Years of working on the front lines of land management is what drives me to take my commitment to natural resource work to new depths. After graduating from Boston University with a degree in Environmental Analysis and Policy I wanted to make a hands on impact and joined the Americorps Program in the Golden Gate National Park system. I went on to devote the last ten years to carrying out habitat restoration work, spreading environmental awareness, and learning all I could in the process. My career in natural resources involved working with several large-scale land management agencies as well as private restoration groups. The more work I have carried out to help curb the damage to wild lands, the more appreciative I have become of the intricacies of ecological communities. I have witnessed first hand the delicate balance of diversity among various ecosystems and in turn how susceptible these habitats are to the effects of disturbance. As development continues to encroach upon the remaining open spaces of California, I believe that studying the functions of ecological systems becomes imperative to steward what remains intact and to restore disturbed areas properly.
Photo by Ayla Joy Mills