I was born on the lands and waters of the Pokagon (Pokégnek) Band of Potawatomi (Bodéwadmik), Michigan, USA. In addition and prior to studying and research, I worked in a variety of roles ranging from ploughing snow, landscaping and designing gardens to managing a restaurant and substitute-teaching in schools. I studied a BS and MS in natural resources management and assisted research, practice, and decision making related to water resources, agroecology, and soil-water sustainability in the Great Lakes basin for nearly six years. I completed a PhD with a focus on management of wet and dry tropical aquatic ecosystems in northern Australia. After several postdoctoral roles, I led the FIRE Lab team in the UK, and along with them and other collaborators, took an interdisciplinary approach to learning, understanding, and communicating about river places. The FIRE Lab project completed in November 2022, and outputs continue to be shared on Figshare as well as other websites and social media platforms. My peer-reviewed publications are accessible on Google Scholar and ORCID. I am currently studying an MA in Creative Writing and Education where I hope to bring my passion for the outdoors together with more experiences in informal education and civic practice to create settings where people can learn, explore, and make changes.

* The photo is a coelacanth and me at SAIAB, Makhanda (Grahamstown), South Africa when I was a visiting researcher.