Author Profile
Kenda Swartz Pepper
ABOUT KENDA SWARTZ PEPPER
As the daughter of a District Forester, I learned early on the importance of conserving natural resources and caring for the earth. When I was a child, I wanted to grow up and become an architect for doll houses, a writer of children’s stories and plays (my first official screenplay, a Sci-Fi entitled Strangers from Planet Zadar debuted when I was in fourth grade), a famous artist, a poet, a play actor, a defender of wildlife, and an inventor. I invented different versions of leprechaun and fairy-catchers. Each one had an escape door, so I’m not really sure if I ever actually caught any fairies or leprechauns; but I think maybe so only they escaped.
I am a trained art therapist and spent ten years providing therapy to children in urban settings and also to children coping with the challenges of an ill parent or the loss and grief of bereavement. For the past twelve years, I have been self-employed
as a staff and management development specialist in organizations. In my past life, I was a competitive inline skater and trail runner. Currently I enjoy activities like writing on environmental and social justice issues for online news sources and cleaning up the beach. I also find outrageous joy in photography and (after years of trying!) am finally an exhibiting fine artist. My volunteer fun focuses on children and wildlife. For the past decade, I have been on the Advisory Committee for Hillel
Stanford’s Camp Kesem, a free camp for children who have or have had a parent with cancer. I am wildly passionate about Natural Bridges State Park in Santa Cruz, California.
I identify myself as a partner to an outstandingly awesome and supportive husband, Scott, a stepmother to a super sweetie named Jaime, a dog-lover (that darling puppy featured in this book is Stella), an artist, a vegan, an aspiring gardener, and
one who whole-heartedly appreciates wildlife and all the natural beauty in my environment. I am committed to dedicating my spare time to encouraging, teaching, supporting and learning from children (who I believe are the most amazing beings
on earth) and to helping others help the earth by maintaining and sustaining the delicate balance between humans and the environment.
