We were lucky to catch up with Judie recently and have shared our conversation below.

Judie, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. What’s been the most meaningful project you’ve worked on?

Thinking ‘outside of the box’ I embarked on a few unique and bold projects with my eye on creating change and goodness for the planet. I converted my back and front yards to California native plants, teeming with a huge variety of species of plants and wildlife critters. Without any irrigation, my yard is a lush nature space with mini hiking trails inviting the public in.

“Out with the toxic chemicals, in with the algae!” I like to proudly declare. I have enhanced my environmental influence even more by converting my pool into a pond. Besides doing this for beauty, creating habitat and experiencing gratification on many levels, another main motivation was to set an example. As an educator and lifelong learner, my desire to educate others on the importance and benefits of planting native plants played a huge role here. I wanted to confidently set an example. Replete with interpretive signage that encourages passersby to walk the paths and a bench next to the sidewalk, that beckons people to sit down and take it all in. Teenagers and older adults alike, I glance out my window and never know who I may be surprised to find, sitting on the bench and taking it all in. I am looking to spark others’ interest, open up people’s minds to an important concept around ecology and potentially help guide others in considering a similar process.

To further bring in the concept of community, I also used my driveway as a palette for sharing messages of unity. “Love Nature,” “Create,” “Peace,” “Explore,” “Kindness” and “Gratitude” are stenciled on my driveway and accompanied by bold mural artwork to accentuate those messages.

Judie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For twenty five years, I worked as a classroom teacher for children with special needs. At age fifty, I decided to make a courageous move and did a career pivot. I chose to combine my love of teaching with my passion for the outdoors and became a naturalist educator. My income went down, but my enjoyment of life and career increased exponentially. I teach children and adult children alike about ecosystems, adaptations and other concepts about biodiversity and ecology.

I greet students and tell them to ‘step into my office,’ They giggle when they realize my ‘office’ is nature-the great outdoors. Inspiring people to explore nature and helping to develop a love of the outdoors is what I do best. I have been referred to as a Naturalist Extraordinaire, due to my eternal excitement about what I do. I like to say ‘what I don’t have in knowledge, I make up for in enthusiasm.’ This is true, big time. I can get people engaged in learning about anything from plants, insects and spiders to scat (animal poop.)

I am on the board for a non-profit called San Diego Children and Nature (SDCaN) and we like to point out that ‘children are happy, healthier and smarter when they learn and play outdoors.’ We work with educators and families with the goal of getting children outdoors which is great for exercise, relaxation, inspiration and learning.

I am a board member for the San Diego River Park Foundation where I combine my background in education with my interest and passion for native plants and providing opportunities for children and adult children to engage with nature.

Currently I am co-directing a California Native Plant tour that will take place on April 9th in the La Mesa/Mt Helix and surrounding East county areas. https://www.cnpssd.org/events/2022/gardentour
I am also a workshop director for the California Native Plant Society-San Diego and coordinate workshops to educate people about the benefits of planting natives along with the benefits of and how to’s of selecting, planting, doing maintenance, and more on gardening using California native plants.

I am a proud grandma and love spending time with my grandkids outdoors, jumping on boulders, sitting on the ground and digging through leaf litter for rolly pollys and other critters, and climbing trees!

I am most proud of helping to foster positive connections, awe and eliciting the ‘wow’ factor of nature for people of all ages.

One of my favorite quotes is: Everyone should spend 20 minutes a day in nature. Unless you’re really busy. Then you should spend an hour!

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative?

I never thought of myself as ‘a creative.’ I never imagined that I could do something that would make a big difference and have widespread impact. I always thought of ‘creatives’ as musicians, songwriters, painters, writers and others who did something artistic that I could never aspire to, since I simply didn’t have those abilities and talents. However, it became very clear that having passion about something and devoting thought, time, energy and research could produce a creative and unique project with results that inspire others. The positive feedback I have gotten from having inspired others has been exciting and fulfilling. Many have chosen to embrace concepts and a new view on native plants, turning a pool into a pond and creating nature space and habitat. This in turn has given pleasure, deep gratification and a creative outlet to others. So my advice is–if you are passionate about something, take the time to reflect on it, learn about it and then make a leap! Pursue your dream! You never know how your personal brand of creativity and vision can impact and energize others. ‘If not now….when?!’

: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

The deeply important goal driving my journey is to make a positive impact on our community and planet regarding ecology, taking care of our planet and giving back to nature. Inspiring others to leave our world better than we found it is what motivates me to do what I do. Sharing my enthusiasm for the natural world with others and helping to foster a love, regard and connection with plants and animals is what I am most passionate about. I like to joke that what I don’t have in knowledge, I make up for in enthusiasm!

Contact Info:

• Facebook: judie lincer
• Linkedin: judie lincer
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HB32v1_GxJ0