About Molly as an Educator
Her primary love is teaching nature writing, creative writing and environmental literature in wild places where participants can hear the rippling of the creek, feel the breeze, and touch the earth.
Molly believes that people must have a visceral connection to nature if they are going to fight for its preservation. To this end, her foundational drive of teaching in the outdoors is to physically manifest these necessary heart strings to create the incentive to incite positive change in the treatment of our environment.
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With this specialty of teaching in the field, Molly has long placed an emphasis on the incorporation of outdoor experiential education into any subject she teaches – from academic programs to community interest courses. Her primary love is teaching nature writing, creative writing and environmental literature in wild places where participants can hear the rippling of the creek, feel the breeze, and touch the earth.
Molly previously served in field programs as a faculty, instructor, naturalist and wilderness guide with institutions such as Colorado College, Colorado State University, the Audubon Expedition Institute at Lesley University (now transformed into the Expedition Education Institute at Marlboro College), Colorado Outward Bound, Alaska Wildland Adventures, Global Routes, WorldTeach and Trailmark Adventures.
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In particular her work as a long-time field faculty member with the Audubon Expedition Institute (AEI) demonstrates her passions. A traveling college program offering a B.S. in environmental studies and a M.A. in environmental education, AEI was exclusively field based, the program’s philosophies focused on experiential education, outdoor living, interdisciplinary studies, and student-centered learning.
nature writing • environmental literature • creative writing • backcountry travel ethics & skills • natural history • backcountry hikes • naturalist excursions
Current Course Offerings
Seasoned and versatile as an educator, Molly teaches a variety of courses through many different educational venues in addition to leading backcountry hikes and naturalist excursions. Nature writing, environmental literature, creative writing, backcountry travel ethics and skills, and natural history are just some of her areas of expertise. She currently teaches and guides with Western State Colorado University (including their Summer Teacher Institute and Extended Studies departments), Center for the Arts Crested Butte, Coldharbour Institute, Crested Butte Wildflower Festival, Mountain Manners Stewardship Program and Colorado Backcountry. Her breadth of teaching ranges from credit-seeking undergraduate and graduate students to non-credit seeking adults and community courses.
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For a complete and current list of Education & Connection offerings with Molly Murfee please click here:
Ongoing Projects
Regenerations: Cultivating Connections to Earth, Art & Activism
The Regenerations series combines writing, visual art and outdoor hiking experiences designed to reconnect participants to nature and unlock creative expression. Collaboratively taught by visual artist Ivy Walker and writer Molly Murfee, both the full five-part series as well as individual sessions employ the practices of stillness and noticing; journaling and writing creatively; and constructing temporal works of art in the landscape. Sessions may explore themes of re-connecting to nature; identifying the healing powers of the wild; processing grief over our current state of environmental affairs; and finding our own personal resolution of these sentiments through creative activism.
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Earth. Art. Activism.
Earth. Art. Activism. is the working title for an alternative adult education institution “without walls” being collaboratively built by visual artist Ivy Walker and writer Molly Murfee. This school aims to create and contribute to new visions of eco-conscious and life-affirming culture through interdisciplinary educational offerings that intersect with nature, art, science, philosophy, community, self and activism. Through a consortium of educators, artists, activists, scientists, philosophers and community builders, we re-connect humans to nature, community and self, creating the heart-strings necessary for positive environmental, cultural, social and political change. Cohesive, year-round, seasonally-focused single day workshops and multi-day retreats take place in a variety of wilderness-oriented environments and alternative classrooms for a wide range of participants from the novice to the accomplished.
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Stay tuned as this exciting new educational opportunity and culture-shifting epicenter takes flight and we begin to announce our programming!
Mountain Manners Stewardship Program
The Mountain Manners Stewardship Program educates trail and backcountry enthusiasts about low-impact outdoor travel etiquette using a friendly and respectful approach. Employing a relatable, easy to remember, fun and eye-catching code of ethics, recreationalists learn to become environmental stewards of our public lands. Within Mountain Manners, Peak Protectors are volunteers trained to politely engage side, front and backcountry travelers in outdoor ethic conversations on the trail and at the campsite in order to shift user behavior. Mountain Savvy courses are educational hikes covering low-impact travel techniques through wild, fragile places. Outreach also includes signage and information at trailheads; materials given out by local businesses and tourism-oriented organizations; and multi-media educational promotions through video and radio.
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