Getting here:

A series of strange connections through the National Park Service, Audubon, and a cranky old botanist.

Favorite class:

Conservation Biology

My approach to human ecology:

Falling in love with the natural world and being perpetually curious.  I think human ecology is a very real thing and is immensely valuable to thinking about the way we interact with other species and our landscapes, essentially the place of humans in the world.

Life on Mount Desert Island:

Wandering and turning over rocks in the intertidal, watching gulls and gannets, exploring the bogs and other dystrophic wetlands on the Island.  I would be kidding myself if I didn’t say that tourist season can be a real nuisance (especially if you wish to cross Eden Street before the end of September).

Passions & motivations:

Ecology and conservation. I feel deeply indebted to the species and places I grew up around, so I think it is worth trying my best to understand the world and trying to keep some of the species and places we love (and sometimes don’t love enough) around.

Adventures yet to come:

Research and bird-banding on Great Duck Island.  Sailing around Newfoundland.  Visiting the high arctic, and about anywhere in South America.

COA might be the right college for you if...

You are an independent learner and don’t want to blend into the crowd.

Ephemera:

Visiting Mt. Desert Rock and watching gannets in a storm.

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

The species concept is problematic.