NATURE / SCIENCE / SELF

Alexandra Millarhouse

I am a children's author, scientist, science communication professional and amateur naturalist.  I see picture books as critical spaces for social justice, ecological literacy, and celebrations of self. Focusing on the connections between and within us, my work is one part science, two parts magic and mystery. 

Like many others drawn to writing for children, I loved books from an early age. I also loved being outside. I would spend hours looking closely at the world, while talking to the plants and animals around me - a habit that never really went away. I got my first set of paints around the age of 10, and was sent into the backyard to practice painting blades of grass (which was not as zen as it sounds). 

My fascination with the world became a BA in Geosciences, and a career in STEM. I earned my MS in Natural Resources: Environmental Thought & Culture, where my research examined how metaphor use impacts environmental attitudes and behaviors towards pollution (read my peer reviewed research).

Living in VT with my family, I am actively involved in re-wilding efforts and shifting perceptions of urban green spaces. I am an elected city cemetery commissioner and a founding member of Grow Wild, a partnership to re-introduce habitat across public and private land.