Whether she’s working on her garden at home or traveling to exotic islands, it’s safe to say that Lora Hein has always been one with nature.
Her parents were both in a club called the Naturalists in college, so from an early age Lora always had an appreciation for nature, as well as art, music, and literature. When Lora was 23 years old, she spent two months traveling on a local fishing boat in the Galapagos Islands where she observed and learned from her interactions with the wildlife. “The really cool thing about going to the Galapagos Islands was that I was able to be so close to watching live animals who didn’t run away from me. I was really able to study their behavior and learn from them how they survived in this very challenging, inhospitable environment.”
It was this brief stint in the pacific that would steer the course for the rest of Lora’s adult life. From that point on she knew that whatever she did next, nature was going to be a part of it. Her search for work after college brought her to Yosemite National Park.
At Yosemite, Lora met a park ranger who inspired her to try and become a ranger naturalist herself, even though women weren’t being hired as rangers at the time. In addition to being a seasonal park ranger, Lora has designed and built passive solar houses in the North Cascades, and was a school teacher as well.
A lifelong fan of reading and writing, born into a family of readers and writers, Lora was destined to write her own book eventually. Currently in progress is Lora’s debut publication, Tortoise Moon.
The book is a memoir of Lora’s life that highlights her experience with nature and the outside world, starting with her trip to the Galapagos Islands in 1973. This work in progress was selected as a 2019 finalist in the Nonfiction/Memoir category of the Pacific Northwest Writers’ Association Literary Contest.
“Part of the point of the book is how I essentially fell in love with these animals, and these plants, and this place. It’s so phenomenally unique – sort of a microcosm example of the planet – and showcases the harm we are doing to the planet with invasive species, waste and not allowing natural processes to proceed.”
The insight Lora has gained from her endeavors has certainly made her a very environmentally conscious person. In March 2019, the Snohomish Conservation District named Lora the Conservation Leader of 2018 for Urban/Suburban homeowners.
Many of Lora’s conservation efforts, including her vegetable and herb garden, rain garden, and rain barrels are featured in the Better Ground promotional video showcasing the value of conservation districts.
Lora Hein
