Joy is a foreign emotion in the midst of obligation.
When the future looks grim, responsibilities weigh heavier on those who choose to fight for the wellbeing of our planet.
We're not a climate communication brand meant to create urgency through disaster. Rather, we offer a philosophy that integrates all aspects of being human and our relationship with nature, promoting life sustaining practices for ourselves
that supports life in it’s entirety.
Lasting change comes from a sustained vitality
and a deep love of life.
We lift the weight from the inside.
Our philosophy
Our Mission
We’re on a mission to inspire meaningful and significant action that protects the health and wellbeing of all life.
Our Vision
We envision a world where transformative action advances a harmonious and regenerative future — where meaningful action is a sustainable practice rooted in the love of life.
Our Values
How we bring joy and resilience
to purpose-driven work…
Hover over each to explore.
We meet climate work (and life) with curiosity and lightness. They are the catalyst behind our creativity, our human nature, and resilience in the face of adversity.
We draw energy from the pulse of life itself that flows through all living things. It reminds us that sustainability comes from aliveness.
We are part of a greater whole, connected to nature, to each other, and the system we wish to heal. It is both our mission and our method.
We make space to slow down and appreciate the beauty of life in its natural form. To love life as a whole, we must see ourselves as an integral part of it.
True authenticity is a means of connection to people and life in its entirety. We honor the full spectrum of being human, along with the grief, the joy, and the contradictions.
“Joy is not something you postpone for the future; it is something you design for the present.”
Meet Tamara
Founder, Facilitator, Trainer & Integral Master Coach®
And lighter Side was born…
I founded Lighter Side of Climate after 20 years of witnessing brilliant, dedicated people burn out under the weight of responsibility for meaningful change.
Through a blend of wilderness leadership, experiential education, and advocacy work, I discovered that joy and responsibility aren't opposing forces - they strengthen each other.
I came to realize that personal vitality isn't selfish, but it’s what we each need in order to keep going and going and going. It's our foundation for personal sustainability.
I believe that joy and responsibility strengthen each other, and that accessing our "lighter side" builds capacity to face hard truths without getting shut down by overwhelm.
CREDENTIALS & TRAINING:
Integral Master Coach® with 500+ client coaching hours
Masters in Teaching with 20+ years in human development and experiential education
13 years in non-profit climate-advocacy and organizational leadership
Train-the-trainer program development and delivery
Wilderness leadership and wilderness therapy background
Background in behavioral neuroscience, nervous system regulation, somatic practices and Internal Family Systems
DEI certifications (Foundations of DEI&B, Minimizing Implicit Bias, Supporting Allyship and Anti-Racism)
Where I’ve been...
My journey spans 20+ years in human development and experiential education, including 13 years in advocacy and organizational leadership where I worked at the national legislative level with deeply dedicated leaders and volunteers.
I've also facilitated wilderness leadership programs - one of my favorite jobs ever - and founded Climate Camp to see what happens when we integrate joy-based approaches into serious work.
And as an Integral Master Coach® with a practice founded in the healing power of nature, I've regularly experience how blending joy and resilience creates more effective, sustainable change.
When I'm not working…
I do my best to get out and explore canyons and wild places of the beautiful Pacific NW with my family and two German Shepherds. And on a good day, I’ve got my banjo on my knee…