Salty Team

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Salty Team

Featured

Publisher, Editor-in-Chief

Kirstin Thompson is passionate about the intersection of social justice, science, and art. She is currently an Oceanography graduate student at the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa, although her greatest teachers are books and the sea. She seeks to protect and learn from indigenous knowledge systems and to create collaborations across political, social, creative, and scientific realms in adapting to climate change.

Art Director, Editor

Abby Chiaramonte is a graphic designer, editor, and yoga teacher based in Wilmington, NC. You can find her reading, cooking, jogging, playing piano, swimming in the ocean, and experimenting with different flavors of kombucha. She aims to live mindfully and make sustainable choices to ensure that future generations can enjoy this beautiful world.

Assistant Editor

Jennifer Vanderfleet is an aromatherapist, editor, scuba diver, sailor, and ocean enthusiast who left her rural abode and returned to the shores of North Carolina to live aboard a sailboat. She works with the traditional healing quality of essential oils to help others maintain balance of the emotional, physical and spiritual aspects of life.

Staff Writer

Alexa Bryant is a writer living in Atlanta with a BA in English Literature. Her passion for equality, spiritual well-being, and the limitless power of the written word compels her natural talent as a communicator and educator. Well versed in the network of social/political systems and inequalities that affect the world we live in, Alexa is a fresh, strong, voice of reason.

Staff Writer

Sam Rose Phillips lives in British Columbia and has a BA in English Lit and Creative Writing and a certificate in Environmental Visual Communication. She is a conservation storyteller, wandering the natural spaces of the world to capture both humans and wildlife in photography and film.

Staff Writer

Suzy Blake is a writer and emergency manager residing in Cambridge, MA. Her work focuses on preparing communities and enhancing their resiliency to natural and human-caused disasters. Suzy is a seasoned traveller and loves evoking a sense of place in her writing. She weaves narratives on topics such as climate change, surfing, nature, and yoga.

Our Story

Words from the Publisher

The idea for Salty at Heart Journal was first born when I realized the need for positive, inspiring media about women. I was incredibly disheartened when flipping through magazines that objectified women or did not rightly represent the compassion, strength, and ingenuity of women all over the world. I wanted to create a space that gave tribute to the many wonderful things women and girls are doing for their communities. I wanted to bring their voices to the table. We are stronger when working as a collective whole, and I hope that bringing these diverse viewpoints out into the open will not only inspire other women, but also contribute great wisdom to our collective knowledge.

As a surfer and water-woman, I have always been drawn to the sea. I feel a deep connection to it's salty smell, the sound of its ebb and flow, and the way it connects all living things on this planet. No matter where in the world I am, I feel the ocean in my heart. I am Salty at Heart, but the thing is, so are you. This blue water planet sustains and nourishes us physically, mentally, and spiritually. I believe that connection to nature is ingrained in our ancestral DNA. Naturally, a salty, nature-based thread weaves among the interviews and stories you find in this publication, with a particular focus on sustainability initiatives.

With all the negative stories in the news and media, I feel it is important to put as much (if not more) attention on the pockets of hope all across the world. Negativity and drama only create fear, and fear is paralyzing. It closes people off and causes unrest. What we need more of is openness, understanding, and compassion. The goal of the journal is to empower, because inspiration is contagious. I believe positive media can open up doors to a more productive society, both on a small scale as well as internationally.

NAMED ONE OF 2017'S BEST NEW MAGAZINES BY

As heard on

"In a world where we find ourselves increasingly retreating to tribal media spaces, in a culture dominated right now by loud, divisive political narratives, finding a print publication like Salty At Heart is the kind of healing balm we need."

-Girl Talk HQ