“Instead of asking what’s the easiest thing you can do to mitigate climate change, ask yourself what’s the hardest thing you can do. That’s where you can have the most impact.” ~ Dr. Ken Lacovara
My friend, mentor, and science hero said this during a recent talk he gave at the Harvard Club. With climate change, or any massive problem, we tend to focus on what’s the path of least resistance. “How can we get ourselves and others engaged in action with minimal effort?’ is the common refrain. But what if we did the hardest thing we can imagine, as Ken suggests? What might happen then?
I’ve been turning this idea over in my mind for weeks since Ken said it. What’s the hardest thing I can do to stop climate change? What’s the hardest thing I can do to build a happy, fulfilling life? What’s the hardest thing I can do to help my foster dogs and honor my soul dog, Phineas? What’s the hardest thing I can do to move forward after 5 years of cancer treatment? What’s the hardest thing I can do to be good at my job, to be a better writer, to be a better entertainment producer, to be a better friend, to make my community and the greater world a better place?
These are questions I’m thinking about a lot right now. The one I have an answer to is how to move forward after these 5 years. I’m moving forward without fear, and full of love and hope and gratitude. It’s one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do, and Ken helped me see it’s how I can do the most good. So on I go…
One of John Rucker’s Boykin Spaniels delicately carrying an ornate box turtle to safety. Photo from Nature Conservancy
I’m hoping that this year I will be able to adopt a dog. My foster dogs have helped me heal from the loss of my soul dog, Phineas. I will never get over losing him, and I’m also ready to welcome another dog into my life for their whole life. One thing I’d love to do with my future dog is to train to be a therapy team in chemo units and for kids reading to dogs programs at the New York and Brooklyn Public Libraries. Today, I learned about another opportunity that I’d love to look into, merging my love of dogs with my love for nature.
When we talk about climate adaptation and wildlife restoration, our minds usually jump to solutions that range from high-tech solutions like satellite tracking or automated drone monitoring to letting nature take her course and reclaim the land and seas. But across the world, some of the most effective conservation tools ever deployed run on four legs—or a quick game of fetch.
Conservation dogs are quietly transforming how we protect fragile ecosystems and wildlife. By training dogs to use their olfactory superpowers—which are tens of thousands of times more sensitive than ours—scientists and local communities are locating endangered species, tracking invasive pests, and stopping illegal wildlife trafficking in fractions of the time it takes human teams. (A mind-blowing fact about the sensitivity of a dog’s nose: Bloodhounds have an olfactory capability that can even reach up to10 million timesas sensitive as ours!)
My love for dogs runs as deep as my love for nature so learning how dogs can promote conservation has me wondering if this is a future career path for me, and a type of work I can do with my future dog. The talent of these pups is a powerful reminder that our smartest path forward often isn’t trying to out-engineer nature or just leaving nature to clean up our mess, but learning how to partner with her for the good of all species, including humans.
Precision Tracking in the Field
The real-world impacts of conservation canines span across oceans, prairies, and geographic borders:
Prairie Turtle Monitors: At The Nature Conservancy’s Nachusa Grasslands in Illinois, a famous squad of retired Boykin spaniels (trained by handler John Rucker, a retired high school English teacher from North Carolina) helped scientists track threatened ornate box turtles hidden deep in tallgrass prairie. Thanks to their soft mouths, the dogs gently picked up and retrieved the turtles without causing a single injury, locating more turtles in two hours than human researchers could find in a full week. Talk about efficiency!
Pangolin and Ivory Detection: Organizations like Working Dogs for Conservation (WD4C) deploy sniffer dogs to transit hubs and border checkpoints across Africa and Asia. These dogs detect hidden ivory, rhino horn, and pangolin scales with breathtaking accuracy, disrupting illegal poaching networks before products leave the region.
Saving the Right Whale: Off the coast of New England and Canada, specialized detection dogs ride on the bows of research boats to sniff out North Atlantic Right Whale scat from over a mile away. Finding these samples allows marine biologists to assess whale stress levels, pregnancy rates, and diet without ever disturbing these critically endangered and majestic ocean giants.
Invasive Species Eradication: In New Zealand and Hawaii, local conservation teams rely on dogs to hunt down invasive pests like rats, stoats, and Argentine ants that threaten native bird populations. What would take human teams weeks of destructive searching, a trained dog can pinpoint in a single afternoon. Give these dogs a raise!
Locating Invisible Plants: In the American West, dogs sniff out invasive weeds before they bloom above ground, allowing land managers to eradicate problem plants before they overtake native grasslands and fuel wildfire risks. How devastating can invasive plants be if left to run amok? Kudzu, a fast-growing climbing vine known is know as “the vine that ate the South” because it’s now so pervasive and seemingly unstoppable. It was brought to the U.S. from Japan in 1876. 150 years on, we’re still dealing with its destruction.
A Model for Local Agency
What makes working conservation dogs so compelling for community resilience is their low barrier to technology and high degree of local agency. You don’t need a multi-million-dollar lab or proprietary software to run a successful conservation dog program. You need dedicated handlers, strong local knowledge, a deep respect for animal behavior, and imagination.
It re-centers conservation work on human-animal partnerships, bringing local communities directly into the field as active custodians of their own ecosystems.
The Togetherhood Takeaway
True resilience means expanding our toolkit beyond human tech and recognizing the ecological allies already around us.
Reframe How We View Nature’s Capabilities: Technology is vital, but biological solutions are often faster, cheaper, and less invasive. Look for opportunities in your own community where natural processes (a community members of all species!) can solve structural problems.
Support Local Working Dog Programs: Look into organizations like Working Dogs for Conservation or Rogue Detection Teams. Supporting non-profits that train shelter dogs or rescue breeds for wildlife research gives animals a second life while protecting vital habitats.
Become an Active Observer: Dogs succeed because they pay hyper-detailed attention to their environment. Take a cue from our four-legged partners this week: practice active observation in your local parks or urban green spaces to better understand the biodiversity right outside your doorstep.
We can’t tackle the ecological crisis alone. One of our best partners in building a sustainable future is sitting right at our feet, tail wagging and ready to help.
THANK YOU to everyone who contributed to my fundraising efforts for the Muddy Paws Rescue Pack Challenge! You helped me exceed my goal and every dollar will go toward life saving care for dogs looking for their forever homes. Beyond grateful to have you as part of the pack.
Fostering and volunteering with Muddy Paws is some of the most meaningful work I do and because of your generosity, we will keep going!
Though the Pack Challenge is over, the page remains open and still accepts donations so if you’d like to give, go to Give.muddypawsrescue.org/phineas2026
Together, we’re saving lives every day!
Here are photos of all my foster dogs from NYC ACC, ASPCA, and Bowling Green Warren County Humane Society, and my soul dog, Phinny, who I honor by fostering. 🌈💛🐾
Healing is a group sport. None of us do it alone. My team is enormous and varied, clinically and personally, earth-bound and spiritually. We’re all involved in an intricate dance where even the steps that seem backward in the moment are just part of how this journey unfolds in real-time. Healing isn’t linear. It can’t be. The world and our bodies are forever in motion on the macro and micro levels. Life is chancey and we never know exactly what’s around the bend.
I see this unfold with my foster dogs on an accelerated timeline. I think it’s one of the great tragedies that our beloved best furry friends (bffs) never live long enough no matter how many years we have them. The best we can do is make every day a great day with them.
My current foster is Blondie. She may be familiar to you. I picked up this little senior lady at Animal Care Centers of NYC last summer and fostered her for Muddy Paws. She was adopted quickly because she’s a sweetheart and sadly returned .
On top of the very difficult life she had prior to being found running alone and terrified through traffic on the BQE (!) and taken to the ACC by a good samaritan, she’s faced a number of health challenges recently.
Now she’s back with me. Thanks to the INCREDIBLE care provided by our rockstar Muddy Paws vet team (YES, we have a veterinarian and vet tech on staff in our very own vet clinic!), I’m nursing her back to health and looking for the perfect adopter to help this very deserving girl have a comfortable, joyful retirement chapter.
Second, to help Blondie and the 1,000+ dogs we find homes for EVERY YEAR, a generous donor is matching all donations made TODAY. Every $1 you donate instantly becomes $2!
If you’d like to make a donation of any size to my fundraising page (truly, EVERY SINGLE DOLLAR HELPS!), that amount will be matched and go directly to helping our dogs find their happy forever homes.
Here is the link to my page and an enormous thank you in advance for helping me, my fosters like Blondie, and the Muddy Paws pack save the lives of more dogs every day: https://give.muddypawsrescue.org/phineas 2026.
Sending lots of love and gratitude to you always! I am so grateful to all of you who support me in my health journey and the dogs in the Muddy Paws pack. We couldn’t heal without you, and healing is the greatest gift we can ever give anyone.
So here we go – the first day of my month of reflection as I count down to my medication switch. One thing I’ve learned on this long cancer journey is that helping others helps me. Even when I feel down and out, and that’s happened many times over these past 5 years, helping others gives me a boost.
My souldog, Phineas, was a great comfort to me during this time so when he passed away in January 2024, I was absolutely gutted. That was the lowest I’ve ever been. A home without him was a terribly sad and lonely place. I tried everything to get through that time – grief counseling, donating, talking to friends, keeping myself busy with work and every activity I could find, writing my graduate school dissertation. I would love to tell you that helped but it barely moved the needle. You know what helped? Fostering dogs through Muddy Paws Rescue. Since November 2024, I’ve had 15 foster dogs and they gave me a place to pour my love for Phinny that was physically tangible. That’s what I needed.
That’s why I’m participating in the Muddy Paws Rescue Pack Challenge where I raise money to help save rescue dogs from now until July 23rd! And I’d personally love your support to help more people find their Phineas!
In addition to fostering with Muddy Paws, I also volunteer at events, review foster applications, do welcome calls for new fosters, and help the Development team raise money. Every dollar we raise goes to helping the dogs in our care. We get ~1,000 dogs adopted EVERY YEAR and this spring we celebrated our 10,000th dog getting adopted.
If you’ve been looking for a way to do something good for the world, this is it! Every single dollar helps me save more dogs. I’m so grateful for every single contribution, and so are the dogs.
Yesterday, I volunteered at the Muddy Paws Rescue adoption event because they needed some last-minute help. Afterward, I was supposed to pick up two 4-pound puppies who needed a temporary foster overnight. I had my apartment all set up for them; I was so excited. I haven’t had puppies since Dorothy and Sophia, my bloodhound babies, and I’ve never had puppies quite that small. I even caught myself wondering if one of them might be “the one.”
But at the event, plans shifted. A foster arrived and explained they wouldn’t be able to pick up their foster dog if he didn’t get adopted. As excited as I was for those puppies, I knew it would be much harder to find an emergency placement for this 50-pound adult dog who suddenly had nowhere to go.
So, meet Tony: my first foster of 2026.
Tony is a total “hidden gem.” He is an expert snuggler, a master of the “lean,” and a dog who clearly just wants to make his person happy. In the short time he’s been with me, I’ve discovered he is housebroken, a fantastic napper, and surprisingly unphased by other dogs or city noises. While he’s a big boy, he has no prey drive—he’s just a curious guy who is very eager to please, especially if you have a pocket full of treats!
Truthfully, I wasn’t ready to take a foster. I am personally looking to adopt, and I have a massive week ahead with work. I definitely wasn’t looking for a foster this big and strong—I actually had to get a mini-lesson on the best ways to walk a dog of his size while protecting my back, since I’m quite petite and still mindful of my back injury recovery and physical limitations.
Because of my own physical recovery, Tony is looking for a “takeover” foster or—even better—his forever home! He would thrive with someone who has experience with bully breeds and the physical stature to handle his curiosity on walks. He’s already making great progress on the leash and loves working on his brain games, Kongs, and lick mats.
Sometimes, when a being really needs us, we do things before we’re ready. If we all step up just a bit when we see a way to help, the whole system gets better. Every foster dog I’ve had has taught me something. None of those lessons were ones I anticipated; they were lessons I didn’t even know I needed. I’m sure Tony is here to teach me something that will make me a better person, and I’m so happy to be the bridge to his forever home.
Happy New Year! Each year I select a word to guide my thoughts and actions. In 2025, I chose Rebuild. Now, with that foundation, I’m ready to scale the efforts I’ve loved most.
2026 at a Glance:
The Word:Momentum (finding the moment within the movement).
The Focus: Scaling NYC’s Secrets & Lies, adopting a heart dog, and publishing in a dream publication.
The Goal: Moving from “rebuilding” to intentional acceleration in community, health, and creativity.
Within the word “Momentum” is the word “Moment”. That’s where I want to be in 2026 – in the moment, in every moment. I want to focus on my lived experience each day.
Even with all the challenges and difficulties in the world, in 2025 I found ways to build community through longer tables and creative projects that inspire wonder and curiosity. It’s made me so happy to reflect on that and think about how that can continue in 2026.
Here are some of the areas that interest me most. What are you thinking of in 2026?
Storytelling
I am beyond thrilled that my show NYC’s Secrets & Lies is back and that so many lovely people have filled out audience and graced the stage with their knowledge and humor. This show encapsulates so many things I love: storytelling, a celebration of NYC, history, laughter, and awe. I know how lucky I am to call this city home and I love nothing more than sharing all the wild stories of our collective past that still exists on every street. I’ve also made some of my very best friends because of this show, and those relationships have saved and transformed my life.
We started doing location-based shows with partners in 2025, the dream I always had, and I can’t wait to create more of those immersive environments for our audiences in 2026. Our show at the Seaport Museum was a huge success and they were wonderful to work with so I’m hoping we can do more projects together.
We’re already working on some fun plans during this very momentous year in our city’s history to celebrate:
NYC’s 400th anniversary
The country’s 250th anniversary
100th anniversary of Houdini‘s death on Halloween (yep – he was a New Yorker!)
National Pet Adoption Week in March
Our first outdoor show in April with Natural Areas Conservancy for Earth Day
Climate Week shows in San Francisco (nature in the San Francisco area) and in NYC (NYC food history)
A few things we’re considering in addition to our shows:
Free field trips where a group of us go to an interesting location in NYC and learn about its history
Reading club on historical topics
Potluck dinners with historical recipes
Entering the Great Borough Bake-off at Museum of the City of New York
Dogs
In January 2024, I lost my soul dog, Phineas, after 13 1/2 years together.2024 was a painful year. Sometimes I could barely breathe because the grief was so heavy. It was the worst grief I’ve ever felt. At the very end of 2024 and through 2025, I fostered 10 dogs through Muddy Paws Rescue and became an active volunteer with the organization. I never imagined I would become as involved as I am. More than anything else I’ve done, fostering and volunteering to save shelter dogs has helped me heal. I still miss Phinny every single day. I will miss him every day for the rest of my life.
2025 taught me how to carry the grief of losing Phinny and the joy of rescuing other dogs like him. He never left me, not really. I feel his spirit with me always. There are, sadly, so many shelter dogs who need forever homes. In 2026, I want to get even more involved with helping more shelter dogs. I don’t know exactly what that looks like yet.
I am ready to adopt my heart dog and especially excited to go through therapy dog training with them. My hope is that we’ll become a certified team so we can visit chemo patients and participate in library programs where kids read to dogs.
Writing
At the end of 2025, I pitched an article to my dream publication and they accepted it! This is the good news I hinted at yesterday—I’m so thrilled to finally share it. I’m working on the piece right now and will share it once it’s published.
I spent 2025 further honing my writing skills in different genres and formats, and now I’m excited to put more of it out into the world in more publications and platforms. I learn so much as a writer by reading, and I’m trying to read more books and better track the books I read in a fun analog way.
Learning
2025 brought me many opportunities to learn new skills and grow my areas of expertise. Some of them came through work and many of them I explored on my own. I continued my language learning and I want to build on that in the new year. I signed up for Masterclass again because a few of their courses caught my eye and there was a massive 50% off sale for the new year. My interests vary widely so a platform like Masterclass is perfect for me. I loved their programs that I took a few years ago so I’m excited to dive back into it. I’d also like to find more opportunities to learn alongside others.
Nature
In 2025, I graduated with my Master’s in Sustainability Leadership at University of Cambridge. That was an enormous personal and professional accomplishment. I fulfilled my dream of studying abroad with the most incredible group of people who inspire me every day.
I had hoped to transition my full-time work into climate but political circumstances being what they are in the U.S., that didn’t happen. Through writing my Togetherhood newsletter, storytelling, and advocacy work, I’ve been able to be involved with the climate community and aid collective efforts. In 2026, I’d like to explore more ways that I can help even if my full-time work is not rooted in sustainability. Sometimes, dreams take longer than we’d like. The route isn’t as clear as we planned. The planet needs tending, and in 2026 I want to find opportunities to use what I have where I am to be useful.
Travel
In 2025, I finally got to Italy and Scandinavia, two places that have been on my list for some time. In June, I’ll skip back across the pond to reunite with my Cambridge classmates in London for our now-annual get-together. I’m already looking forward to that. I also decided to plan more weekends away. That’s something I don’t typically do. I’m not sure why I’ve not planned that more often – maybe because I love NYC so much and there is always a lot to do here.
In 2026, I’m going to make the effort to explore more and visit more friends who live outside of NYC. I’m hoping to finally get to Asia, another area of the world I’ve not yet visited.
Home and Finance
I’m very lucky to have a stable living situation after years of being a market-rate renter in a city that is insanely expensive. I love my Brooklyn neighborhood and my apartment. In 2025, I crunched the numbers many times and it didn’t make financial sense to buy a place of my own because of the deal I have in my place now and the soaring interest rates and downpayment requirements. I’ll continue to keep an eye on that in 2026 to see if anything changes. In the meantime, I’m working closely with my financial planner to save for a home down the line. I’m also refreshing my space with some new design touches.
Love Dating apps did not bring me joy in 2025. Even the mechanics of them are off-putting to me. I know they work for lots of people, so I’ve not abandoned them completely. I’d like to put myself in situations to meet more people who share my interests, and maybe that will also include a partner who is as wonderful as my friends. That’s the only kind of partner I’m interested in having. It’s worth trying. At the very least, I’ll meet interesting people who become friends.
Health
And finally, my health is the basis of all my dreams. It’s really true that health is the first wealth. I learned a lot in 2025 about medicine, nutrition, exercise, and the value of rest. I healed from a few injuries and in the process learned how to better care for my body. In 2026, I’d like to refocus on more meditation – that’s a practice I fell away from in 2025 and I always feel better when it’s part of my routine. I experimented a lot with new recipes, and loved the art and eating of cooking and baking. I want to continue that and invite more people to have meals with me in my home.
2025 marked 5 years since my cancer diagnosis and I’m grateful for my restored health. In 2026, I’ll mark 5 years since the end of active treatment and finish taking one of my medications that may also lead to a change in another of my medications. While these are all positive changes, I’m always wary of new meds and med changes because of past experiences I’ve had. I’m exploring ways to support myself in that process – maybe through acupuncture, saunas, and other holistic modalities.
Some closing thoughts
2025 saw a lot of upheaval and pain around the world. Through donations to and volunteering with organizations doing work, I was able to help others and that is something I will always continue to do. Improving the lives of all beings and the planet has to happen as a collective, and I’m looking forward to using my good health, resources, and skills to further cultivate community and cheer loudly for others in 2026.
Happy New Year. I’m glad we’re here together. Long may that continue.
What is one area where you’re looking to find momentum this year?
The search for my Heart Dog is officially on! This week, I filled out adoption registration forms with several amazing local rescue groups. NYC has so many wonderful rescue organizations! I know one of them is going to have the perfect pup for me to adopt.
Muddy Paws Rescue NYC is of course high on the list because I’ve fostered 10 dogs with them over the last year. Every Last One Rescue, Animal Care Centers of NYC (ACC), and North Shore Animal League America are a few of the others I’m monitoring every day for new additions!
This week I also spent time getting clear on the criteria for my Heart Dog. I’m looking for a doggo who is friendly with people and dogs, enjoys long walks, and loves going on adventures around the city. I’d love to adopt a pup who is a New Yorker already.
I’m very interested in having a dog who would be suitable for therapy dog training—a confident and joyful spirit who’s ready to give and receive love.
Phineas, my Soul Dog, was a dachshund so I’m partial to that breed though that’s not a requirement. Ideally, a dog that fits comfortably in a carrier for easy city travel would be great, but I’m ready to fall in love with a larger dog, too. I hope Phinny will guide me to the dog who’s meant for me.
Send me all your good adoption vibes. I’m ready for the search and I’m excited to share the journey with you!
Today, October 27th, is a special day—it’s the day to honor the spirits of deceased pets as part of the Día de los Muertos tradition. And of course I’m thinking of Phineas, my soul dog, the dog who made me who I am. My constant companion. My forever teacher.
Phinny and I had thirteen and a half beautiful years together and he was there for me through some of the most trying times of my life. He taught me about unconditional love, patience, loyalty, and how to embrace joy, even in the midst of sorrow. His spirit has never left me, not for a second. And he never will. I keep a year-round ofrenda for him in our home where I say good morning and good night to him every day. Today it feels especially important to remember his life and the incredible bond we share that we will have always.
If you’re going through the pain of loss, please know that our beloveds never leave us. Happy Día de los Muertos, Phinny. I’m happy you’re still with me, still guiding me, still loving me, still teaching me. I am the luckiest to be your mama. ❤️
Meet Fifi, the calmest, sweetest girl you could ever ask for. She’s my 9th foster and came to us through the ASPCA here in NYC. I had planned to take a bit more time between fosters because work is busy. Then I saw Fifi’s frosted face and I couldn’t resist.
A police case, Fifi has had a difficult past. This time she was found abandoned in an empty apartment with another dog when her family moved and left her behind. That’s all in her rearview mirror now and we’ll make sure she finds a loving forever home.
Fifi has settled right into my home with no adjustment issues. She’s eating healthy food, enjoying slow strolls around my tree-lined neighborhood, and loving lots of pets and hugs, toys, and soft cozy doggie beds. She’s housetrained, loves people and dogs, is quiet at home and while on walks, and sleeps through the night. Nothing phases her. In addition to her gentle, laid-back personality, she still has some slow senior zoomies and playfulness in her!
What an honor to see a dog take a deep breath and relax knowing she’s safe and loved in my home. Only happy days from now on, Fifi.
If you’d like to meet her, she’ll be at the Muddy Paws adoption event at Pier 57 on Sunday, September 7th in the morning. Come on by at 11am and say hi!
and sadly returned 
.
and taken to the ACC by a good samaritan, she’s faced a number of health challenges recently.
This week, I filled out adoption registration forms with several amazing local rescue groups. NYC has so many wonderful rescue organizations! I know one of them is going to have the perfect pup for me to adopt.
Christa Avampato 