Avery Temple, Contributing Author

Avery Temple (they/she/he) is a queer, Indigenous community organizer. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Globalization, Environment, & Policy, where she researched Indigenous resistance and the ongoing effects of colonization on our climate. He also has over four years of experience in public speaking and event planning, and a lifetime of love for exploring the natural world. As an abolitionist and anti-capitalist, Avery firmly believes that moving with militant joyfulness and a deep reverence for life is vital in all pursuits.

Ben Cushing, Contributing Author

Ben Cushing holds a Masters degree in sociology from the University of British Columbia. He teaches sociology at Portland Community College, where his classes examine multiple and interlocking systems of power. He is particularly interested in resistance and people’s capacity to create change. In addition to his contributions in chapters, this textbook hosts segments from Ben’s podcast series, “Tracing the Roots of the Climate Crisis.” There, he invites listeners to explore how societal systems, history, and beliefs all contribute to the root causes of climate change. He also encourages listeners to more deeply examine and imagine ways we may transform society as a whole.

Kimberly Puttman, Contributing Author

Kimberly Puttman (she/her/ella) is a teacher, writer, activist, and interfaith minister. She identifies as White, queer, and on some days, disabled. She received her BA in sociology from the University of Oregon, her MA from the University of Texas, and her ordination as an interfaith minister from One Spirit Learning Alliance. In her non-school life, she has been an advocate in a domestic violence shelter, a project manager in healthcare information technology, and a youth case worker. She currently teaches at Oregon Coast Community College, a small but mighty community college on the beautiful Oregon coast. When not lead authoring this book she is exploring questions of community and connection and spending as much time as she can in the waters of the Siletz Bay.

Aimee Samara Krouskop, Lead Author

Aimee Samara Krouskop instructs courses that incorporate her twenty years with international social change projects. Her early research focused on human rights at the U.S.-Mexico border and the impacts of fair trade among Indigenous communities in Guatemala. She earned her MA in sociology at the University of Houston. Then, her roles included human rights protection in conflict zones of Colombia, cross-agency collaboration for emergency relief with the United Nations, and serving as a Human Rights Commissioner for the City of Portland. Aimee now provides consultation and organizational design to leaders advancing social and environmental change. She also explores how to best amplify Indigenous Knowledge, protect Indigenous rights, and the value of both in defending and restoring our most vulnerable ecosystems.

Licenses and attributions for About the Authors

Open Content, Original

“About the Authors,” by Aimee Samara Krouskop, is licensed under CC BY 4.0.

Photos of authors are provided by each respective author.

Photo of Cochabamba, Bolivia mural by Ecuadorian artist Steep is provided by Aimee Samara Krouskop and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Open Content, Shared Previously

The first mural photo, “Feeding a Bird,” by @biltslouisart, is found on Flickr by Terence Faircloth and licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

The second mural photo, Rising Sun (Panel Eight), by Diana Berek is part of the 2010 Community Leaders project. It is found on Flickr by Terence Faircloth and licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.

Photo, by Peter Bowden, from the Faith Contingent at the People’s Climate March (Sept 2014), is found on Flickr and licensed under CC BY-ND 2.0.