Hello! My name is Maiya McAuliffe; I am from Tacoma, WA, as well as a recent graduate from Pacific Lutheran University with Bachelors Degree's in Biology and Hispanic Studies. I have been active outdoors person, whether it’s hiking, backpacking, scuba diving, kayaking, or snowboarding, I am up for...
My name is Aaron Lindsey. I grew up in Maryland in a small town called Hancock. I later moved to Hagerstown. I do not recommend visiting either of these places. I was fortunate enough to have two parents who thoroughly enjoyed the outdoors and consistently took me on their adventures. My dad was a...
My name is Bill. I grew up in southwest Washington where I spent many of my days in the woods on my family's timberland. I enjoyed my time in the woods, from Mt. St. Helens to the Cowlitz River, hunting to fishing. I am a hunter, a fisher, a hiker and a logger. I spent four years in the United...
My name is Nate Jensen and I grew up in Salt Lake City, UT at the base of Millcreek Canyon. I am grateful to have grown up in such a beautiful place with the opportunity to explore Utah’s diverse ecosystems. With the Wasatch Mountain range in my backyard and the Uinta’s just a short drive away, I...
My name is Alex Cohen. I was born just outside of D.C. but moved to the PNW in elementary school and grew up on Bainbridge Island in Washington. I have always been an active person - I played a variety of sports growing up which turned to outdoor recreation as I got older. My favorites are...
My name is Jessica, I go by she/her pronouns and I am a lifelong learner and advocate for every population that is oppressed. I am taking a break from my studies at Cal Poly Pomona, where I major in English and Special Education, to be here and I couldn’t be more grateful for the opportunity. My...
I have thoroughly enjoyed my AmeriCorps service term with MAI and USFWS. This has further affirmed my desire to work for USFWS later on in my career. While I don’t feel like a full-time USFWS position is directly next in the cards for me, I am grateful to learn of additional ways to engage with...
OHV Trail StewardUmatilla National Forest
For better or worse, I often end up diving into life-changing decisions with no expectations of what will happen. That’s how I ended up taking a NOLS course that led to a passion for outdoor education and how I transferred to a college out west and began studying geography. The decision to join an...
The back half of the season at Conboy Lake has been wrapping up well. While everyone is feeling a strong sense of completion and a job well done, I can tell everyone has grown really fond of each other, and there is a bittersweet feeling of all of us going our separate ways. I feel the MARS...
Aaron Lindsey reflects on how his MAI internship with the USFS Entiat Ranger District allowed him to merge his lifelong passion for dirt bikes with his love for the outdoors. Spending a summer working in the stunning Okanogan and Wenatchee National Forest, Aaron shares his gratitude for the experience and the incredible people he met along the way.
Jonluke’s journey as a Land Steward intern has been nothing short of an incredible adventure! From finding morels to working on the frontlines of forest fires, he’s embraced every challenge and opportunity along the way.
Land Steward Maiya McAuliffe, talks about invasive species control at Conboy Lake National Wildlife Refuge in Glenwood, WA. This is my first position as a biology. “This is my first position as a biology technician post graduation and I couldn’t have stumbled across a better first job.”
To Celebrate 15 years of Sense of Place we present… “THE GREATEST ROCK OPERA EVER PRODUCED ABOUT A WATERSHED*”
Coming to Hood River, Oregon in April of 2025.
I grew up in Indianapolis a very active kid - playing sports and spending most of my time outside in our yard and neighborhood. I fell in love with public lands and the outdoors at large after high school when I started rock climbing. I bounced around for a while...
I grew up in Salem, Oregon, with my brother, mother, and stepfather. I lived in Salem until I joined the U.S. Navy, where I served as a Hospital Corpsman (Medic) for eight years in various locales/environments. Most of that time was spent with the U. S. Marine Corps,...
My name is Deonza Mohamed. I was born and raised in California. I am a U.S. Navy Veteran with 16 years of military service. My main job while serving was satellite communications. I am a lifelong university professional currently working on my fifth college degree in...
Hello, my name is Sean West. My mother instilled an appreciation for the outdoors and our public lands when I was growing up. From rock climbing, mountain biking, and hiking, to a simple overnight car camping trip, we eagerly explored the Midwest, where I was raised....
I grew up in a rural area and spent most of my childhood outdoors. Family camping and hiking trips were a central experience for me growing up. I received my degree in Anthropology, and worked indoors for a long time. I missed the outdoors and had to get back out...
My most recent career was being active duty Navy, stationed onboard NTAG Jacksonville, Administration. I joined the Navy’s DEP Program back in November 2008 and entered basic training November 18, 2009. My first assignment was Virginia from 2010-2015, then Hawaii...