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Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home
When maps come up short and the path ahead is uncertain, how do we find our way? Visionary climate leader Katharine K. Wilkinson offers a compassionate and empowering guide to navigating from ache to action, doubt to possibility.
Through transformational programs and books, including the national bestseller All We Can Save, Wilkinson has inspired hundreds of thousands of climate journeys. In Climate Wayfinding, she shares a proven process for looking inward with care, outward with curiosity, and forward with courage. Ultimately, readers chart a course toward playing their unique part in our collective healing.With her singular blend of warmth and rigor, Wilkinson lights the way through stirring personal essays, interwoven with the wisdom of other climate leaders and the beauty of poetry, art, and song. A book to sit with and savor, Climate Wayfinding also invites engagement with journaling prompts, practical exercises, and guides for conversation.Whether steeped in climate or newly curious, readers will discover something grounding and generative in these pages. The terrain ahead is calling—and we have everything we need to find our way.
Through transformational programs and books, including the national bestseller All We Can Save, Wilkinson has inspired hundreds of thousands of climate journeys. In Climate Wayfinding, she shares a proven process for looking inward with care, outward with curiosity, and forward with courage. Ultimately, readers chart a course toward playing their unique part in our collective healing.With her singular blend of warmth and rigor, Wilkinson lights the way through stirring personal essays, interwoven with the wisdom of other climate leaders and the beauty of poetry, art, and song. A book to sit with and savor, Climate Wayfinding also invites engagement with journaling prompts, practical exercises, and guides for conversation.Whether steeped in climate or newly curious, readers will discover something grounding and generative in these pages. The terrain ahead is calling—and we have everything we need to find our way.
252 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2026
About the author
Katharine K. Wilkinson
3 books25 followersDr. Katharine K. Wilkinson is a bestselling writer, teacher, and climate expert, who Time magazine named one of fifteen “Women Who Will Save the World.” She has inspired hundreds of thousands of climate journeys through transformational projects that shift our cultural narratives about what’s possible and nurture engagement in renewing our world. Her books include
Climate Wayfinding
, called “invaluable” by Bill McKibben, the bestselling anthology
All We Can Save
, and the New York Times bestseller Drawdown. Dr. Wilkinson co-founded and leads The All We Can Save Project, co-hosts the podcast
A Matter of Degrees
, and writes the newsletter
Human on Earth
. She lives with her loves in Atlanta, Georgia, and holds a doctorate in geography and environment from the University of Oxford, where she was a Rhodes Scholar.
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 4, 2026
It's a truism that we now live in a 'me' world, where many people have a toxic inward-looking attitude that is all about self-fulfilment and 'my truth' rather rather than worrying to much about facts, reality and making things happen.
Climate books come in a wide range of types, some of which, like Bill McGuire's excellent The Fate of the World, explore the scientific reality and help us to work through its implications. But the environmental lobby has always had a branch that had no time for science and was, instead about how the environment makes us feel. And this book fits comfortably into that world.
In itself, this isn't a problem if all you want to do is appreciate the joys of nature. But if, as this book's publicity suggests, you want to 'transform the deep ache and overwhelm many feel into a journey of purposeful action' we need both guidance on that action and a scientific basis to underpin that action.
Unfortunately, there is not an iota of climate science in this book. It's all about dealing with your feelings about climate change and organising groups to help each other deal with those feelings. We even get poetry, journalling prompts and recommended playlists to get into the climatey frame of mind.
You could take the climate entirely out of this book and replace it with anything from teen anxiety to gender identity without changing much else. The subtitle is 'Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home', but this all about ourselves with scant regard for what will heal the planet for human occupation. (The planet itself will be fine, incidentally, whatever we do - it's the 'human occupation' part that's key.)
I'm afraid I found it a very frustrating read. I'm sure it will delight some - but it wasn't for me.
Climate books come in a wide range of types, some of which, like Bill McGuire's excellent The Fate of the World, explore the scientific reality and help us to work through its implications. But the environmental lobby has always had a branch that had no time for science and was, instead about how the environment makes us feel. And this book fits comfortably into that world.
In itself, this isn't a problem if all you want to do is appreciate the joys of nature. But if, as this book's publicity suggests, you want to 'transform the deep ache and overwhelm many feel into a journey of purposeful action' we need both guidance on that action and a scientific basis to underpin that action.
Unfortunately, there is not an iota of climate science in this book. It's all about dealing with your feelings about climate change and organising groups to help each other deal with those feelings. We even get poetry, journalling prompts and recommended playlists to get into the climatey frame of mind.
You could take the climate entirely out of this book and replace it with anything from teen anxiety to gender identity without changing much else. The subtitle is 'Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home', but this all about ourselves with scant regard for what will heal the planet for human occupation. (The planet itself will be fine, incidentally, whatever we do - it's the 'human occupation' part that's key.)
I'm afraid I found it a very frustrating read. I'm sure it will delight some - but it wasn't for me.
Read
April 4, 2026This book is phenomenal. It is based on the knowledge of science. Climate way finding is the name of this book. It is written by Katherine K. Wilkinson. The author describes how human beings have pushed Earth into a state of danger. This book gives an idea of why we should protect our natural habitat. It explains the deep concern regarding climate change. It also gives a message to make your life adventurous. This book narrates the beautifulness of nature and which works We can do to enhance our knowledge, spent good time, find peace and complete all challenges of life. This book suggests about several creative works like map creating and reading, exploring, seeking solutions and give contribution to make a healthy and wealthy world. This book also talk about all the social activities and how to manage it. This book could have been very nice and extraordinary if it had diagrams and more descriptions.
May 21, 2026
Fantastic guide on navigating complicated climate emotions and turning them into purpose. An honor to collaborate with the author, Katharine, on spreading her inspiring story!
May 21, 2026
So many people want to work on climate issues, professionally or personally. Yet it's hard to know where to start. This book is a guide into the work, filled with heart. It's beautifully crafted. A gift for the searching.
May 7, 2026
Review of ‘Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home’ by Katharine K Wilkinson
Wilkinson's book crackles with purpose and the potential of what might be possible. It reminds us that there is a ‘we’ at the heart of this journey and that we are bound and bonded by a common framework of humanity.
‘Climate Wayfinding’ is a book which encourages- even demands- time for reflection; time for strengthening those links with others; and time to breathe. As Wilkinson notes, ‘Climate Wayfinding is about finding our way forward and conjuring the future, yes. But it is also about remembering.’ It offers a map to guide us on our future, a map, which until now, did not exist.
The book acts as a guide, to help navigate questions about identity- about who we are, about whom we impact and about why we care about the issues we care about. ‘What does it mean to be human, here and now? To help tend to a changing planet? To devote ourselves to the genuinely common good? What futures can we dare to dream?’ It is purposefully a meditative book, which asks us to gently confront our position on the path and to look around to work towards a positive, potential future. ‘We need to look inward with care, look outward with curiosity and then look forward with courage.’
Wilkinson does not shy away from the fact that many peoples around the world are already facing climate breakdowns and injustices. ‘All of it is happening in a profoundly unequal world, with those who are already in jeopardy or facing injustice, and who have scarcely contributed to this crisis, suffering most. Our new troubles inflame existing ones.’
Based on first impressions, ‘Climate Wayfaring’ may appear to some as being a superficial pathway, as being a gentle approach, when more direct action is needed. The book, however, reminds us that there is a strength and a power which comes from looking at the world which we care about with love. ‘I long for climate healing motivated not from wanting to fix something but from wanting to love something’
We re-learn that each one of us is not an isolated ‘cell’, but instead part of various networks and communities, which spread out from us and are a part of us. ‘Each of us is a node of possibility for healing the climate crisis— whoever we are and whatever we’ve got to give.’ We are not one identity- we are many- from being a child, from being a parent, from being a volunteer, a sports coach, part of a tennis club, a neighbour, a friend, a carer or a stranger. We are multi-faceted beings, with strong bonds to each other and the world. ‘When facing a planetary crisis, as with a personal one, it’s best not to go it alone.’
‘Climate Wayfinding’ unashamedly puts people at the heart of its strategies, concepts and narratives and warns that a ‘peopleless approach’ risks missing the opportunity to bring people along on the journey. ‘Because if the problem of climate change originates in human activity, then planetary healing must as well.’ Wilkinson puts her reader at the heart of her text and reminds us of our awesome power to effect change. ‘So much about our world is out of your hands and mine, yet potential also sits right at our fingertips.’ She celebrates Dr. Elizabeth “Beth” Sawin, who said, ‘The bottom line is this: You write in order to change the world, knowing perfectly well that you probably can’t, but also knowing that literature is indispensable.… The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way a person looks or people look at reality, then you can change it.’
Wayfinding or Wayfaring?
Curiously, there has been an unconscious subliminal ‘error’ which has crept in whenever I have written the title of this book for this review. Far too often, I have written ‘Climate Wayfaring’ instead of ‘Climate Wayfinding’ and there may be something worth exploring in this slip. How we travel, and how we fare on the path are of equal importance
Wilkinson concludes by acknowledging the limits of ‘Climate Wayfinding.’ That the path continues on and on, opening up new futures to travel. ‘Climate Wayfinding', then, cannot bring us to a final terminus or clear conclusion, and it shouldn’t try to. This chapter of life is reminding me, viscerally, that the act of finding our way will only continue to open.’
She finds great solace from her belief that we are equipped, curious, and ready for the path ahead, that we all have a part to play and decisions lie ahead of us. ‘We are built for the necessary work of our era. We have within us a seedbed of narrative, imagination, and navigation. We have within us a seedbed of the world we want to grow.’
When facing climate breakdown and considering that the problem is too great, it is fitting to remember the words of Tolkien and to gain comfort and strength in the thought that maybe, maybe we are meant to be the ones who are here- to be alive at this time, in this place, with our powers to change the world for the better.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
Wilkinson's book crackles with purpose and the potential of what might be possible. It reminds us that there is a ‘we’ at the heart of this journey and that we are bound and bonded by a common framework of humanity.
‘Climate Wayfinding’ is a book which encourages- even demands- time for reflection; time for strengthening those links with others; and time to breathe. As Wilkinson notes, ‘Climate Wayfinding is about finding our way forward and conjuring the future, yes. But it is also about remembering.’ It offers a map to guide us on our future, a map, which until now, did not exist.
The book acts as a guide, to help navigate questions about identity- about who we are, about whom we impact and about why we care about the issues we care about. ‘What does it mean to be human, here and now? To help tend to a changing planet? To devote ourselves to the genuinely common good? What futures can we dare to dream?’ It is purposefully a meditative book, which asks us to gently confront our position on the path and to look around to work towards a positive, potential future. ‘We need to look inward with care, look outward with curiosity and then look forward with courage.’
Wilkinson does not shy away from the fact that many peoples around the world are already facing climate breakdowns and injustices. ‘All of it is happening in a profoundly unequal world, with those who are already in jeopardy or facing injustice, and who have scarcely contributed to this crisis, suffering most. Our new troubles inflame existing ones.’
Based on first impressions, ‘Climate Wayfaring’ may appear to some as being a superficial pathway, as being a gentle approach, when more direct action is needed. The book, however, reminds us that there is a strength and a power which comes from looking at the world which we care about with love. ‘I long for climate healing motivated not from wanting to fix something but from wanting to love something’
We re-learn that each one of us is not an isolated ‘cell’, but instead part of various networks and communities, which spread out from us and are a part of us. ‘Each of us is a node of possibility for healing the climate crisis— whoever we are and whatever we’ve got to give.’ We are not one identity- we are many- from being a child, from being a parent, from being a volunteer, a sports coach, part of a tennis club, a neighbour, a friend, a carer or a stranger. We are multi-faceted beings, with strong bonds to each other and the world. ‘When facing a planetary crisis, as with a personal one, it’s best not to go it alone.’
‘Climate Wayfinding’ unashamedly puts people at the heart of its strategies, concepts and narratives and warns that a ‘peopleless approach’ risks missing the opportunity to bring people along on the journey. ‘Because if the problem of climate change originates in human activity, then planetary healing must as well.’ Wilkinson puts her reader at the heart of her text and reminds us of our awesome power to effect change. ‘So much about our world is out of your hands and mine, yet potential also sits right at our fingertips.’ She celebrates Dr. Elizabeth “Beth” Sawin, who said, ‘The bottom line is this: You write in order to change the world, knowing perfectly well that you probably can’t, but also knowing that literature is indispensable.… The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way a person looks or people look at reality, then you can change it.’
Wayfinding or Wayfaring?
Curiously, there has been an unconscious subliminal ‘error’ which has crept in whenever I have written the title of this book for this review. Far too often, I have written ‘Climate Wayfaring’ instead of ‘Climate Wayfinding’ and there may be something worth exploring in this slip. How we travel, and how we fare on the path are of equal importance
Wilkinson concludes by acknowledging the limits of ‘Climate Wayfinding.’ That the path continues on and on, opening up new futures to travel. ‘Climate Wayfinding', then, cannot bring us to a final terminus or clear conclusion, and it shouldn’t try to. This chapter of life is reminding me, viscerally, that the act of finding our way will only continue to open.’
She finds great solace from her belief that we are equipped, curious, and ready for the path ahead, that we all have a part to play and decisions lie ahead of us. ‘We are built for the necessary work of our era. We have within us a seedbed of narrative, imagination, and navigation. We have within us a seedbed of the world we want to grow.’
When facing climate breakdown and considering that the problem is too great, it is fitting to remember the words of Tolkien and to gain comfort and strength in the thought that maybe, maybe we are meant to be the ones who are here- to be alive at this time, in this place, with our powers to change the world for the better.
“I wish it need not have happened in my time," said Frodo.
"So do I," said Gandalf, "and so do all who live to see such times. But that is not for them to decide. All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
July 6, 2026
Climate Wayfinding: Healing Ourselves and the Planet We Call Home is an ambitious, timely, and intellectually rich collection that captures one of the defining dynamics of environmental preservation and internal human resilience through an impressively interdisciplinary lens. Rather than presenting ecological advocacy and carbon reduction solely as a series of sterile business metrics or physical science benchmarks, this volume reveals it as a profound social, political, cultural, environmental, and historical turning point whose consequences continue to shape our world.
One of the collection's greatest strengths is its breadth of perspectives. By bringing together strategic lineages spanning climate science, lyrical poetry, creative visual art, and active sociological study, Katharine K. Wilkinson demonstrates that navigating the modern planetary crisis requires far more than narrow technical analysis alone. Questions of inequality, governance, labor, education, technology, race, public health, economics, community resilience, and global interconnectedness emerge as inseparable parts of the larger story.
What makes this reader particularly valuable is its commitment to complexity. The text completely resists simplistic climate-doom narratives or superficial corporate platitudes; instead, it encourages readers to grapple with the modern environmental landscape's many contradictions, exposing both systemic vulnerabilities and remarkable examples of human adaptability, structural navigation, and communal solidarity. The result is a collection that informs while also inviting thoughtful reflection through curated journaling exercises and dialogue guides.
The structural curation is excellent, allowing moving personal essays, multi-disciplinary insights, and actionable self-reckoning tools to complement one another rather than compete. Each chapter adds another dimension to understanding how changing our internal perspectives and building operational capacity reshape institutions, modern community networks, and everyday life, creating a cohesive volume despite the wide range of heavy topics.
Equally impressive is the accessibility of the scholarship. While intellectually rigorous and deeply rooted in the front lines of global ecological leadership, the writing remains engaging, compassionate, and approachable, making the collection valuable not only for academic researchers and students of organizational culture but also for general readers seeking a deeper understanding of our era's shifting environmental and psychological paradigms.
Perhaps most importantly, Climate Wayfinding reminds us that the evolution of how we care for our ecosystems is not simply a localized political emergency but a historical milestone that transforms nearly every aspect of modern society. By preserving these perspectives, the book becomes both an essential resource for professional development and a lasting record of an era that future generations of cultural and environmental scholars will continue to study.
Insightful, comprehensive, and deeply thought-provoking, this collection deserves a place among the most important interdisciplinary works examining the global legacy of sustainability, modern ethics, and climate communication.
July 28, 2026
One section that particularly caught my attention is “Surfacing Solutions.”
Solutions are generally the first place our minds go when confronting the climate emergency: clean energy, efficient buildings, circular materials and ecosystem restoration.
But the book also identifies the accelerators that allow solutions to take root and spread: changing narratives, building collective power, rewriting rules, shifting capital, expanding knowledge, changing behaviour - and testing, learning and trying again.
Yet, as I moved through the book, something else happened: it became increasingly personal.
Climate Wayfinding is not simply a rational map of solutions. Through Katharine’s stories, reflections, poetry and music, the climate emergency becomes a personal journey - one that involves our minds, but also our hearts, values and individual strengths.
What may once have seemed distant or abstract is now increasingly part of our own lives. Each of us must therefore find a way to respond that is personal, meaningful and connected to what we can contribute.
The excellent Climate Wayfinding website extends this journey with further readings, exercises, meditations and even a playlist collecting the music featured throughout the book:
https://lnkd.in/dxxKxaBF
Perhaps our task is not simply to find more solutions, but to create the conditions - personally and collectively - in which the right solutions can flourish.
Solutions are generally the first place our minds go when confronting the climate emergency: clean energy, efficient buildings, circular materials and ecosystem restoration.
But the book also identifies the accelerators that allow solutions to take root and spread: changing narratives, building collective power, rewriting rules, shifting capital, expanding knowledge, changing behaviour - and testing, learning and trying again.
Yet, as I moved through the book, something else happened: it became increasingly personal.
Climate Wayfinding is not simply a rational map of solutions. Through Katharine’s stories, reflections, poetry and music, the climate emergency becomes a personal journey - one that involves our minds, but also our hearts, values and individual strengths.
What may once have seemed distant or abstract is now increasingly part of our own lives. Each of us must therefore find a way to respond that is personal, meaningful and connected to what we can contribute.
The excellent Climate Wayfinding website extends this journey with further readings, exercises, meditations and even a playlist collecting the music featured throughout the book:
https://lnkd.in/dxxKxaBF
Perhaps our task is not simply to find more solutions, but to create the conditions - personally and collectively - in which the right solutions can flourish.
June 2, 2026
This book gives a different but valuable perspective on dealing with the issue of climate change. Many people who spend time trying to battle through all the disinformation from politicians, energy companies, and their pet scientists can easily get confused and discouraged (exactly what the perpetrators are hoping for). Not only can it be a problem to be forever hearing about how climate change is a hoax and scientists are a bunch of liars, it can also be depressingly hard to figure out the best way to live sustainably and reduce one's carbon footprint in ways that work without being off-puttingly difficult. For anyone feeling stressed and isolated as a result, this book is for you. It doesn't give lists of arguments or scientific explanations, it provides encouragement and guidance for staying physically and mentally healthy and for reaching out to other people in the same situation so you aren't facing this onslaught alone. It emphasizes positive things that people can do to help with facing climate change deniers and also with figuring out positive ways respond to climate change in their own lives. Reading the book is like having a long, relaxing exhale after what sometimes feels like a lifetime of worry and stress about the whole climate issue.
May 31, 2026
Climate Wayfinding is a deeply moving and thought-provoking exploration of what it means to live with purpose, courage, and connection during a time of global uncertainty. Blending emotional insight, community wisdom, and practical reflection, this book offers more than a conversation about climate change, it offers a pathway toward healing and meaningful action. The writing is beautifully layered with humanity, hope, and honesty, reminding readers that even in difficult times, there is still possibility, belonging, and purpose to be found. An inspiring and timely read that encourages us to reconnect with ourselves, each other, and the planet we call home.
July 23, 2026
Definitely struggled my way through this one, though I am sure part of that is due to the more heavy topic. Admittedly I didn't really do any of the journaling or though prompts, let alone the group activities, so I basically did not engage in half of what this book is for. However, even if you don't use the book as a huge introspection tool to launch your personal climate journey I think it is a very useful tool to center yourself in regards to any activism/doomer attitudes. Wilkinson is good about highlighting the importance of finding the things you can do and feeling your feelings without letting the helplessness actually make you helpless.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
Katharine K. Wilkinson's Climate Wayfinding is an inspirational book that takes the reader on an emotional journey of discovery and healing that is focused on the climate crisis and how we can navigate the problem in ways where you are not overwhelmed by the enormity of it all. It encourages the reader to have thoughtful conversations with themselves, such as through journaling, and to share with others, so that we can all succeed in making the world a better place.
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher, Amber Lotus, for sending me an ARC copy of Climate Wayfinding.
Thanks to Goodreads and the publisher, Amber Lotus, for sending me an ARC copy of Climate Wayfinding.
July 26, 2026
this was definitely the most interactive book i’ve ever read, and i think that really strengthened the content and made it more of an experience. i enjoyed the journal prompts, meditations, music, quizzes and “step out” challenges. highly recommend to all, especially those needing some support managing climate feels.
July 5, 2026
If you've never experienced climate anxiety, then this book is not for you!! But it is for the rest of us; those who sometimes find ourselves paralyzed by the world around us and occasionally need to be reminded of what it takes to be our best advocate for the earth.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This was quite interesting. Thank you to Goodreads Giveaways for the free advance copy.
May 19, 2026
I received this title as an ARC in a giveaway. I thought the exercises were really interesting. Small groups will find this useful as many of the exercises were designed with that in mind.
July 23, 2026
A book about finding your way home: to yourself, to others, and to the world. Every life is precious. Let’s preserve, protect, and restore that life in every way possible.
July 27, 2026
This was a great book that will help me in my future climate teachings. It validated that my feelings are normal and gave me a great toolkit for the future!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews