About unTamed Science

Society tries to put us in boxes. I'm trying to escape them. Lessons in flow.

Welcome! I’m glad we’re in this together.

unTamed Science
field notes from a preferably-feral scientist
water • earth • life

unTamed Science is all about living life untrammeled—making one heart-forward decision at a time, tapping into wonder and awe, unearthing courage and creativity. It’s your birthright after all.

It’s as much about a way of life, a state of mind, as it is a ‘love-all-the-world letter’ rejoicing in the magic, mystery, genius, and beauty of this planet and all her inhabitants.

It’s about how our disconnect from the primal energies of the natural world has rendered us unwell—mind, body, and soul, and how reconnecting to the planet offers a path forward.

It’s about finding joy—and healing—in moving outside conditioned societal boxes; all the things you might discover about yourself and the world through wandering, exploring, creating, being present; what happens when you take chances and embrace the world.

It’s about the power of truly knowing and abiding your own heart.

As a subscriber you’ll receive stories, essays, and field notes from places near and far, aimed to inspire you to ask big questions, find courage, follow your heart, and be the brightest version of you.

Free subscribers get:

• Stories and essays exploring our relationship with the planet.

Paid subscribers also get:

• Field Notes from places near and far. Coming soon: Field Notes from Kenya.

• Deeper dives into environmental issues and related science.

• Lessons derived from Water + Wilds.

What readers say:

“I wrote Wilderness and the American Mind to chronicle a revolutionary change in attitude toward wild places over the course of American history. Wilderness preservation is impressive but so far it has been fueled by very anthropocentric concerns such as scenery, recreation and tourist economics. It's time to listen to a new generation of activists like Wendy who understand that the arc of justice bends toward intrinsic valuation and the rights of nature. I'm very pleased to commend her as a guide toward the only really sustainable future on this planet.” ~Roderick Nash, Ph.D.

“This missive is an invitation to raise kids, and ourselves, with excitement for worlds familiar and near, wild and still unknown...unTamed Science is a love-all-the-world letter and ticket out to adults who are rooted in everyday thoughts and lives. Dr. Pabich is a gypsy scientist with a passion for water in all forms, art and the painted word.” ~Lili Simpson

“What you express…constitutes a form of an emotional and psychological lifeline for those of us trying to stay sane and somewhat balanced.” ~Jim Karkut

“Every bit of this newsletter is beautiful to read. Just lovely.”

“I’m delighted every time I visit her pub, even when she’s writing about tough topics, Wendy has a way of grounding it all in joy.” ~Maggie Hollinbeck, Tending the Soul

"Wendy Pabich is a brilliant combination of scientist, artist, and hands-in-the-dirt bona fide mountain woman."

"She is funny, insightful, and down to earth..."

About me:

I’m trained as a water expert (Ph.D., biogeochemistry and hydrology; M.S., Coastal Geology) and policy wonk (M.S., Urban Studies and Planning), but the truth of it is I’m a world wanderer, adventurer, artist, and writer, with a big smile, crazy laugh, and a “go” attitude (read “dirtbag”…umm, in the most loving sense of the word). I care about beauty, adventure, heart, community, and the natural world.

I’ve always skipped just a bit off the beaten path. Drawn to magic and mystery, I’m invariably happier with some measure of adventure and challenge—mind, body and soul—in my life. I stretch my boundaries, lean into fear. One of my favorite mantras?

If it’s not a “fuck yes!”, it’s a “no”.

This has taken me to places high and low. Jumping into an environmental engineering Ph.D. program when I wasn’t trained as an engineer but was obsessed with water (and crying my way through more than a few all-nighters), but then, able to bring students to the wilds of Patagonia, the Himalaya, and Alaska. Running rivers and finding peace, connection, and magical encounters with rock and water and animals and humans—and, ripping my knee open to the patella. Having money. Not having money. Finding the kind of love I’d only dreamed about, only to have my heart ripped out. Dancing with joyful abandon at Burning Man. Navigating uncomfortable edges.

In all of this, I’ve come to understand how profoundly grounding, healing, expansive, nurturing, awe-inspiring, and straight-up magical, time in and around water and wilds is. It is the antidote to the mess and stress and disconnect of so much of modern existence. And, make no mistake, I don’t always find the right balance, and when I’m off-kilter, oh-my-goddess does my soul scream.

I’ve learned a thing or two along the way and it’s my privilege to share some of it with you here.

My book “Taking on Water: How One Water Expert Challenged Her Inner Hypocrite, Reduced Her Water Footprint (without Sacrificing a Toasty Shower), and Found Nirvana” was published in 2012.

AI and me:

Perhaps I’m behind the times, but guess what? unTamed Science is 100% me. All human-powered, all original content, all written by me. So, when you find typos, grammatical mistakes, or awkward words, you can laugh with me and breathe a sigh of relief: I’m human.

[I understand I may be missing out. In the future, I may use AI for basic research tasks—like ferreting out primary science citations—but I have zero interest in having it write for me. That would take the brush away from the painter, the pen away from the writer, and change the way I feel about my craft. (If you haven’t noticed, I love writing.)