Aura's Ark

07/06/2025

Hello everyone!
I can officially say it...
We’re going to CrabCon 2025!!!

I’m honestly overwhelmed with gratitude writing this. Because of all of your support, and encouragement, we’re officially making the trip, and I cannot wait to meet so many of you in person. This community has meant more to me than I could ever express, and being able to show up in real life is just… wow.

We’ll be bringing a big variety of goodies with us, and I’m genuinely just so excited to see familiar faces, make new connections, and finally give some of you real life hugs. 💛

For those of you who can’t make it in person, we’ll still have our featured items available online, and VIP ticket holders get 10% off in the shop!

From the bottom of my heart, thank you. See you soon, CrabCon. 🦀💕

06/19/2025

I’m learning that it’s okay to ask for help.
I have a really hard time asking for anything; or even just taking up space.
I often feel weak; or as if I’m a burden on others.

I’ve been creating nonstop, pushing myself, pouring love and work into everything; but there’s still this quiet fear that I’m going to disappoint.
That no matter how much I give, it won’t be enough.
That I should be able to “do better.”
That I’m only lovable if I do everything right.

But oh my gosh… the response I got from you guys today was astounding.
The support, the kindness, the genuine love; I’m overwhelmed. In the best way.
The amount of orders and donations leaves me speechless. Thank you so much. More than I can say.

I literally cried after coming back to my phone after posting on my personal page.
You guys showed up for me. I feel incredibly supported and loved.

It’s scary to ask for help.
I grew up believing no one owes me anything; that I don’t deserve help; and that needing it means I’ve failed somehow.
But I’m learning that there are generous, compassionate people who want to support others.

Our little family is trying to get to CrabCon this year; it would be literally everything to be able to meet everyone.

We had to use the money we’d set aside to repair the roof, and the timing couldn’t be worse.
It really took a toll on me, and I had pretty much decided that we weren’t going to make it.
But I’m going to take one last crack at it, because this community really means that much to me.
You guys are seriously the best.

If you’ve ever supported me, learned from my work, or just believe in what I’m building, and you want to help me take this next step, I would be so, so grateful.

I’m accepting all custom orders and working like a mad lady, so put me to work!

You guys mean the world to me.
Thank you for everything; especially for teaching me that I’m not in this alone.

06/14/2025

If you walk long enough,
past the places where people still leave things behind
bottles, tracks, the sound of their voices
you’ll reach a place that doesn’t know your name.

The ground there is soft with centuries,
layered in the fall of leaves that never got swept away.
Trees lean where they chose,
not where someone planted them.

One of them grew in the silence
between the time of now and then.
Its bark carries no initials.
Its roots have never been stepped on.

Nothing here waits for you.
It just is.

You’re not discovering anything.

You’re the one being witnessed.
And the forest says nothing.
Because it never needed to.

06/11/2025

Just cuddling some moss; don't mind me 🤣😂

06/10/2025

Arctic Springtime Activity Kit for Hermit Crabs!
$45 shipped | Limited to 10 preorders | Shipping June 25th

I’ve been dying to share this; our first seasonal kit of the year is officially here! Everything inside was hand-foraged up here in Alaska, 60 miles north of the arctic circle!

Here’s what’s inside:
Moose poops (yes, really—and yes, crabs think they’re amazing)
Balsam poplar budding leaves, sticky with sap Sphagnum moss, fluffy and earthy
Reindeer lichen, soft and climbable like forest clouds

Each item is packaged separately in our Large bag size and is packed to the brim. Enrichment is important to us, and we want to bring the outdoors to your crabs!

Only 10 kits are available for preorder right now.
The rest will be listed on June 25th.
These are limited run—once they’re gone, that’s it.

This is a preorder listing. Orders will not ship until June 25th! Celebrate the return of spring with this limited seasonal activity kit, packed with wild-foraged enrichment straight from above the arctic circle. Each kit is hand foraged by me and includes: Moose poops (rich in natural microbes; wha...

06/09/2025

We are forging what we can! We are putting together an Arctic Springtime Activity Kit for Hermit Crabs! So far, we plan to include Alder Catkins, Moose Poops, Sphagnum Moss, and Reindeer Lichen. There will be a limited quantity of this box, and we even plan to do some Deluxe boxes with smaller quantity things like Blueberry Leaves and Alder Bridges.

06/08/2025

I’ve made plenty of forts before. You know; the kind you throw together as a kid — a lean-to with some branches, a little hideout in the woods. But this is different. This time I want to build something real. Something I can actually stay in; cook in; use for real shelter.

The plan is a semi-dugout cabin; part of it dug into a rise in the ground; part of it level with the forest floor. I’m doing that for a few reasons:

The earth itself works as insulation.

Less of it is exposed to wind and cold.

It feels stable — like it belongs there.

The ground here makes it a challenge. It’s mostly clay; frozen solid most of the year. And when it’s not frozen, it’s heavy and sticks to everything. Right now, the hardest part has been breaking through the frozen ground. I’ve been out there with a pickaxe, chipping at it chunk by chunk. It’s slow. But every bit I pull out feels like progress.

Once I get the digging done, the rest should move faster. I’ll frame it out with logs; use the clay and sod for insulation; pack in moss and grasses where I can. The part I’m most excited for is building a chimney; I want to be able to cook inside once it’s finished.

There’s still a lot of work ahead. Drainage has to be right. The roof has to hold up through winter. I’ll need proper ventilation so the chimney works safely. But I’m getting there.

This will be my first real bushcraft build — not just a fort; not just a temporary shelter; but something real. And I can’t wait to finally see it standing.

06/07/2025

Okay; is this not the best picture of Soul we've ever gotten?

He did AMAZING in the car. He spent most of the drive sleeping right on top of the front seat headrest, with his butt resting on Karl’s head for most of the ride. Literally.

He cried for about the first hour, did some stress panting, tried to figure out where we were going... but eventually, he exhausted himself and curled up on Karl’s shoulder. Personally, I dont think he should be touching the driver, but I think Karl definitely enjoyed being chosen.

When we got to the landing, he was ready to explore. I tried letting him off leash for a bit while we unloaded, but of course, he kept wandering off into the woods. I had to retrieve him several times. After a few rounds of chasing him back and realizing I still needed to help load the boat, I put him back in the car. He was completely content with that; the car really feels like his little safe space.

He got to watch Josh's boat go across a few times while we finished loading. Lots of loud engine noise and splashing, but he handled it all really well; just sat and watched.

When it was time for us to cross, he stayed calm. He did try to jump a few times, but I already had a hold of his harness. After we crossed, he got to wander again while we loaded the fourwheeler trailer, sniffing around and taking everything in.

Then it was time to ride in. I didn’t even put him in his backpack — he stayed right in my arms for the whole fourwheeler ride. He didn’t try to jump, didn’t panic; he was just watching everything around him. It was wild not having him secured in a bag, but I think he was more comfortable that way since we don’t really use the backpack much. He did sleep in it during the car ride though, so I’m glad we brought it.

When we pulled into camp, I could tell he remembered being here. He walked in slow, looking around carefully, sniffing all his favorite places.

We are all very happy to be back. And this is just the start of the adventure!

06/04/2025

Soul is ready to go! 🤣

06/04/2025

06/04/2025

Soul the cat doesn’t know it yet, but he’s in for a wild ride. He thinks we’re leaving him. We’ve only ever left him twice before, but he knows the hustle and bustle means a trip — and he was only a kitten the last time he came to the gold mine. He’s almost a year old now, and he’s gonna be thrilled at this adventure. He’ll get to explore on harness and even play in the water. Right now? He’s fussy and a bit upset. What a surprise he’s in for.

Cheesecake the bearded dragon really seems completely unbothered. She could not care less. She loves anyone who provides the greens, worms, and roaches. As long as her lights get turned on in time, she’s perfectly happy waiting for her chef salads.

Smaug — well… she’s got more braincells than our last crestie, but she’s still a little too crazy for worms. She only eats her smoothie when no one is watching; she seems potty trained?? — and she’ll always accept a worm, even if she’s so excited that she misses four times first.

Bean, our blood parrot cichlid, is gonna be mad. He’s mad every time I leave him. He’s been with me the longest, and they’re supposedly the most personable fish. He smacks me with his tail when I try to feed him after I come home. But he warms up fast and goes back to eating from my fingers.

The hermit crabs… well, I think they’re currently plotting to destroy the entire tank the second we leave. I have a camera in there to keep an eye on them, but Buzz has been very interested in the cord lately; we’ll see how long that lasts. I have their meals all planned out biweekly, and they’re gonna be pampered.

06/04/2025

💛 Just a quick update before we head out! First; thank you to everyone who continues to support Aura’s Ark; I know I haven’t been posting as much lately while we’ve been juggling everything behind the scenes, but your support means everything and allows us to keep doing all the wild things we do.

Tomorrow we’re heading out to the gold mine for about 2 weeks. This first trip is always a bit of an adventure; we’ll be checking the snowpack, seeing how accessible the site is, and starting to get everything ready for the season ahead. It’s still early spring in Alaska up there, so we never know exactly what we’re going to find.

Because of that, the regular shop inventory will be going into vacation mode tonight while we’re away. But I am still accepting orders for reindeer lichen and alder cones while we’re at the mine!

And fair warning — there will absolutely be lots of photos and updates coming while we’re out there, so get ready for some wilderness spam. 🤪🥰