Critz, Virginia | Member since 2019
After Raven’s best friend lost her young daughter to leukemia in 2016, her devastating loss fueled Raven’s passion to inspire people to live life to its fullest.
“As a seasoned executive creative director in advertising and marketing, I redirected my career towards helping others as a consultant start their “dream businesses” and fulfill my own dream of outdoor writing and photography,” said Raven, who writes for national print and web magazines. She also researches and writes product articles and reviews for a Fortune 500 company.
Raven lives in the Appalachian mountains in southwest Virginia, where she’s also a wildlife rehabilitator, trapper, angler, kayaker, rockhound, artist, and shepherdess to a flock of very spoiled sheep.
What are your areas of outdoor communication?
My lifelong hobbies became my areas of outdoor communication. With a focus on wildlife, habitats, and the age-old dichotomy of conservation and management of species, I raised endangered exotic gamebirds from southeast Asia in the 1990s and rare and exotic kingsnakes in the early 2000s. I learned how to trap and the art of taxidermy in the 2010s. I am a passionate advocate, researcher, and educator for proper land and water management, supporting balance between wildlife, agriculture, and recreational use.
What drew you to the field?
As a child, my wildlife obsession began with Ranger Rick and National Geographic World magazines. In middle school, my friends and I spent summers jumping out of our science teacher’s car to grab snakes, lizards, and frogs to catalog, tag, and transport to our state museum. After the museum finished gathering their data, we returned each critter to where we found it. Those early experiences between reading and being in the field drew me to the field of outdoor communication.
What enticed you to join the Outdoor Writers Association of America?
Even though I have written short stories most of my life, I wanted to learn more about how to write for outdoor publications. I discovered many OWAA members are the best in their craft and share decades of experience with fellow members. I joined OWAA to listen and learn from other members as well as share my experiences as an artist, researcher, and creative professional.
What is your favorite outdoor activity?
Hands-down, my favorite outdoor activities are anything that raises the eyebrows of my city-dwelling friends—and inspires them to try new things! I tracked wolves through thigh-high snow in Montana and treed cougars with black and tan hounds. I descended remote cliffs with dive gear in Big Sur and explored kelp forests and geological wonders. I kayaked isolated headwaters on the east coast and worked miles of traplines to protect livestock and pets. Most recently, I spent time off-grid in the northern Rockies helping a friend build a cabin and check trail cams revealing elk, grizzlies, and wolves. If I am curious about anything outdoors and want to know more, I’m all in!
What are you currently working on?
As a lifelong learner, I am currently working on my dissertation for Vanderbilt in the field of leadership and learning in organizations, studying generation gaps and their effects on organizations. When I am not researching for my paper, I am working towards starting an independent publishing company for outdoor writers.
What have you gained from OWAA?
OWAA gives me a sense of place and belonging as a woman communicator. I appreciate not only the history of the organization, but also the diversity it embraces. With so many voices sharing their ideas and experience, I am better writer (and person) for it.
What is one piece of advice you’d give to someone thinking of joining OWAA?
Attend OWAAs annual conference as soon as you can. After four years of membership, I finally attended my first conference in Gulf Shores. It was an unforgettable experience filled with networking, info-packed workshops, expert speakers, and engaging local activities. Even though I was thrilled to catch a 22-pound jackfish on an inland fishing tour, I believe the best catch by far was finally finding “my people” — fellow OWAA members!
Are you an outdoor media professional?
Learn more about how you can benefit from an OWAA individual membership.
BENEFITS
OWAA provides resources to help our members flourish as outdoor communicators and establish themselves as industry leaders. We create opportunities to make valuable industry and personal connections, sharpen professional skills, showcase work and gain access to in-demand educational resources and mentorship opportunities. Individual member benefits include:
“I’ve been in a number of writer groups — travel writers, baseball writers, pro football writers, motorsports writers — and so far OWAA is far, far better than all of them in terms of welcoming, declaring and pursuing its mission, etc.”
– Matt Crossman