Experience

My life is intertwined with rich and sometimes trying experiences in nature and the outdoors. I grew up in Miami, Florida, climbing mangrove trees, watching birds, and catching lizards, frogs and snakes.

I was fortunate to have family that valued exploration outdoors, that took me camping in the Everglades, and fed my curiosity. When indoors, I read books about animals and watched Animal Planet. 

The interests followed me through childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. As a teenager, I found myself mentored by members of the Tropical Audubon Society, a group of adults dedicated to the enjoyment and conservation of birds in South Florida. They imparted upon me their wisdoms spent from decades observing nature, taught me environmental ethics, and invested in my wellbeing.

To no one's surprise, I studied Environmental Science at a state school in Florida and put my degree to use to combine two passions of mine travel and field work. I would piecemeal a living by stringing together field work censusing bird populations across eight Western states and the Florida Keys and leading trips as field naturalist in Alaska, Brazil, and Nevada. In my twenties, I fell in love with the desert, found further confidence in wilderness settings, and gained experience understanding the natural world and its inhabitants.

Perhaps it was the sense of stewardship fostered as a kid by the Audubon chapter, or the commitment to vocation to justice and human flourishment that my parents embodied through their careers, but in 2021, I felt I needed to make a change.

I understood that experience in nature had been a powerful part of my own wellbeing and growth, but that it wasn't so accessible or intuitively appreciated. I also understood more and more clearly that the natural world is changing rapidly but is also can be the source of such positive impact on our nervous systems.

So, I answered the call and created Nature in Mind. It's an expression of my passions, and myself. It's science-based education, mindfulness, connection and leadership rolled into one. I think it's a powerful combination, and I will see where it takes us.