Brooke Williams in Conversation with Lyanda Lynn Haupt

Years ago, naturalist and environmental writer Brooke Williams had a powerful dream about a dragonfly, a dream that cracked open his world by giving rise to a steady stream of dragonfly encounters in his waking life. Encountering Dragonfly chronicles his “re-enchantment” as he follows these winged messengers into a new relationship with the natural world.

This evening’s event will feature Brooke Williams in conversation with award-winning nature writer Lyanda Lynn Haupt about the nature (how), meaning (what), and importance (why) of an ensouled, enchanted relationship with the natural world.

Brooke Williams writes about evolution, consciousness, and his own adventures exploring both the inner and outer wilderness. His writing has appeared in Orion, Outside, Huffington Post, and numerous other publications, and has been anthologized in Best American Essays. Brooke’s books include Open Midnight: Where Wilderness and Ancestors Meet (Trinity University Press, 2017), Mary Jane Wild: Two Walks and a Rant (Homebound Publications, 2020), and Encountering Dragonfly: Notes on the Practice of Re Enchantment (Uphill Books, 2025). He has also spent the last forty years advocating for wilderness and has served on the board of multiple environmental organizations including Western Environmental Legal Center, Center for Humans and Nature, and Utah Rivers Council. He lives with the writer, Terry Tempest Williams, and two cats near Moab, Utah, where they watch light and wait for rain.

Lyanda Lynn Haupt is an award-winning author, naturalist, ecophilosopher, and speaker whose work explores the beautiful, complicated connections between humans and the wild, natural world. Her most recent book is Rooted: Life at the Crossroads of Science, Nature, and Spirit (2021). Previous books include: Mozart’s Starling, The Urban Bestiary, Crow Planet, Pilgrim on the Great Bird Continent, and Rare Encounters with Ordinary Birds. She is a winner of the Sigurd Olson Nature Writing Award, a finalist for the Orion Book Award, and a two-time winner of the Washington State Book Award. Lyanda has created and directed educational programs for Seattle Audubon, worked in raptor rehabilitation in Vermont, and as a seabird researcher for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in the remote tropical Pacific. Her writing is acclaimed for combining scientific knowledge with literary, poetic prose, and her essays have appeared in a variety of publications, including Orion, Discover, Utne, LA Times, and Times Literary Supplement. She lives in the mossy green woodlands of Bellingham, Washington.

North Cascades Institute envisions healthy Northwest ecosystems where all communities and species thrive. Our mission is to inspire environmental stewardship through transformative learning experiences in nature. Since 1986, we have helped connect people, nature and community through the hands-on study of the natural and cultural history of the Pacific Northwest.