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 starting my own freelance design and marketing company. After my daughter was born, I took art and education classes through the Honolulu Museum of Art and the Hawaii State Art Museum, and during this time I discovered a passion for sharing my love of art and nature with people of all ages. I decided to pivot away from marketing work and began teaching art at local elementary schools.
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, Healthy Climate Communities, Hawai’i Audubon Society, and Bishop Museum.
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 work to help 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.