Being on this course, being infused by the enormous positive and gentle, yet powerful energy of Clare, Liza and all the other group members, and the beautiful material we've gone through, as well as the writing exercises on the environmental writing genre new to me, has really breathed life back into my spirit, and reminded me once more that writing is a powerful gift to help enact change in the world.

(Melissa, Singapore)

The course made writing feel incredibly accessible, rather than some sort of gift that you either have or you don't. The amount of theory was perfect to guide the process, without it feeling too technical or advanced for beginners.

(Anna, Melbourne, Australia)

Do this course! If you're looking for a place to support your creative imagination as it relates to life on this planet, you won't be disappointed. And you'll be surprised how much it helps.

(Lorni, Vermont)

The tools felt really specific and tangible, and I found myself using them each week, and experimenting with them. As someone who has not used any specific writing tools / format and really just done stream of consciousness writing for the last 10 years (+) it felt so helpful to have structures to engage with.

(Jess, California, US)

Environmental Writing Class

Now taking expressions of interest for our June/July intake.

What landscape makes you feel most at home?
Is the natural world a source of sustenance for you? Anxiety? Wonder?
How has a changing climate changed you?

In a five-week environmental writing class, we'll explore these questions and more. Beginning the last week of June, and designed for everyone who loves the world and has ever had an inkling to write, we will meet over Zoom for a two-hour session once a week to learn the craft of creative nonfiction (personal narrative). Over the course of the five weeks together, we will each develop our own portfolio of writing: reflections, stories, mini memoirs, and an essay drawn from our own experiences—with a focus on the natural world and our place in it.

In our writing community, we will seek out sources of agency and hope, as we engage with the environmental crisis of our lifetime: the changing climate. We welcome all adult writers: from absolute beginners to those with a regular practice. Please join us!

* Begins June 28th/29th (depending on your time zone)
* 7pm-9pm Friday evenings EST
* 7am - 9am Saturday Mornings SGT
* 9am - 11am Saturday mornings AEST
* USD 245 for the 5 week program
* Limited spots

How to Sign Up
Please submit your expression of interest here.

Please join our mailing list

About Us
Liza Cochran is a writer and educator. Her work has appeared in the The Iowa Review, Gettysburg Review, Colorado Review, and elsewhere. “Mother Moose” was a notable essay in The Best American Essays 2023, and “Natural Forces” was featured as a Colorado Reviewpodcast. She has worked with students and writers across the US and beyond, in nonprofit and school settings, including at Emerson College, Harvard Graduate School of Education, Columbia University, and Grub Street Writing Center. She lives in Vermont, USA.

Clare McFadden is a writer, artist and educator. She has worked in arts education with children, young people, and communities in both Australia and the United States. Her first book, The Flying Orchestra, was awarded the Children's Book Council of Australia’s Crichton Award, was selected as one of the "50 Books You Can't Put Down", was adapted for the stage as the headlining work at the “Out of the Box” Festival and listed as one of the Australian Booksellers’ Association's 50 Favourite Children’s Books. Her next book, Book of Hours, will be published by Walker Books in May. Clare holds a Master’s Degree in Education from Harvard University.