The product of a free-range childhood, I grew up exploring the many wonders that abound in my home state of Oregon. Moving to the Midwest during my teen years, I continued to find meaning in outdoor experiences while working at a summer camp deep within the heart of the Shawnee National Forest in Southernmost Illinois.These foundational outdoor experiences propelled me into a richly rewarding career as an outdoor professional. I pursued studies in Therapeutic Recreation, Outdoor Leadership, and Outdoor Recreation Resource Administration before completing a terminal degree in Forest Recreation. My academic interests include Recreation Ecology, the study of ecological interrelationships between humans and natural resources in recreation contexts, and the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, which seek to understand, predict and influence human thought and behaviors related to natural resources. These two disciplines form much of the science that informs the principles and practices of Leave No Trace.I teach courses ranging from outdoor education foundations, teaching techniques and inclusive outdoor education to technical outdoor skill development, wildland stewardship, and expeditionary travel. I have previously served as the Coordinator for Southern Illinois University's outdoor recreation leadership and management program, as the Coordinator of Outdoor Pursuits at Stephen F. Austin State University, as the Outdoor Education and Camping Services Director at Camp Ondessonk, as well as an instructor in various outdoor education programs across the country. My professional service activities include work with the Wilderness Education Association, the Association for Experiential Education, and as the Wisconsin State Advocate for the Leave No Trace Center for Outdoor Ethics.Currently at Northland College’s Sigurd Olson Environmental Institute, I am committed to helping people form relationships with wild places that lead to their sustained health and wellbeing.