Lydia Nicholson

Lydia M. Nicholson grew up on both sides of the Atlantic. From a multicultural family, often finding it hard to claim any place as her own, she spent the largest amount of her life amid the prairies and plains of Kansas. Lydia graduated from Bethany College in Lindsborg, Kansas, with a Bachelor of Art in Digital Art and a minor in English.

Q&A

What drew you to The Land Institute?

The most attractive thing about The Land Institute is that I can unambiguously get behind the mission. It is pretty cool to work for an organization that not only acknowledges climate change but is doing something about it.

What experiences are most relevant to your position at The Land Institute?

I have a bit of an unconventional resume for my position. My most relevant experiences are in education, from peer-tutoring in college and chasing around children at a daycare. However, I am also excited to bring my more artistic skills to the table.

What’s most inspiring about your specific position at The Land Institute?

I am so excited to be part of the team that focuses on education because teaching is storytelling. Stories are the seeds from which dreams grow, and they bear their fruits in the form of the actions we take to realize them. I am excited to be on the team that cultivates the dream of regenerative agriculture in new minds and ensures that it can persist perennially. I hope that my efforts will bring in a high yield!

What would people never guess that you do as part of your role at TLI?

For a position that is basically an internship, there is a lot of freedom for us to shape the path towards our goals.

What else are you passionate about (outside of work)?

I love the small things of the world. I love looking at them, listening to them, drawing them, writing poetry about them, and collecting them. My favorites right now are jumping spiders, cicadas, and earthworms. They are so small, but they are also alive!

If you were to write a book, what would it be about?

I have a few drafts made of a children’s book starring a quiet maned wolf and an exuberant (annoying) aardwolf that explores the ideas around friendship and relationships. Unfortunately, I haven’t figured out these subjects myself, so the book is not finished.

What’s your motto / favorite quote?
Have you ever wandered down a warm, sunny path on a summer afternoon and suddenly found yourself closer than you expected to the warming-up-racket of a cicada screaming? That sound is probably my favorite quote. It fills me with awe and purpose.