All of my life the natural world has been a source of fascination, wonder, awe, excitement, and adventure. As a child I loved catching blue belly lizards and holding rough skinned newts, and this passion eventually led me to being a participant in the first homeschool nature study group at the Riekes Center for Human Enhancement in 2001. At the Riekes Center I was able to dive deep into natural history, survival skills, wildlife tracking, ancient living skills, sensory awareness, and learning to interpret the various vocalizations of birds. I was fortunate enough to spend time with highly skilled wildlife trackers, and tracking became an important lens through which I approach all of my interactions with nature. I currently hold a Track and Sign Level III Certificate from Tracker Certifications North America.

After attending Humboldt State University and earning a degree in Environmental Science and Policy, I took a detour in my career and became an EMT and then a Paramedic working in the Fresno 911 system. The time I spent caring for patients taught me a great deal about the humanity within each of us and about the importance of quiet moments of kindness.

In 2019 I returned to the Riekes Center as the Director of the Nature Department, leading a team of up to 15 naturalists to deliver nature homeschool programs, summer camps, forest school programs for preschoolers, and nature-day programs for private schools for the last 6 years. I continue to work as the Nature Director for Riekes and feel deep satisfaction bringing children out to connect deeply with nature.

During the last 5 years I also became a mama to my two wonderful children who are wild creatures themselves!

I founded the Bay Area Earth School to scratch an itch to bring adults out into nature during the weekends to learn more about the wildlife that surrounds us in the Bay Area!