Collaborators & Community
Every name on this page arrived through 共同目的 (kaupapa; shared purpose), not a cold pitch or a contract. Some found me first. Others I walked toward because their work felt worth documenting. What grew, in most cases, was something that outlasted the project: ongoing kōrero (conversation), trust, community.
17 years across four continents has confirmed one thing clearly: the world is genuinely full of people doing beautiful, necessary work. Growing food where there wasn't any. Rebuilding what disaster took. Holding space for the stories that rarely get told. Teaching young people they belong to something larger.
This page is a record of that community, and an open invitation: if your kaupapa belongs in that company, let's talk! :)
Publications & Co-Productions
The Human CV - Beyond the Titles and Labels | Full Playlist
Bear HeartInternational Men’s Day 2025
Rites of Passage Foundation Tracks Boys Programme
Rekindle/Resourceful Craft 2025 programme
Anke Richter Decult Conference
Cafecita 2024 impact report
Paleotechnics About Tamara
Conscious Impact “We Did It! 5250 Coffee Trees Planted” | “3,000 Trees Planted, 2,000 More to Go!” | “Celebrating 2019 and Looking Forward!”
LA Yoga “Conscious Impact: Living Yoga in Nepal“
More than Lyme “Rewriting the Story - One Word, One Pose at a Time”
Stuff.co.nz "Student Volunteer Army answers call for help in Roxburgh"
Obras "Un ladrillo ecosustentable para la reconstrucción de comunidades"
Permanent Publications "Forest Gardening in Practice"
urbanNext "The Brickmakers of Nepal"
Cruce Iteso "MARIANA RECONSTRUYE EN NEPAL"
1889 Magazine "Creating Community Through Permaculture"
Grist “These urban farmers want to feed the wholewh neighborhood- for free”
United Indians of All Tribes Foundation "Indigenous Peoples’ Day"
Wilderutopia "One Thousand Launch National Climate March from Port of LA"
La Prensa Panamá “El lente de Jonathan Lee”
Exhibitions, Presentations, Interviews, Podcasts
The rest and older features:
"Free your inner farmer" Museum of Agraian Art, OC Fair; California
“Photography as Art“ Seeds Podcast with Steven Moe
"8th International Forum on Food and Nutrition" Barilla Center for Food and Nutrition; Milano, Italy (for Beacon Food Forest)
"3.5 Square Meters: Constructive Responses to Natural Disasters" Museum of Art Tel Aviv, Israel (for Conscious Impact)
"Edible City Seattle" Museum of History and Aviation; Seattle, Washington (for Beacon Food Forest)
"Reflections 25.4.15" Patan Museum, Nepal (for Conscious Impact)
"Subtledream Photo Exhibit/Galería de Jonathan Lee" Casco Viejo, Panama City, Panama
“Storyteller, Systems Thinker, Bridge-Builder“ - The Human CV
In this "Human CV" profile by Jen Stevie, I share how my background as a filmmaker and storyteller is rooted in a blend of environmental science, cultural bridge-building, and a commitment to shifting systems through conscious media that honors both people and the planet.
“Episode 12“ - Ōtautahi In Practice by Ako Learning
In this episode, I reflect on my personal evolution from a nomadic lifestyle to intentionally deepening my roots in Ōtautahi, exploring how the power of people and place has shaped my understanding of belonging and the unique opportunities found in community-led work.
“A Story of Sustainability in Rural Nepal” Karma Coffee; Kathmandu, Nepal
In this documentary and its associated screening, I share the story of Conscious Impact's work in Takure, Nepal, capturing our community's long-term journey toward sustainable reconstruction and ecological resilience following the 2015 earthquake.
“How Visual Storytelling Creates Connection and Community” - The Altruistic Traveler with Bianca Caruana
In this conversation, I discuss how I use visual storytelling to evoke emotion and foster community, drawing on my experiences with organisations like Conscious Impact to show how photography can inspire collective action and social change.
“Photography as Art“ Seeds Podcast with Steven Moe
In this conversation with Steven Moe, I share my journey from Hong Kong to New Zealand and explain how I use photography as an art form to tell impactful stories and support social and environmental causes.
“Finding Purpose Through Travel, Service, and Photography” PechaKecha Christchurch, Aotearoa New Zealand
I share my personal journey of self-discovery, illustrating how traveling the world and serving others - particularly in Nepal - helped me find a deeper sense of purpose through the art of photography.
The Common Threads
These are the shared heartbeats of every project on this page. Over seventeen years and four continents, I’ve realized that while the names and faces change, the why usually leads back to one of these core truths.
This is my tūrangawaewae - the ground I stand on, populated by people who refuse to look away from the beauty and necessity of the work. If you see your own mission reflected in these threads, then you’re already part of the community.
People and Projects
Rekindle / Resourceful Craft showcasing the work and story of Gemma Stratton - one of their instructors. We collaborated in 2024 to capture the visual journey of their instructors’ offerings.
I got to collaborate with Cherish Christchurch in 2024 to storytell their community events and offerings for holistic well-being to freshen up their website, newsletter, and social media.
One of my images from Poás Volcano in Costa Rica was featured in National Geographic in Spain.
Grist.org - Beacon Food Forest Between late 2014 to early 2016 I was actively involved with the Beacon Food Forest project in Seattle, Washington state. Beyond the sheer nature beauty of the surrounding region with its year-round flowing streams, glaciated mountain peaks, and thick evergreen forests, this urban garden with a grand vision kept me happily in the city.
In 2012, I hosted an exhibit featuring my photographs from Panama in the historic part of Panama City, which the local newspaper La Prensa Panama covered.
National Geographic Go Blue In 2011 I had the opportunity to work with La Red de Mentoras Panamá, and was invited out to the Bocas del Toro region to document the work that the indigenous Ngöbe (Ngäbe) people are doing - setting up an eco-tourism business along with the mentorship of a Peace Corps. The photos promoted conscious tourism that conserve local culture and ecosystems.
Episode 12 on Ōtautahi In Practice (2026), a podcast dedicated to “amplify stories of curiosity, growth, and the transformative power of learning in Ōtautahi Christchurch.”
PechaKucha Christchurch (2017) I had the opportunity to speak in Aotearoa New Zealand on Travel, Service, and Photography.
CNN article published in 2017 on the 2nd anniversary of the earthquakes feat. Conscious Impact, with my photo as the cover.
Uprising Yoga reached out to do a yoga-specific photoshoot for their new schedule of class offerings in 2025.
Edible City exhibit featuring my work at the Beacon Food Forest at MOHAI in Seattle, Washington state in 2019.
“Free Your Inner Farmer” is the theme of the O.C. Fair in 2018. My film from my 2013 travels and farm work was featured in the Museum of Agrarian Art.
Forest Gardening in Practice, a book by Tomas Remiarz featuring food forests & permaculture-inspired gardens worldwide. The Beacon Food Forest is featured in this book along with my photos in 2017.
United Indians of All Tribes Foundation During the first couple months of my relocation to Seattle, Columbus Day was renamed Indigenous Peoples' Day to recognize Native American culture and to commemorate the history of natives and indigenous peoples worldwide. A gathering of well over 200 people representing dozens of tribes from as far north as Alaska and as far south as Central America at the Daybreak Star Cultural Center will remain one of the most powerful moments I have witnessed. The showcase of camaraderie, unity, support, and the music, drumming, and chanting on top of the amazing salmon dinner were absolutely incredible. The photos that I captured that evening are shown on their website.
Let’s Work Together
