User:AdventureWriter

About Jonathan Poppele
I am an writer and educator with interests in natural history, and personal development. I teach writing and biology courses at the University of Minnesota, run a small Ki-Aikido school, and write field guides for Adventure Publications. I love nature, I love learning, and I love to share these things with others.

The Academy and Me
I am currently a Teaching Specialist in the Department of Writing Studies at the University of Minnesota where I teach Technical and Professional Writing. I have also taught in for the U of M's College of Biological Sciences. I have a M.S. in Conservation Biology and a B.S. in Ecology Evolution and Behavior. My Master's research focused on citizen science initiatives and traditional animal tracking. I spent several summers following the footprints of wolves in Idaho and getting a window into the amazing world of the tracker.

My Writing Journey
I began to focus on writing in grad school, where I taught environmental studies themed freshman writing classes. I learned that I not only loved writing, but also loved to teach writing. Few other subjects address the clarity of our thinking so directly. My first love as a writer (and a reader) is the natural history field guide. For years, field guides have composed the bulk of my book collection, filling several feet of bookshelf in my house. The opportunity to write field guides for Adventure Publications was a dream come true for me. My first guide "Night Sky: A Field Guide to the Constellations" is Adventure Publications best selling title three years running and my "Animal Tracks:Midwest Edition" is now on the shelves.

Ki-Aikido: The Peaceful Martial Art
Ki-Aikido is a non-violent martial art that promotes personal development and peaceful resolution of conflict. I have been a student of Ki-Aikido since 1994. I am the founder and director of the Minnesota Ki Society's dojo, The Center for Mind-Body Oneness. In 2004, together with my taigi partner Matt Doetsch-Kidder, I earned two gold medals in the International Ki-Aikido Exhibition in Japan. All together, I have over two decades of experience in movement arts and mind-body training, including dance, athletics, circus arts, and hands-on healing. I am currently an Assistant Ki Lecturer and Assistant Examiner in the International Ki Society.