Position: Writer, Promotion, Research

Education: Graduating from Hampshire College, Jezra had the opportunity to intertwine the arts and sciences. Originally interested in astronomy, Jezra’s eyes turned towards the ground-- this is the planet of which she chose to focus her academic career. After four years of courses in philosophy, geology, and photography, her final thesis was a polar examination of the art in science and the science in art. Her photographic gallery exhibit named Mineral Grain to Tectonic Plate was a philosophical endeavor that explored the geologic world from microscopic scale to macroscopic scale. The scientific paper was a detailed discussion of the tectonic activity that is recorded in mineral grains along large-scale faults.

Experience: As an outdoor enthusiast, Jezra has gained experience in backpacking, xeriscaping, and trail construction. Backcountry survival has been a central focus of her personal development and she has been Wilderness First Responder certified. She has spent her spare time exploring herbal medicine and natural healing. She is currently employed doing  Salmon habitat restoration for N-SEA  in western Washington state.

Although my childhood was based in the heart of inner city Chicago, it was not until I moved to the mountains of New Hampshire that I became interested in environmental conservation. Since my early teens, I have been an adamant backpacker and trail crew volunteer. Now graduated from college, I find my place here in the Northwest restoring salmon habitat by implementing sustainable agricultural practices and reforestation of riparian zones. Graduate school is right around the corner where I will explore my passion for geomorphology and structural landscape development.

My personal interests include travel, homeopathy, and craftsmanship. Knitting, sewing, jewelry-making, painting and building are some of my favorite things to do. I would love the opportunity to help design and construct a house with zero emissions. My current job has taught me some of the ways of sustainable design and permaculture, which I hope to harness into a lifestyle and contribute to the Shire. I initially became interested in the Shire because of its sense of unity and purpose. That unity is what will prevail through our environmental and social crisis.