Leadership Team
Founder; Editorial Director + Creative Director
Blinter Magazine was founded by Emily Iris Degn, our Creative and Editorial Director.
Degn noticed a lack of outlets regularly including sustainability and the eco-humanities in their reportage. Having spent a decade in newsrooms and as a contributor for a variety of publications, she decided to start her own magazine.
As a travel writer and climate journalist, Degn has always operated with a single goal in mind: to inspire her readers to see the world and to protect it. Emily’s experience includes editorial collaborations with The New York Times, interviews with high-profile chefs and global leaders, on-site reportage above the Arctic Circle, and beyond. With culinary art training under her belt, she’s also worked in sustainable fine dining restaurants as a chef, granting her a unique perspective to draw upon in travel tales involving food. Her journalism appears in numerous places, including USA Today, TheTravel, Tasting Table, Explore Washington State, The Arizona Republic, Palm Beach Post, About Place, Luxury Daily, The Desert Sun, Peaceful Dumpling, and much more. As a freelance writer and editor, she contributes to multiple outlets regularly, offering expertise and articles in the world of place-based storytelling.
She’s deeply inspired by the work of both scientists and artists and resonates with fields that combine these realms of study. It is this fusion that informs Blinter Magazine‘s stories and Degn’s extensive writing and visual media portfolio. An accomplished creative writer and artist, Degn has been nominated for multiple titles, including the Best of the Net. Her eco-poetry, nature essays, and flash fiction have been published in dozens of magazines both locally and internationally. She has also served as editor of multiple literary magazines herself and as chief judge of Roanoke Review‘s international eco-poetry contest.
Her first full-length poetry book, Warmly, The Wild, from Finishing Line Press, is out now. You can learn more about it here. As the 2026-2027 Writer in Residence at Seattle Public Library in the Pacific Northwest’s UNESCO City of Literature, she’s also working on her first novel, an upcoming climate-fiction tale.
Degn double majored in Creative Writing and Environmental Studies at Roanoke College, a private liberal arts school in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia. While there, she also earned an Art History minor, concentrating in Gender and Women’s Studies. She earned multiple awards for her environmental justice work, her veganization of the on-campus dining program, and her many eco-humanities projects. She also helped establish the college’s first publishing concentration.
You can visit her personal website to learn more about the woman behind the magazine, or go to her professional website to dig into her travel writing or work with her.
Read Emily’s articles at Blinter Magazine here
Contact: emirisdegn@gmail.com
Chief of Photography and Videography
Nicholas Allen Morgan is Blinter Magazine‘s Chief of Photography and Videography.
Having earned his Bachelor’s degree in Communications and New Media with a concentration in Digital Filmmaking and Video Production at Shepherd University in West Virginia, Morgan has participated successfully in a range of film festivals and projects. He has since worked with numerous outlets and collaborators throughout the years, contributing both his photography and videography.
From shooting glaciers in Iceland to capturing the geological layers found in the Badlands, Morgan specializes in outdoor photography and film, centering the colors, textures, and adventurous spirit of nature in his work. At Blinter Magazine, he helps bring stories to life through his imagery and keen eye.
Browse his gallery and samples of his visuals for Blinter Magazine here
Contact: nmorgan7190@gmail.com
Social Media Manager
Ciara Varley (she/her) is Blinter Magazine‘s Social Media Manager.
Ciara lives in the West of Ireland. Her education includes a Bachelor’s degree in Biotechnology and a Master’s degree in Climate Action, Sustainability and Science Communication. Her main interests include science and sustainability communication and engagement. These interests have led her to her current work as a communications officer for a research lab focused on sustainable food systems research, alongside different voluntary roles, including arranging science festivals and organising climate workshops.
Outside of this, Ciara enjoys plant-based cooking, second-hand shopping and spending time with her cats, friends, and family.
Follow her work on Blinter Magazine‘s social media here.
Contact: ciaravarley02@gmail.com
2026-2027 Residents
Climate Justice Writer-in-Residence
Marta Abbà (she/her) is a Climate Justice Writer-in-Residence at Blinter Magazine.
A freelance investigative journalist and environmental physicist, Marta specializes in climate justice, gender rights, environmental crimes, and migration. She focuses on cross-media and transnational reporting to break down barriers and adopt intersectional and decolonized perspectives. Marta is also an ambassador for the European Climate Pact and regularly collaborates with organizations working on climate and gender justice.
She enthusiastically creates inclusive and participatory outreach projects on issues related to the rule of law, the environment, and human rights — often in partnership with researchers and artists — aimed primarily at those who believe these issues are unimportant or do not concern them. Most importantly, she regularly succeeds in changing their minds.
Find her on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Instagram at @martinside.
Read Marta’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: marta.abb@gmail.com
Writer-in-Residence
Roxanne Bellamy (she/her) is a Writer-in-Residence at Blinter Magazine.
Roxanne is a freelance writer, editor, and marketing consultant specializing in sustainability and conservation. With 20 years’ experience in corporate marketing, most recently as editorial director for CAPTRUST, one of the largest investment advisory firms in the country, she now helps climate ventures, nonprofits, and B Corps find their voices, sharpen their brand positioning, and build narratives that earn trust quickly with donors, investors, and the public.
Roxanne earned her undergraduate degree with honors in English from UNC Chapel Hill, her master’s in English from Cambridge University, and is currently pursuing a master’s in sustainability from Harvard Extension School.
She is an avid marathoner and likes to dabble in all forms of nature-based play, including scuba, snorkeling, SUPing, surfing, rafting, long-distance hiking, and backcountry camping.
Check out her work at roxbellamy.com or on LinkedIn.
Read Roxanne’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: roxbellamy@gmail.com
Writer-in-Residence
Ningjing Wu (she/her) is a Writer-in-Residence at Blinter Magazine.
Ning is a writer and content strategist currently based in Berlin. Her fiction has won awards such as the Goh Sin Tub Creative Writing Prize (2022) and the Long Story Short Award (2023).
Born in Japan and raised in China and Singapore, her work is informed by her multicultural background, love for travel, and ardent curiosity about the world around her. Catch her on the road reading, writing, and doing landscape photography.
Follow along on her website at ningjingwu.github.io or on LinkedIn.
Read Ning’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: wu.ning.jing.2001@gmail.com
Editorial Team
Staff Writer
Emery Denham (they/them) is a Staff Writer at Blinter Magazine.
Emery Denham is a journalist and science writer studying how we communicate the natural world. Much of their work has been published with The Exponent, where they worked as the newsroom’s singular climate reporter. During this time, Emery covered local effects of solar panel construction, wrote about climate pressure on young people, and spoke to an award-winning conservationist about their work. More recently, their focus has shifted to the development of the environmentalist blog Drops in the Pond. Here, they highlight climate solutions while taking a closer look at the environmentalist movement itself. They write to understand how climate change is perceived and to then open people’s perceptions.
Currently, Emery is pursuing a degree in Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology at Purdue University. As a student researcher, they study the behavioral consequences of avian vision systems.
Although Emery’s writing has led them to cover a vast assortment of topics, they’ve always returned to climate and nature. They hope to keep sharing the stories of our planet and the people protecting it.
Find them on LinkedIn.
Read Emery’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: emeryd8942@gmail.com
Climate & Ecology Staff Writer
Gabby Grinbergs (they/them) is a Climate & Ecology Staff Writer at Blinter Magazine.
Growing up in Northern California, Grinbergs developed a fascination for the natural world along with their passion for storytelling. They gravitated towards science communications during their academic career at Oregon State University, where they earned a B.A. in Creative Writing and a Scientific Communications Certificate.
Their published work – from poetry to alumni profiles to news articles – can be found across Orange Media Network’s publications and the College of Liberal Arts webpage. A driven and versatile writer, Grinbergs enjoys writing across genres and forms, and sharing their love for the environment with all it can inspire.
Read Gabby’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: ggrinbergs4647@gmail.com
Staff Writer
Victoria Treder (she/her) is a Staff Writer at Blinter Magazine.
Victoria Treder graduated from the University of Michigan, where she studied Environmental Science, Spanish, and Psychology. Since then, Victoria has conducted research in systems for water bioremediation and completed a fellowship in sustainable development. Currently living in Freiburg, Germany, she is pursuing a Master’s degree in Environmental Science.
In her free time, Victoria enjoys the company of her family and friends while travelling, cooking, and practicing yoga and activities in nature, including swimming, hiking, and skiing. Victoria is also a fluent Spanish speaker and is learning German (and hopefully more languages in the future).
You can connect with her on LinkedIn.
Read Victoria’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: vtreder@umich.edu
Columnists
Seasonal Folklore Columnist
Heather Canfield (she/her) is a Seasonal Folklore Columnist at Blinter Magazine.
Heather is an Irish-American writer, witch, and folklorist. Raised on the legends of Ireland at her grandad’s knee, when she was 26, she relocated from the Pacific Northwest to the West of Ireland in pursuit of a deeper relationship with the land and the old stories. Heather has since built a community of 60,000+ followers across social media by sharing folklore tidbits and her quest to connect with all 32 counties of Ireland.
Heather received a B.A. in Sociology from Western Washington University and spent summer 2025 in an Irish language immersion programme run by the University of Galway. She is currently studying Heritage and Folklore at University College Cork, with a special focus on how folklore helps people reconnect to the natural world.
When she’s not 100 tabs deep in the Dúchas folklore archive, you’ll likely find Heather swimming in the Shannon River or playing Dungeons and Dragons with her friends.
Follow her on Instagram at @heather.wildflower.
Read Heather’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: heather.m.williams.7@gmail.com
Eco-Tourism Columnist
Sarah Kingdom (she/her) is an Eco-Tourism Columnist at Blinter Magazine.
Sarah Kingdom is a journalist and travel writer, based in Zambia. Originally from Australia, at 21 she travelled southern Africa on a holiday, and somehow never left, making her home on a cattle ranch in the heart of Zambia. She’s spent the last three decades living, working and exploring the world’s wild and lesser-known corners, with a particular focus on adventure travel; from exceptional safaris and conservation-led lodges to remote treks and off-the-grid journeys.
A regular contributor to leading publications including Forbes, BBC Wildlife, Africa Geographic, Getaway, The Outdoor Journal and Adventure.com, Sarah brings her love of discovery to every story. Whether exploring the cultural life of remote communities or seeking out the people and places shaping the future of travel, she combines curiosity with a quest for knowledge.
Follow her adventures on Instagram at @sarah_kingdom_travels or on LinkedIn.
Read Sarah’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: kingdom.ps@gmail.com
Birding Tourism Columnist
Keri Stewart (she/her) is a Birding Tourism Columnist at Blinter Magazine.
Her poetry has appeared in The Northeast Coast, Pastel Serenity Zine, and INKWELL, among others. After spending a semester researching lighthouse keeping in the late 1890s and the Scotch Cap Lighthouse incident of 1946, Keri wrote a short story called “122 Feet” that’s been picked up by Lone Peak Literary Magazine. During her BA in Psychology at UNH, Keri completed a Creative Writing minor, leading her to taking on the challenge of completing an MFA in Poetry. Now in her thesis year, Keri is starting to put together a collection of poetry. She also looks forward to being the Poetry Editor at Barnstorm Journal for the 2026-2027 UNH school year.
Visit her LinkedIn to learn more about her work.
Read Keri’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: stewartmkeri@gmail.com
Rural Communities Columnist
Skylar Wampler (she/her) is a Rural Communities Columnist at Blinter Magazine.
Skylar Wampler is a writer and artist based in Virginia. She writes at the intersection of the human heart and our natural ecologies. She graduated from the University of Virginia with a Bachelor of Arts in Creative Writing and Environmental Sustainability. Growing up in the “turkey capital of the world,” she was exposed to the realities of farming and industrial agriculture at a young age and remains dedicated to shedding light on the realities (good and bad) of living in rural communities.
She has a background in species extinction research, clean energy development, regenerative agriculture, and currently works as a grants administrator for a humanitarian nonprofit.
Find more of her work at skylarwampler.com, her LinkedIn, or find her on Instagram at @skylar.wampler.
Read Skylar’s articles at Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: skylarvwampler@gmail.com
Photojournalists
Photojournalist Lead
Gabrielle Granillo is Blinter Magazine‘s photojournalist lead.
Gabrielle’s work has been featured across the globe, from the United States to Iceland, and most recently, Denmark. Using her extensive background in writing and photography, she focuses on culture, travel, and nature in her work.
Gabrielle has studied in Ireland, Copenhagen, and Iceland, developing her portfolio around cultural immersion and exploring what it means to experience tourism through the lens of locals. In 2024, Gabby studied the aesthetic, architecture, and art of Ireland (which can be found on her website). She also completed an internship in Iceland: a hiking exploration studying the landscape and culture (Global Treks and Adventures. “Exploring Trails of Wonder.” Treks Iceland, Issue 6, 2025). In 2025, she worked for the Danish Institute of Study Abroad as a staff photographer, capturing student life, culture, and language.
Currently, Gabrielle works with Blinter Magazine to express her love for photojournalism by documenting different countries and capturing their essence–immersing herself in one community at a time.
Visit her LinkedIn or her portfolio to learn more about her work.
Read Gabrielle’s articles and view her photographic work for Blinter Magazine here.
Contact: gabbygranillo@gmail.com
Alumni & Contributors
Nate Smith | Jenna Mattern | Teresa Gallo | Hannah Dourgarian | Gabby Cournoyer | Carmella D’Acquisto | David A. Björnsson | Victoria Williams | Heather Canfield | Jasmine Utter | Marlén Garcia | Oliver Dauert | Peter Cairns | Sam Mayer | Teo Jaworski | Faythe Endres
