In 2020 I started Pacific Wilds. Pacific Wilds aims create engaging and inclusive spaces for people to receive training in the the recognition, prevention, and treatment of medical emergencies in remote areas as well as risk management, decision making, leadership, and navigating trauma. Our courses empower people to be helpers in this world through leadership and wilderness emergency medical trainings that are top notch, welcoming, and deeply empowering.

Currently we are running NOLS Wilderness Medicine trainings at our home in Mt Hood and in Portland Oregon as well as around the Pacific Northwest and Hawai’i. Come join us or reach out if you’re interested. We can also bring a course to your organization or school. Courses are taught by Renee and/or the best of the best instructors at NOLS Wilderness Medicine.

National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) Wilderness Medicine has trained over 175,000 students all over the world and is the leader in wilderness medicine education.

Since 2004 I’ve been instructing courses for diverse populations from astronauts, Antarctic scientists, aid workers, US military, war correspondents, extreme athletes, outdoor adventurers, direct action activists, emergency responders, land agency management organizations, university students, and rural residents in the US, Sweden, Mexico, India, and Japan.

Hawai’i Preparatory Academy | Waimea, Hawai’i | 2017-2020

In 2017 I had the opportunity to return to HPA to design and develop my dream place based service oriented outdoor program for grades 9-12. HPA is a 50/50 boarding/day school on the Big Island of Hawai‘i. The program supported teachers in implementing experiential place based curriculum in their courses and took students on both single and multi day backcountry trips. One of the most special parts of this job was supporting HPA teacher, fellow alum, and wa’a captain Pualani Lincoln Maielua bring about her senior capstone class connecting seniors with traditional voyaging. Hawai’i is such a special place and I will be forever grateful for this opportunity to weave my love to Hawai’i, my special connection to HPA, and everything I’ve learned developing outdoor programs for teens to their new program.

Catlin Gabel School | Portland Oregon | 2011-2016

I had the good fortune to work for five years as the Outdoor Program Teacher at Catlin Gabel School in Portland Oregon. There I developed and lead weekend expeditions for 6th-12th grade students. Trips ranged from day hikes to peak summits to multi-day river trips and backpacking adventures. Other parts of this great job included coaching high school rock climbing, running and managing the school’s high and low ropes courses for internal and public groups, and planning and leading summer backpacking and sea kayaking expeditions. Watching the students grow up from sixth grade to high schoolers was a gift I keep in my heart to this day.

Ola Hawai’i Camp | Big Island, Hawai’i | 2015-2019

As a teen, my relationship with place was my greatest teacher.  My dream was to help others access that kind of relationship.  In 2015 I founded Ola Hawai‘i Camp, an all girl teen adventure summer camp on the Big Island of Hawai'i where we explored and connected with the beautiful and powerful place that taught me so much when I was young. The wilderness and service based trips were a specialjourneys in personal empowerment through land, community building, and connecting with one another.  Between 2015 and 2019 Ola Hawai’i ran trip for teens on the Big Island of Hawai’i.

Feral Girl’s Camp | Portland, Oregon | 2017

In 2016, I paired up with Melanie Nead to offer Feral Girls Camp as a place for fearless girls to become fearless women. Feral Girls Camp was an Oregon based coming of age power-up for 12-15 year old girls in the summer of 2017. We worked with artists, developers, and our community to throw Feral Camp Night as a scholarship fundraiser to bring this opportunity to Oregon girls over wonderful summer week of 2017.

I am currently in a 3 year masters program in integrative psychedelic therapy through the AWE foundation studying transpersonal psychology, psychedelics, and Indigenous wisdom. I offer support for people in preparation and integration of their psychedelic work. Please contact me via Radical Radicle if you’d like to learn more.

Since 2009, I have been offering 1:1 life coaching and workshops in the power of shifting perspective and reclaiming and directing the power of attention in an economy that hijacks and capitalizes on our attention and imagination. I trained as a life coach in 2008 with Martha Beck.

Hawai‘i Preparatory Academy | Waimea Hawai’i | 2005 - 2008

Classes:

General Biology - 10th Grade

Anatomy & Physiology - 11th & 12th Grade

Health - 11th & 12th Grade

Other school roles included:

High School Varsity Girls Cross Country Coach

Girls Dorm Parent

Environmental Club Mentor

Catlin Gabel School | Portland Oregon | 2011-2017 & 2020-2021

Classes:

Outdoor Skills - 6th Grade

Leadership - 12th Grade

Creative Writing - 11th & 12th Grade

Health and Wellness - 10th Grade

Remote Health and Wellness - 10th Grade (2020-2021)

2021 Senior Seminar Speaker- 12th Grade

From 2018-2020

I served as the director of the community wide development of the Hawai’i Preparatory Academy Whole School Sustainability Plan, a document that is used to guide school leadership and curriculum in becoming one of the greenest schools on the planet. The project was a massive year long community-wide metrics-driven collaboration of local residents, cultural practitioners, students, families, alumni, and industry experts which drafting a new framework (mālama kaiāulu), published plan, implementation plan, and an online dashboard connected to school utilities and data. The planning was accepted by the board in April 2019 and is currently on it’s fifth year of implementation.

EKONE RANCH | GOLDENDALE WASHINGTON | 2010-2013

Developed and led outdoor skill component of visiting Waldorf school fifth grade field trips. Provided medical staff training.

PORTLAND WALDORF | PORTLAND OREGON | 2011

Co-developed and co-led high school outdoor trips.

SIGNAL FIRE ARTS | OREGON | 2008

Co-developed and co-led the maiden backpacking trip for this incredible backcountry artist’s residency program.

ALPENGIRL INC | 2001-2006

Spent five summers developing programming and guiding teen girl adventures in Montana, Alaska, Wyoming, Washington, Hawai‘i, Sweden & Norway.

2020-Present | Vice Board Chair | I get to collaborate with a great team at Mt Hood Town Hall were we work to restore and maintain this historic gathering place through work parties, emergency resilience, and community events and classes.

Sharing my stories at live storytelling shows challenges me and helps me feel connected to others. I’ve had the opportunity to share my stories at Back Fence PDX Main stage and Russian Roulette shows. You can see some of my Back Fence Stories here.

I worked with a group of students to start a non-profit city-wide youth storytelling organization. Cocoon offered free storytelling workshops to Portland youth and put on live shows which packed Portland venues (Mission Theater, the Hollywood Theater) showcasing their stories. Shows had themes like Risk, Acceptance, and Fear. You can watch some of their incredible stories HERE.

2024 | Present | I produce and host a local Upper Hood River Valley community storytelling night where community members new and old gather to share stories of place based on a monthly theme.

Hawai’i Preparatory Academy | High School Diploma | 1998

Portland State University| B.S. Public Health Education and Program Development | 2003

Psychedelic Therapy Training | AWE | Colombia, Ecuador, Mexico, Gabon | three year training in Psychedelic Therapy, Indigenous Wisdom, and Transpersonal Psychology | 2022-2025

Ubiquity University | MA in Integrative Psychedelic Therapy | In progress

Ecstatic Mysticism | AWE | Colombia, Mexico, Brazil | Deep Ecology & Systemic Theory, Death & Grief, Sexuality and Eroticism | 2025-2027

PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT

HAKOMI MINDFUL SOMATIC PSYCHOTHERAPY | 2021 - Online | A sixteen hour training in the Hakomi method of integrating mindfulness and somatics into psychotherapy.

SOMATIC EXPERIENCING | 2021 | Online Workshop

KE KUMU ‘ĀINA | 2019-2020 - Waimea HI | Ke Kumu ‘Āina is a year long environmental education program designed to Hawaii Department of Education standards and Nā Hopena A‘o (HĀ) outcomes. By basing the learning in ‘āina, Ke Kumu ‘Āina creates more optimal conditions for strengthening the six outcomes of HĀ (BREATH) in every student over the course of their K-12 journey. https://kohalacenter.org/ke-kumu-aina

METEOROLOGY, CLIMATE, & KILO COHORT | 2019 - 2020 - Big Island HI | Part of a year long cohort in this ʻāina-based educational program for teachers focused on weather, kilo, and climate science. Presented by the Kohala Center in partnership with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), National Weather Service, Nā Kālai Waʻa Makaliʻi Voyaging Ohana, and Mauna Loa Observatory.

RISK MANAGEMENT FOR ADMINISTRATORS TRAINING | 2017 - San Francisco CA | Training for program administrators to build an action plan to improve risk management practices, strengths and areas for growth. Facilitated and taught by NOLS Risk Management.

DESIGN WEEK PORTLAND | THE FUTURE OF EDUCATION PRESENTER | 2014 | I had the opportunity in 2014 to present at Design Week Portland. Colleague, Meredith Goddard and I presented a workshop on the future of education called: Beyond Grades, Walls, and Online Learning: The Future of Education in a Freelance World. You can view the video and graphics below. Meredith and I also collaborated on creating the Gender Gap Year where we won Hatch Soup III.

COURAGE TO TEACH | 2007-2008 - Honolulu HI | Year long workshop for Hawai‘i teachers presented by the Center for Courage and Renewal and based on the work of Parker Palmer exploring the connection between the inner life of educators and the renewal of public education.

NOLS LEADS LEADERSHIP PROGRAM | 2004 - Lander WY | Leadership training professional development program for Instructors at the National Outdoor Leadership School

NOLS WILDERNESS RISK MANAGEMENT CONFERENCE | 2012, 2015, 2019

CERTIFICATIONS

Emergency Medical Technician since 2001

Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician since 2001

Healthcare Provider CPR since 2001

USGBC Green Classroom Professional

Martha Beck Trained Life Coach

Behavioral First Responder since 2019

ACE Certified Personal Trainer

ACE Certified Group Exercise Instructor

AMGA Single Pitch Instructor

Level II Ropes Course Facilitator

14 passenger bus driver

Zumba Instructor