Hailing from the lakes and woods of east-central Minnesota, I grew up tapping maple trees at my grandparents’ farm, canoeing in my backyard, and hiking and camping with friends throughout the Midwest. I recently graduated from Knox College with a B.A. in Environmental Studies and Anthropology/Sociology, and was first introduced to A Sand County Almanac during a “sense of place” immersive term at Knox’s biological field station. Leopold’s land ethic was a north star for me throughout the remainder of my undergraduate career, which culminated in an ethnography of small farmers’ relationships with their land to help increase cultural and legislative support for environmentally ethical agricultural practices. I believe that a land ethic has the power to transform communities and individuals into holistically dedicated stewards of the natural world, and I am thrilled to be helping lead the change as a Leopold Fellow.
When not working or volunteering, you can find me in a hammock with a historical fiction or fantasy novel, at a social dance club, cross-country skiing, or scheming my next adventure to a scenic vista. My little joys include—but are not limited to!—poetry, loose leaf tea and fireflies.