Jo Watson Hackl, Founder
@johackl

My name is Jo, and I’m a writer, a corporate attorney, and an outdoor enthusiast. I created Outdoorosity as a free resource of inspiration and information about the outdoors. Spending time outside has such a huge impact on my life that I want to help busy professionals, students, and families get outside more often. 

I grew up just outside a ghost town in the middle of the Mississippi piney woods where storytelling is a major form of entertainment. This tradition inspired in me a passion for writing and for connecting with nature. I spent my childhood inventing characters, roaming the woods, and picking way more than my share of butter beans. 

Now I live with my chef husband and three children on the side of a mountain, where I write every day, take as many photographs as I can, and raise fruits, vegetables, flowers, and many, many weeds. My middle grade novel, Smack Dab in the Middle of Maybe, was released in July, 2018 from Random House Children’s Books.

More About Me: 

I graduated from Millsaps College and Yale Law School. I’m a lawyer with Wyche, PA., whose lawyers have worked to preserve over 100,000 acres of land for future generations. To build my skills in wilderness self-reliance, I studied with the generous and knowledgeable Alex Garcia of Earthskills, LLC.

 

Meet my team! 

 

Samantha Bell, Writer and Content Manager 

Samantha is a children’s writer and illustrator, art teacher, and homeschooling parent. She’s the author of more than 150 nonfiction books for children. Her books cover all kinds of outdoor topics from endangered wildlife to building a solar cooker to surviving in the wilderness. Her favorite days are those she spends outdoors. You can also find her online at ArtStartsForKids.com.

 

 

 

Mason Blount, Guest Contributor
 
Mason is a senior at Furman University with a major in English Writing and a minor in Linguistics. Originally from New Orleans, Louisiana, he is an avid writer, leading two major writing communities on campus as president of the creative writing club and assistant editor of the literary and art magazine. He enjoys listening to music, trying new foods, and exploring new hiking locations in the Carolinas whenever he gets the chance.

 

 

 

 

Abby Hackl, Research and Photography Editor

Abby is a graduate of Emory University with a degree in Neuroscience and Behavioral Biology. She loves exploring the natural world and has trained extensively in outdoor self-reliance skills.  She also enjoys collecting and curating research about the mounting body of evidence about the physical and mental benefits of exposure to the natural world.

 

 

 

Karissa Horn, Social Media & Editorial Intern
 
Karissa is a Religion and Creative Writing double major at Furman University, class of 2026. She has published poetry, essays and short fiction in Young Emrys Journal, Christo et Doctrinae Journal, and The Echo, and has served on the editorial board for Christo et Doctrinae and The Echo as well. She dreams of being a novelist. Growing up as a homeschooled student, Karissa was heavily encouraged to spend time in the great outdoors, camping, hiking, fishing, kayaking, and exploring. She has enjoyed volunteer work at Furman’s farm, and is a member of the Furman University Outdoors Club. She currently helps care for her family’s six chickens (and a rooster).
 
 
 
 
 

Evan Hutchison, Guest Contributor

Evan is a graduate from Appalachian State University with a major in architecture. As a child, he spent much of his free time outdoors and is passionate about both exploring nature and incorporating it into his work, focusing on sustainable and “green” architectural practices. He is particularly interested in the nature-centric design of traditional Japanese houses, tapping into his cultural roots. One of his favorite pastimes is walking down to the large lake near his house to wander its beaches and surrounding forests. He loves to write, something he gleaned from his father who is a published author, and is currently working on both fiction and non-fiction pieces.

 

 

Denise Romelien, Guest Contributor 

Denise is an English Writing major and Linguistics minor at Furman University. She dreams of being a book editor and author, and loves stories from all genres. Throughout her extensive experience working with children, she has learned to appreciate the outdoors, and now spends more time enjoying nature. She says that thinking outside provides her clarity that she couldn’t get anywhere else. She loves to be outside when it rains, and her favorite outdoor activity is roller-skating.