Abstract
In this chapter, I reflect on my educational journey by considering Palmer’s (2017) model for alternative educational reform and applying it to my own life in academia. Since graduate school, Palmer’s philosophy has informed my approach to teaching and learning. Utilizing a reflective analysis grounded in research, I show the reader how I have innovated what I call my academic forest biome. Weathering the pandemic in northern Vermont, immersed in the changing deciduous forest, I now understand how biomes can translate into a kind of healing in academic life. These efforts have helped me to take heart, make new meaning, and step more authentically into my own teaching practices and identity.