Ruth Yarrow taught ecology and has been an activist for environmental, peace and justice issues for a half century. She has published over 700 haiku in the major journals, led haiku workshops, won and judged contests, edited journals and coordinated Haiku Northwest. Six books of her haiku have been published; her most recent, Lit from Within, received the Touchstone award. In 2017 she gave the keynote address at the Haiku North America conference. She finds that writing haiku helps her be aware of the richness of life.