I am the editor and lead writer here at Creative Green Living.
A Pacific Northwesterner through and through, I grew up in Western Washington on the ancestral territory of the Suquamish tribe - "the people of clear salt water."
After some time away in Boston for graduate school, I lived near Portland, Oregon for more than a decade.
I'm now back in Western Washington where I run Creative Green Living as well as our teaching and demonstration garden and farm at Creative Green Gardens.
Harvesting bucketfuls of dahlias at Creative Green Gardens
I am also a book author, public speaker, TV personality and advocate for children's health.
My advocacy work focuses mostly on lead, glyphosate (you might know it as RoundUp) and other toxins that hurt our bodies and our planet.
I frequently collaborate with Lead Safe Mama (see my articles about lead here) to help answer questions about lead on the Lead Safe Mama Facebook page, in the Lead Poisoning Prevention Facebook Group and on TikTok.
Carissa and Tamara Rubin (Lead Safe Mama) talking with a reporter from KPTV Portland, Oregon about lead in fidget spinners and items sold to kids.
I specialize in green and sustainable choices for your home and garden
with particular expertise in:
- Gardening
- Chicken keeping
- North American native bees
- Gluten-free cooking
- Healthy recipes
- Non-toxic craft and DIY projects (especially from upcycled materials)
- Lead in Vintage Pyrex and other Consumer Goods
I'm also available to hire for personalized gardening, chicken keeping or mason bee consultation. Get more details here.
I’ve written three traditionally published books under the author name Carissa Bonham:
- Beautiful Smoothie Bowls (Skyhorse, 2016)
- available in Spanish as Deliciosos Smoothie Bowls (Editorial Sirio, 2016)
- Proven Techniques for Keeping Healthy Chickens (Skyhorse, 2018)
- Little Green Book of Mothers’ Wisdom (Skyhorse, 2020)
I was also a contributing author for these books:
- Hot Glue Hacks and Crafts (Ulysses, 2018)
- Crea Con Washi Tape (Circulo, 2015)
- The Non-GMO Cookbook: Recipes and Advice for a Non-GMO Lifestyle (Skyhorse, 2013)
And have been featured myself or had my projects featured in the following magazines:
- Turks & Caicos Magazine
Photo feature, Issue 22, January 2020 issue - Capper's Farmer Magazine
DIY Farm Girl Apron Sewing tutorial, Summer 2015 issue - Urban Farm Magazine
Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms Recipe, November/December 2013 issue - Kids Crafts 1-2-3 Magazine
Father's Day Cuff Links Craft Tutorial, Issue 11 (May/June 2014) - Kids Crafts 1-2-3 Magazine
Patriotic Windchime Craft Tutorial, Issue 11 (May/June 2014) - Kids Crafts 1-2-3 Magazine
Creepy Crawlies Craft Tutorial, Issue 7 (September/October 2013) - Kids Crafts 1-2-3 Magazine
Make Your Own Pet Fish Craft Tutorial, Issue 6 (July/August 2013)
I've also been featured by:
- BuzzFeed
- WGBH Boston and NPR
- The Today Show
- Good Housekeeping
- WebMD
- The CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)
- Yahoo! Shine
- Woman's Day
- Country Living
- The Pioneer Woman
- Green Child Magazine
- We Are Teachers
- Apartment Therapy
- Under the Radar Podcast
- Romper
- Kardashian Kids
- The Redfin Blog
- Money Saving Mom
- KPTV Portland, Oregon
- Dollar Store Crafts
- MetroParent
- Mamavation
- The NewHope Network
I've won several awards for writing and blogging including:
- ShiftCon Media: "Best Green Lifestyle Blogger"
- The Craftys: "Best Blogger"
- Amazon Editors' Picks: Culinary Inspiration
- Urban Farm Magazine: Best Farm-to-Table Recipe
- The Bloggies: "Best Health or Wellness Weblog" (finalist)
- Favecrafts Media: Best Blogger Contest 2018 (Top 10 finalist)
TV Appearances
Before the pandemic, I was a regular featured guest on Portland's ABC affiliate station KATU.
I've been featured in their Earth Day programming alongside celebrities like Ed Begley Jr. I've also appeared as a featured expert on Afternoon Live (check out some of my past segments here).
They still frequently play reruns of my recorded expert segments in their program.
Carissa Burk (formerly Carissa Bonham) on Social Media
Follow me online through Creative Green Living or on these platforms:
If you'd like to contact me about speaking engagements, teaching an in-person class, television segments, sponsored posts, product reviews or other advertising opportunities, please email me at carissa@creativegreenliving.com.