About me                             

I grew up in Colchester, Connecticut, and have a wonderful family that still lives there. New England is a beautiful part of the world! My whole life, I have been very fortunate to have a family who is interested in exploring other cultures and the natural world. I graduated high school in 2000 and headed west for college. This was partly based on my times with Landmark Volunteers, working in beautiful places around the country (Kelmscott Rarebreed Farm in Maine, The National Elk Refuge in Wyoming, and Hell’s Canyon in Idaho). I went to the University of Idaho, where I had a blast at the College of Natural Resources. All of my classes were great; I loved learning about so many different ecosystems and landscapes. In 2004, I received my Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources Ecology - Conservation Biology.

In college, I worked summers with the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection at Devil's Hopyard State Park and Gillette Castle State Park. These four summers were awesome and I learned so much about natural resources projects while interacting with park visitors. These experiences gave me a well-rounded view of the workings of the state parks. I also volunteered in my days off at the Hartford Public Library, conducting hands-on environmental programs for many different audiences.