Yesterday I needed to actively do something to help in the COVID-19 efforts so I made this 30-second video to show the beauty of people caring for their communities and neighbors by wearing a mask. Please, wear a mask and save a life. Thank you.
Write every day: Happy Mother’s Day
Happy Mother’s Day to Mother Earth, the original mother of every being, and to moms and caregivers everywhere, across all species, who give life, love, and care to others.
Write every day: Charting good things every day
One thing that’s helping me chart the days now is writing at least one good thing that happens every day on a paper calendar I keep on my fridge. It’s a good reminder for me that even though a lot of life is paused, we can make good things happen, even if they’re small. It’s also a shorthand diary and something lovely to look back on to remember this time.
Write every day: How New York will reopen
For all those wondering about how New York is reopening, Governor Cuomo laid out his plan to ensure safety. (Something similar is happening in all our neighboring states.) He’s using data, science, and health officials to drive decisions. I’m very grateful to him for his leadership, thoughtfulness, and his ability to put his ego and emotions aside to listen to experts. There is no other place I’d rather be now. Here’s New York’s plan in his words:
1. Businesses and industries will open in a phased approach. Phase 1 includes construction, manufacturing and select retail (with curbside pickup). Phase 2 includes professional services, finance and insurance, retail, administrative support and real estate/rental leasing. Phase 3 includes restaurants, food services and hotels. And Phase 4 includes arts, entertainment, recreation and education.
2. Upon reopening, businesses must implement new safety precautions to help lower the risk of spreading the virus. These include strict cleaning and sanitation standards, restricting nonessential travel, adapting the workplace to allow for social distancing, and requiring masks to be worn if employees are in frequent contact with the public. Read all the requirements here.
3. The special enrollment period for health insurance will remain open through June 15, 2020. New Yorkers without health insurance can apply for a plan through NY State of Health.
4. New York continues to lead the country in testing. To date, more than one million New Yorkers have been tested for COVID-19. That’s more than any other state (or foreign country). We are working tirelessly to increase testing capacity even more.
5. The number of total hospitalizations continues to fall. Yesterday, total hospitalizations fell to 9,647 from 9,786 the day before. How quickly we bring this number down depends on all of our actions, which is why we must remain vigilant and continue taking precautions to protect ourselves and others.
6. Thank you to New York’s National Guard for their efforts to increase the state’s testing capacity. The National Guard has made nearly 300,000 testing kits to collect samples, 60,000 of which are being sent this week to labs and hospitals across the state.
Write every day: My latest article in Inside History Magazine is about the history of witchcraft
I’m excited to share that I have a second article published in Inside History magazine this month. Titled “The Celtic Diaspora: British Traditional Wicca’s Irish Roots and North American Wings”, this one is about the ties between Wicca and Celtic traditions and how those ties play out in New York City today. This one was an absolute blast to put together and I had wonderful sources who taught me so much about their traditions and community. I’m honored by their help and feedback. Here is a PDF of the article: The Celtic Diaspora
Write every day: I finished my biomimicry graduate program
I bursted into tears yesterday when I turned in my final assignment for my capstone project to complete my biomimicry graduate school program. A year and a half ago I started this journey and I wasn’t sure where it would take me but I knew I was fulfilling a dream I’d had since I was a kid—to bring science into my career in a deep and meaningful way. There was no way I could have known then the spotlight that would be on science now, or how important it would be to finish my program now and get out into the world and use it. So here’s what I’m doing with it, starting today…welcome to the world Beyond Plastic.
Write every day: I was accepted to the 2020 ComSciCon Flagship Workshop
I’m so excited to share the news that I was accepted into the ComSciCon Flagship workshop, a science communication event for graduate students. 950 graduate students applied this year for 50 slots. This year’s event was supposed to be in Boston but will be held online because of COVID-19. I’m honored to participate at this critical time in our history when science and science communication are having massive impacts on every area of our lives in every corner of the world. I can’t wait to meet and learn with the other attendees and all of the invited experts. To learn more about this event and the organization, please visit https://comscicon.com/comscicon-2020-flagship-workshop.
Write every day: A collage to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day
To commemorate the 50th anniversary of Earth Day and embody this time we’re in, I created this paper collage titled “Breathe in the Roses, Blow Out the Candles”. The title is inspired by Danny Burstein’s quote about his respiratory therapist’s advice to him for his lung strengthening exercises. Just as COVID-19 makes it difficult for us to breathe, the pollution we’ve caused on the planet in many different ways makes it difficult for the Earth’s proverbial lungs to breathe.
I create these paper collages by cutting up magazine pages and piecing them back together with meaning and intention. It’s a reminder to me that from the pieces we can build back better. My hope is that we will see this opportunity not to just reopen and go back to our old ways, but to embrace the fact that the health of the planet is intricately linked to the health of all beings who call it home, including us.
Happy Earth Day. Let’s make sure that the next 50 years are far better for our beautiful planet than the first 50 have been. We have the capability to make that so. What we need is the will and commitment to be better global citizens.
Write every day: I’ll be talking about writing today with the Decatur Book Festival and YayFinder
Today I’ll be live on the Decatur Book Festival’s Instagram with YayFinder at 1:00pm Eastern talking about young adult books, my path as an author, and advice to keep writing during this time. I hope you’ll join me at 1pm! Just go to the Decatur Book Festival’s Instagram and click their profile picture that will say “Live”.
Write every day: Is now the time for higher education?
In economic downturns, many people re-consider whether or not they should pursue higher education. This article explores the layers of hardship now on higher education. Two of my alma maters—University of Pennsylvania and Arizona State University—are both highlighted. The impacts are much deeper and could last much longer than in other industries.
Online learning isn’t even close to a full solution for these times but it did make me wonder if this is the time for people to pivot careers, carve out new opportunities, or pursue an academic passion they’ve delayed. Can this time of reflection, pain, and discomfort be a rebirth? Can universities and current and prospective students transform higher education in new ways? Will costs come down? Will pre-requisites be dropped? Will non-traditional students and non-traditional paths be more welcome? Will new doors be built and opened where there were only walls before?
If I were the head of a university, these are the questions I’d be asking now. Their survival may depend on the answers.
Link to article: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/15/us/coronavirus-colleges-universities-admissions.html
Christa Avampato 