Seeking Komorebi
A note behind our name:
Seeking Komorebi is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt non-profit organization. Komorebi is from the Japanese language. It roughly translates to “light filtering through the trees.” We believe there is an intense experience of peace and surrender that comes with exploring nature. We hope to give underrepresented people the opportunity to be able to experience “komorebi”: the feeling of awe and wonder that comes with being in natural elements. We want to stir in people their natural longing and desire to be more connected with nature.
We also seek to be “komorebi,” a light through the “leaves” of their lives, from the adversity or barriers that try to obstruct “light” or goodness from coming in. By increasing access to nature, our organization will serve as a source of sunlight to different lives, providing hope, restoration, and inspiration that will illuminate people’s daily experiences.
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The idea began on a trip to Yellowstone National Park we took a few years back. We were struck by the intense beauty of the park. Yet, we recognized that it was a great privilege to be able to experience the parks, and that some people don’t share this privilege. People who visit are determined by both physical and financial accessibility. We were unsettled by the awareness that there are many marginalized communities that don’t have the opportunity to witness the grandeur of the parks. Being in nature is not only healing for the nervous and immune systems in the body, it also evokes a sense of inspiration and transcendence in front of its beauty. All of the benefits of being in nature, especially being in the National Parks, have the potential of shaping a person’s worldview for the better. Something had to be done to increase access to the parks.
After the trips, we listened to The Washington Post’s National Parks podcast and came to the awareness of the importance of amplifying the voices of the indigenous tribes who have cared for the land for centuries. The history of the parks is typically seen through colonial eyes, but we want to provide the opportunity to allow the history to be seen through the lens of those tribal communities that have cared for the land for centuries before colonists came to the land. So, Seeking Komorebi, came to be an opportunity for historically marginalized youth to experience the greatness of the national parks and better know the land through the history of Native people.
meet our founders
Karina Duffy
Sean Duffy
Co-Founder
Co-Founder
Karina graduated from the University of Notre Dame in Neuroscience and Behavior and Theology. She is the Coordinator of the Self-Healing Communities of Greater Michiana. She develops a myriad of resources for brain health, promoting a culture of resilience. She is committed to living a life centered on dignity, beauty, and joy.
Sean is a husband and father, as well as a Certified Public Accountant. He is a trusted consultant for numerous business owners and nonprofit organizations. He is dedicated to helping others and has developed a love for the outdoors and sharing those experiences.
His two favorite outdoor spots:
Her two favorite outdoor spots:
Mondos Beach
Yellowstone River
Sequoia National Park
St. Joseph River
About our 2024 trip to Glacier National Park:
Our program will provide an opportunity for inner city marginalized youth to experience the beauty of Glacier National Park through immersive four day camping and hiking trips. These trips will also incorporate an opportunity for youth to learn about the history of the land through the lens of indigenous tribes. We will partner with an organization serving youth in the Los Angeles region to build relationships with young adolescents, ages 12-14, who will take this journey. We will connect with Wonder, an outdoor adventure company to help lead the camping experience. At least one of the days of the trip will be in partnership with a Native-American run tour company called Sun Tours that will teach how the land was cared for by tribal communities over the last few centuries. There will be time for fellowship, silence, and outdoor skill-building on the trip. We will host two trips in the month of July 2024.
About our Forest Bathing Documentary in Kyoto, Japan:
Our mission is to film and produce a 10-minute documentary in Kyoto, Japan centered around the Japanese practice of “shinrin yoku,” also known as forest bathing, an intentional practice of spending time in nature. Our goal is to deliver hope to a young adult audience by shedding light upon the Japanese culture, customs, and interconnected relationship with the land. We will include interviews to honor the stories and wisdom of the local people.
Click here to learn more about this project and the four Notre Dame graduates who will be working on it.
