“While we recognize our world responsibilities, our guiding philosophy should be the enhancement of life through a vast dissemination of environmental and social knowledge and the encouragement of practices that will protect and preserve the kind of world we want.”

Building from a lifetime of work in ecology, conservation, and environmental activism, Sigurd F. Olson presented this ethic in his 1972 book Reflections from the North Country. Nearly 50 years later, his words have only grown in significance. 

Having grown up in Minnesota with a shared love for the Boundary Waters and wilderness, I am guided by the ideas of Olson and so many others towards a sustainable worldview. Sustainability to me is more than a manner of thought, but a positive and personal engagement with the natural world. My experiences with outdoor recreation and scientific research have led me to the Upper Midwest, Northeast, Rocky Mountains, Sierra Nevada, and Patagonia. But aside from gazing at landmarks, I aim to actively engage with the landscapes, ecosystems, and people of the regions in which I visit and live.

I hold neither a strictly anthropocentric nor biocentric viewpoint – I believe that humans can coexist with other species, in all habitats, in ways conducive to our collective survival and prosperity. We have always depended on animals, plants, waterways, and other natural resources to survive as a species. Our modern industrial society may feel disconnected from nature, but that does not mean it exists apart from the natural world. Rather, we are an integral part of it. 

I have been fortunate to work with incredible landscapes and animals – but some of the most impactful interactions I had were with the people there.
In Montana’s Absaroka-Beartooth Wilderness, I helped lead interactive sessions for volunteers to learn basics of trail safety and maintenance, bear safety, Leave No Trace principles, and more. Even over the course of a week, I noticed them gain a deeper appreciation and stake in the wilderness around them.

My research in Colorado is located on a private ranch with a prominent den where rattlesnakes have been known to live for over a century – and have been the target of slaughter and persecution. While the ranch managers (the family living on and operating it) today take less extreme action, they feel justifiably apprehensive about venomous snakes. I had the opportunity to bring them to a rattlesnake den, to see the animals in their own habitat and how they behave around people.
The look in their eyes was one of sheer amazement. Rather than chase us down and strike at every opportunity, the rattlesnakes sat watching us, alert but peaceful so long as we left them alone. Speaking to the managers afterwards, I could hear in their voices a newfound respect for rattlesnakes, simply by viewing their behavior up close and personal.

These experiences reinforced my belief in blending environmental wisdom with stewardship – to study species and natural processes, use resources frugally, and manage these to the benefit of both society and ecosystems. We owe future generations the chance at experiencing both thriving natural places and a high standard of living. Towards this goal, I feel a personal obligation to bettering myself and the natural resources and species around me. This is first attempted by building knowledge and awareness. Through reading, writing, conversing, and experiencing nature to understand not merely basic facts, but to mull over the complexities, the subtleties, the nuance. And I work to keep an open mind and hold myself accountable – to ensure that I can make any changes in my thinking and behavior necessary to maintaining a sustainable worldview. 

The college courses, research experiences, and outdoor pursuits described across this portfolio have instilled in me a hands-on, practical mindset – merely being aware of issues and ideas is not powerful enough, so I am moved to act on my beliefs. And those experiences in Montana and Colorado taught me that while I appreciate the inherent value of scientific discoveries and environmental stewardship, I work best when able to translate them into meaningful societal or personal applications. In 2020 I began my own website, Ecology Underfoot, where I write to inspire others and engage with topics in the natural sciences, history, outdoor recreation, and more.

As I begin my postgraduate career, I want to work to foster meaningful interactions between local people, species, and environments. Stewardship, as one of the key conservation initiatives of the 21st century, provides a chance at exactly that. In the Anthropocene, human influences extend from our backyards underfoot to the far reaches of the poles, and every space in between. While headlines often emphasize the negatives, our influences are not always at odds with nature. Whether working with wilderness or rattlesnakes, positive interactions with the natural world can open new doors of understanding and inspiration. Stewardship invokes wanting to leave ecosystems functioning better than you found them, and leave people more informed and inspired in their actions. Only through recognizing natural and human histories, embracing nuanced thoughts and perspectives, and understanding the complicated impacts of our personal and societal actions can we safeguard the future, and be the stewards of a world in which we can take pride.

Explore this portfolio to learn more about how my academic, research, work, outdoor, and personal experiences have shaped my worldview.