I hail from Long Beach, California. I developed an appreciation for nature early on while camping with my family in California’s many varied wild spaces. I spent so many days at the beach that I now prefer forests, in particular Redwood forests, although I am adjusting to Maple and Beech forest nicely.  So I headed north where I attended UC Berkeley, graduating with a B.A. in Geography.  After graduation I moved to Grand Rapids and began working as an Outdoor Educator at Blandford.  I love teaching kids at Blandford and helping them develop their own love and respect for the environment so that they can take care of it in the future.