I’ve spent most of my adult life in Washington, a stone’s throw from Puget Sound. I do a polar bear plunge every January 1, have a penchant for tide pooling at night and have recently become obsessed with moths.

I’ve been writing since a golden-eyed frog hopped into a ridiculously pristine Cascade Mountain pool on a hike with my mom when I was about 10 years old. It was what some would call a moment of grace or being in the flow. The frog inspired a fairly horrible poem, but this awe-inspiring moment sticks with me. Over the years, my writing improved, and my desire to be in nature grew. I have turned to nature again and again as my muse, entertainment and therapist.

Though my mom had already established in me a deep love of wild places, it was my seventh-grade oceanography teacher who inspired me to look more closely at the natural world. Mr. Stephenson bravely loaded a classroom of 12-year-olds onto a bus and steered us toward the Oregon Coast. It was knee-deep in Ecola Beach tidepools that I learned first-hand about the nematocysts (stinging cells) in the tentacles of giant green anemones — big flower-like cnidarians that brighten those coastal shores.

Our teacher invited us to feel the sting used by the anemone to paralyze prey creatures, like porcelain crabs or sculpins. Our fingers were not sensitive enough to perceive it, he explained; we would need to use our tongues. We each chose our anemone, crouched down, and took a brief taste of the stout emerald tentacles. It was less a sting and more of a tingling numbness that lingered for several hours — the ghost of an anemone kiss.

This experience taught me to look for other ways of knowing and to appreciate other ways of being. I’ve led a life of looking in other ways — learning to know other beings by being in nature, by simply stopping and looking closely. It’s a life very worth living, and it is a privilege to share it.

Kathryn True, Pacific Northwesterner, Writer & Naturalist, standing on a beach pretending to pinch the top of a large rock that's on the horizon
Kathryn True, Pacific Northwesterner, Writer & Naturalist, standing on a beach pretending to pinch the top of a large rock that's on the horizon

Though my mom had already established in me a deep love of wild places, it was my seventh-grade oceanography teacher who inspired me to look more closely at the natural world. Mr. Stephenson bravely loaded a classroom of 12-year-olds onto a bus and steered us toward the Oregon Coast. It was knee-deep in Ecola Beach tidepools that I learned first-hand about the nematocysts (stinging cells) in the tentacles of giant green anemones — big flower-like cnidarians that brighten those coastal shores.

Our teacher invited us to feel the sting used by the anemone to paralyze prey creatures, like porcelain crabs or sculpins. Our fingers were not sensitive enough to perceive it, he explained; we would need to use our tongues. We each chose our anemone, crouched down, and took a brief taste of the stout emerald tentacles. It was less a sting and more of a tingling numbness that lingered for several hours — the ghost of an anemone kiss.

This experience taught me to look for other ways of knowing and to appreciate other ways of being. I’ve led a life of looking in other ways — learning to know other beings by being in nature, by simply stopping and looking closely. It’s a life very worth living, and it is a privilege to share it.

Examples of My Work

I tell stories that help readers see the world through other eyes and spark a desire to learn more. My portfolio spans nature writing, science education, and storytelling for nonprofit and B Corps across the Pacific Northwest.

Nature Writing

Science Education

  • Writer and producer of Nature in the Classroom curricula developed for Tacoma public school students for the Puget Sound Museum of Natural History at the University of Puget Sound
  • Advisor, naturalist and writer for Vashon Nature Center, a nonprofit science and education program based on Vashon Island
  • Producer for the Vashon Bird Alliance fourth-grade science birding program, recognized by the Cornell Lab of Ornithology for its innovative melding of art and science education; also served as education chair on the organization’s board
  • iNaturalist Ambassador, educating others about how to use the platform to share their nature finds
  • Principal writer and co-developer for the Pacific Science Center’s Professor Wellbody’s Academy of Health & Wellness educator guides (live November 2012 through 2022)
  • Editor for the Northwest Association for Biomedical Research’s Humans in Research project, a curriculum focused on medical ethics for high school students
  • Editor and writer for the Educurious biology curricula, covering genetics, environmental health, climate and biodiversity

Let’s Explore Together

I value connection — with nature and people. I look forward to hearing from you.