About
Green Gal began as an eco-friendly blog in 2009 that has sprouted in many directions over the years. At one point, Green Gal was a small business that offered fresh organic vegetables and flowers, organic sourdough bread, and consulting services for small ecological and socially focused businesses.
Green Gal is currently focused on raising and homeschooling her two young children, leading outings through We Are Outgrown as a Co-Ambassador for Hike It Baby Reno-Tahoe, storytelling and connecting through social media, and occasionally offering educational resources through the blog, social media, and newsletter. Melissa (Green Gal) writes about her experiences as a mama who cares deeply about how people relate to each other, the land, and the many forms of life with whom we coexist.
Through her own reflections as well as recommended resources from others, she often shares about outdoor adventures and nature connection with young children; organic and regenerative gardening and farming; creative pursuits like basketmaking, painting, & nature crafts; anti-racism work as a white woman raising two white sons; eco-friendly lifestyle choices; the joys of reading and writing; and more!
Biography
Melissa (Green Gal) is a writer, mama, organic gardener, and educator living on colonized ancestral land of the Wašiw people/Washoe Tribe (Reno, NV). A guiding quote in her life has been Gandhi’s “Be the change you wish to see in the world.”
For 5.5 years, Melissa supported education and outreach programs and projects at the UCSC Sustainability Office and other campus organizations. She received her B.A. in Literature in 2014 from UCSC, where as an undergrad she designed and taught two courses.
In 2017, Melissa participated in the UC Santa Cruz Farm Apprenticeship program and received her Certificate in Ecological Horticulture. She also received her Permaculture Design Certificate from Santa Cruz Permaculture in 2017 and participated in the same course the following year as a teaching assistant.
At the end of 2017, Melissa launched Green Gal Consulting, offering digital marketing, writing, editing, administrative support, and other services for small businesses.
For the 2018 growing season, Melissa cultivated Green Gal’s Garden, a small market garden and community supported agriculture (CSA) program in the Santa Cruz Mountains. At the end of 2018, Melissa and her husband moved to Reno, Nevada, where she sold her organic sourdough bread at the local Riverside Farmers Market in Reno.
Her baking, market gardening, and consulting business projects are on pause while she focuses on exploring, teaching, and connecting outdoors with her little ones in the high desert and Sierra Nevada Mountains.
