Debra Wolf Goldstein, Esq.
Since childhood, I’ve always had a special connection with nature. I grew up hiking, camping, and canoeing in a small Central Pennsylvania town along the Appalachian Trail. At age 11, I was outraged when a beloved grove of chestnut trees in my hometown was clear cut and paved for a parking lot (yup, just like the Joni Mitchell song!). Recently, my mother showed me an essay I’d written from that time, in which I declared that when I grew up I wanted to “turn parking lots into playgrounds.”
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Writing
My writing has been published in magazines, newspapers, academic journals, and online sites on a variety of legal and non-legal topics including: backpacking with my daughter; attending a silent meditation retreat; a biography of Bucks County’s first female environmentalist; and a guidebook on inclusive trail design.
My first children's book, A FAMILY FOR ZOYA: THE TRUE STORY OF AN ENDANGERED TIGER CUB, will be published by Platypus Media/Science Naturally in 2026.
Publishing
I’m delighted to serve as Editor for a new line of children’s books in partnership with indie publisher, The Little Press.
The first book to be published by this alliance -- WONDER OF THE WOODS by Bonnie Kelso -- will be available in bookstores and online in September 2024!
A young girl explores the wooded area near her home and encounters a variety of animals curious about their new visitor. Tails twitch, bodies ripple, and leaves drift. They watch each other from a safe distance. Could the Wonder of the Woods be YOU?
Wonders abound as you explore nature in this lyrical picture book about curiosity and harmony, by author-illustrator Bonnie Kelso.
Music
Although I’m not a very good guitar player, I do love writing lyrics and am honored to have won a number of songwriting awards, including from American Songwriter, Nashville Songwriters Ass’n Internat’l (NSAI); and The Great American Song Contest. It probably won’t come as a surprise that several of my songs are about nature!
Listen to sample below and check out my other music on SoundCloud.
“The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it.”
—Robert Swan