View a full listing of presentations, art showcases, and my relevant work experience in my CV.

Background

ʻO Kate Righter koʻu inoa. No Kailua mai au. He kumu kaha kiʻi au, a he haumana hula au kekahi. ʻO ke aloha ʻāina mea e alakaʻi ana. E ola ka ʻōlelo Hawaiʻi. Kū kiaʻi mauna!

Growing up the windward side of O’ahu instilled in me a deep love of Hawai’i — not only the natural beauty, but also the Hawaiian culture and language.

My family moved away before middle school, but I missed living here, so I returned after graduating from Virginia Tech. I initially found work in marketing and graphic design before I began working as a substitute teacher and tutor in the public schools. I took both art and education classes through the Honolulu Museum of Art and the Hawaii State Art Museum, and discovered a passion for sharing my love of art and nature with people of all ages. I then found work as an art teacher at both Maunawili and Mokapu Elementary.

I am now part of a global community of Nature Journaling educators who integrate place-based learning with both scientific and artistic ways of thinking and seeing. I collaborate with local families, schools, and nonprofit organizations to teach these lessons both inside and outside of traditional classrooms. I have partnered with a variety of organizations, including Mānoa Heritage Center, Hawai’i Audubon Society, Bishop Museum, Keiki and Plow farm, and Ben Franklin Craft stores.

I believe that creativity can help people of all ages deepen the connection between themselves and the natural world. This belief inspires my own creative practice of drawing, painting, and writing abut Hawaii’s unique environment, as well as my educational philosophy. It also is the guiding motivation behind my art-based activism – creating images speaking to urgent environmental concerns.

As part of my activism, I joined the Kailua Neighborhood Board this past summer when a vacancy opened up for my area. I became a member of the Water Quality subcommittee and began Clean Waters Kailua with my friend to educate local residents about pollution, storm water runoff, and other dangers to our waters from mauka to makai, and then turn that knowledge into action.

I believe my education is never truly “done.” In this vein, I recently completed my First Aid/CPR training and am working towards my Nature Journal Educator’s Certificate from Wild Wonder Foundation.

Contact me

My email is: info@katerighter.com

You can also find me on Instagram as @katerighter

Fill out the contact form to send me questions or comments, or just to say, “Hi!”

I also run the page Hawaii Nature Journal Club.