About Ampliflora

Ampliflora is a communications and consulting studio specializing in science, nature, and conservation. We help mission-driven organizations build communications capacity, clarify their strategy, and increase their impact through thoughtful, sustainable systems.

After earning my Ph.D. from the Department of Plant Biology and the Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior Program, I shifted gears. Through a AAAS Mass Media Fellowship at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, I learned how to be a science writer. From there, I joined the staff at Discover magazine, working as assistant and later associate editor.

In early 2021, I left my full-time editorial role to freelance — intending to write, but quickly discovering I had more to offer. I had found my people: conservationists, scientists, and environmental educators who needed help telling their stories. And I had the right tools to help.

Since then, I’ve worked with a range of clients including Holden Forests & Gardens, Marquette University, and Botanical Belonging; written for Scientific American, Quanta, Midwest Living, and Smithsonian; and collaborated with agencies and organizations across the science and nature space. My work spans content strategy, writing and editing, storytelling coaching, and improving websites. Learn more about my writing →

I’ve also hosted webinars, appeared on NPR, and created video content for various platforms. See media & speaking experience →

From Storytelling to Strategy and Systems

While my career began in science and shifted to journalism, I discovered my real strengths lie in the strategic and operational work that helps organizations thrive.

At Lunaris Creative, I became the de facto operations manager, building client workflows and project management systems that allowed us to scale. As founding Board President of Botanical Belonging, I created the organizational infrastructure — from strategic planning to operational systems to the job description for their first hire — that transformed a passionate educator’s vision into a sustainable nonprofit.

With Holden Forests & Gardens, I’ve been embedded as their Science Communications Specialist for four years, serving as the bridge between their Research and Marketing departments and managing all research-related communications. I work closely with their marketing team and PR consultant to ensure research stories reach the right audiences.

I’ve learned that the organizations I work with don’t just need someone who can write — they need someone who can think strategically, build sustainable systems, and create the capacity that allows good communications to happen consistently.

That’s where I come in. I bring together science expertise, communications skill, and operational thinking to help organizations not just tell their story, but build the infrastructure to tell it well, strategically, and sustainably.

What I Bring

• Science Foundation: Ph.D. in plant ecology, years of field research, deep understanding of how science actually works
• Communications Expertise: Training in journalism, years writing for major publications, ability to translate complex topics for any audience
• Strategic Thinking: Experience building communications strategies that align with organizational goals and available capacity
• Systems Building: Knack for creating workflows, documentation, and operational frameworks that outlast any individual project
• Organizational Development: Experience launching new initiatives, building infrastructure from scratch, and scaling sustainably
• Collaborative Approach: Comfort working across departments, with diverse stakeholders, and as part of existing teams

Whether you need part-time strategic leadership, help building a new organization, or expert science writing, I bring more than just communications skill — I bring the strategic and operational thinking that makes everything work.

When I’m not working, you’ll probably find me working in my native plant garden, playing with my two rescue mutts, singing at my church, reading a library book on my Kindle, or playing Dungeons and Dragons with my friends.