Meet Kika

Kika Kielpinska (She, Her), grew up in Skamania County, returned off and on throughout adulthood, and has lived here full-time since her daughter was a year old.
She loves being close to both the land and the community. To her, things still feel real here—small enough to know one another, shape the shared world, and stay deeply connected to nature.

Kika is a co-founder of Skamania Kids & Youth and serves as a Project Guide. She was inspired to help create the organization alongside local youth who, like her when she was in high school, dreamed of having a Teen Center. Sharing that dream made her believe it could become a reality. She hopes the next generation develops their unique skills and becomes empowered agents of positive change—for themselves, for their community, and for the planet.

😳 is Kika’s favorite emoji because it perfectly captures those human moments of “oops”—a reminder to embrace imperfection.