Last year, I let my friend's autistic son have as many stickers as he wanted while vending at the Central Ohio Outdoors Fall Gathering, a community I had never visited before. I was fortunate to have my friend accompany me for a day at my table.

He brought his kid, a young boy named Odin who seemed a little different from the other kids but was quickly transfixed u

pon looking through the countless stickers of flora, fauna, and fungi of our landscapes.

I knew before I got there that Odin might need extra help with certain things or struggle to follow directions at times. His father and I virtually body double (cowork) together, so I had heard a lot about Odin.

I came fully prepared for him to have AN ENTIRE accordion binder of my nature stickers to look through.

His dad asked several times if I was sure I wanted him to be going through my sticker binder, knowing he would simply ask me what every single featured species was.

I reassured him that I brought it just for him! I was happy to recite the names of the spring beauties, the wood sorrels, the morel mushrooms, and the beaver skulls over and over again.

He collected almost every moon, one of the few photos I didn't personally take myself but taken by a friend and supporter from the UK, Robert Simons.

Luckily, the moons are the easiest shape for my Cricut to cut out.

Over time, Odin got a little rambunctious, so I pulled out my next trick…books.

I had brought along with me my entire guidebook collection to share with event goers.

I asked if Odin liked bugs, but he did not, so we went with Animal Skulls of North America instead.

I remember smiling while glancing at him eating greasy potato chips alongside the event coordinators son as they happily munched atop their inflatable mattress, flipping through the many pages of skulls…turtle, rabbit, cougar...

On and on they went, two strangers coming together to explore a book with things they had never seen before and animals they had never heard of.

The event coordinator’s son ended up staying for hours, accompanying our strange little crew out in the woodlands of Zanesfield, Ohio.

I'll be taking a lot more spring pics this year for The Sticker Project! I have been busy making lots of sticker packs for upcoming fairs, adding in some of my springtime plants and mushrooms for the first time.

Each sticker pack comes with a scannable code leading to a virtual guide of each featured species found right here in central Ohio.

Are you a crafter, an educator, or a curious person? Lemme know if you'd like a pack of stickers or if you need a set for your classroom. 😄 You can find them at www.stagpath.com, and if you need more packs or have a special request, just reach out and I'd lovvve to help you!

I haven’t been very good at keeping everyone in the loop, but my incredible housekeeping friend (more on that later) legit volunteered to help me juggle this kind of stuff. I guess I have an assistant now?

What a wild turn of events. 😂 One minute I’m hiring help to clean up what was once literally a bit of a hoarder house (my childhood home) and the next minute I have an added member to StagPath’s incredibly small team!

So with the encouragement of Alexa, my latest assistant (omg), here I am with a snapshot of StagPath’s journey from where it all started to what it has become today!

Originally an Etsy shop selling nature-inspired art, StagPath has changed a lot. Launching the StagPath Mystery Box after a set of ornaments I shipped out was stolen by porch pirates...fully shook my world. Not only did my supporter get more stuff than she originally ordered when I surprised her with the first-ever StagPath Mystery Box, but the scribbled list of fun facts I included for each item was the very beginning of my journey towards becoming not just an artist, but a teacher, a guide, and even a friend. 🥰

Nowadays, I haven’t been making as many arts and crafts (ya know, the hoarder house thing), but I’ve created nature stickers with a forever updating digital guide, I host adventurous events and workshops, and I even launched some virtual and in-person services to help others learn more deeply about their most curious interests in nature. Oh! I also installed informational QR code plant signs at a fancy rental property, which was kind of overwhelming, but helped me pay off my debt!

Outside of launching new products and services, I also joined my local chamber of commerce, became a metro park volunteer and an iNaturalist ambassador, annnd I reported some terrible shit I was seeing at my local parks. 😬

I’ve collaborated with a bunch of people over the last few years, including: Lorenzo Tavani of Cook, Forage, Feast, Andi Wesley of Earth Spirit Energy Work, Rae DiPaolo of Tree Folk Fables, Sheena Hancel of The Pollen Patch, Caleb Thompson of Central Ohio Outdoors, Susan Reiser & Susan Peters of Thrive Massage & Wellness, Valerie Libbey of Libbey Farms, Matt Ross, host of Blurbs, plus Ted & Min of Parker Reserve, and several others.

I’ve supported clients across 8 countries and 4 continents, as far away as Qatar and New Zealand! The vast majority of my sales are not Ohio-based, extending past 200 sales of just online transactions alone, even some of my in-person events have attracted out-of-state visitors, with a few international supporters interested in attending future in-person experiences.

Are you reading this? Holy crap!

I had no idea when I began all of this how far my impact could extend. The last virtual guidance session I hosted was for Matt Ross, a birding podcaster in New Zealand who enjoyed the service so much that he created a podcast episode about what he learned—unprompted.

As science communicators, we often cover topics that are not restricted to the interests of one particular region. Learning about the natural world is for everyone, and anyone can find value in my services no matter where they are located.

To kick off the new year, I’m offering a StagPath Mystery Box giveaway, plus a deep discount on my virtual guidance sessions to all of my supporters!

The StagPath Mystery Box is what started it all! Check out all these crazy good reviews for it. Creating the StagPath Mystery Box has taught me how to be a better writer, to connect with others who may be different from myself, and that there is alwayyyys more to learn. Each box is unique, with items I’ve collected based on each individual’s interests, along with a detailed email about everything inside, including video and audio resources for those who have different learning styles. Sometimes I include rocks and fossils, pine resin, or fresh baked bread in a mystery box, while other times I might include a DIY t-shirt bag, wild edibles, or nature-inspired artwork. It is never the same! Fill out this form for the opportunity to win one!

A StagPath Nature Guidance Session is virtual, one-on-one, and designed to help you learn more about whatever peaks your interest when it comes to the natural world. Many of us have careers, families, and societal mayhem that keep us busy. Too busy! So busy in fact that the vast majority of us will never learn how to forage wild edible plants and mushrooms, build a fire without a lighter, or spot a fossilized bone in a creek bed. I’m here to help kick off your lifelong learning adventure with the tools and resources I use myself to get you where you want to be faster. The journey is long, but we don’t have to go it alone. To celebrate the new year, I’m offering a discount! To receive 30% off of a StagPath Virtual Nature Guidance Session (normally valued at $175), enter the code NEWYEAR at checkout.

Welp, it’s probably time for me to start working on the house again, but thanks for the continued support and I’ll be back with more of the story later!

In the meantime, what have you been up to? 😄 I’d love to hear back.