I grew up in Billings, Montana, and spent relatively little time in the outdoors outside of sports until college. I attended Rocky Mountain College until injuring my knee for the third time my freshman year. Once I had recovered from knee surgery, I began exploring the Beartooth Mountains for myself through backpacking and hiking, both on my own and with my family. After earning my B.S. in Biology, I later moved to Yakima, where I really found a passion for the Cascades, conservation, and responsible recreation in the backcountry.
I spent several years in Alaska working for Fish and Game alongside non-profits in habitat restoration and access projects throughout the state. As I saw our projects progress to completion, I found myself longing to be in the field doing work with the trail crews. An AmeriCorps Internship with Mt. Adams Institute sounded like the perfect opportunity to do this. I’m really looking forward to learning more about backcountry conservation through forestry and land management while also teaching others about the importance of responsible recreation and leave no trace principles.