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I moved to Gardiner MT when I was six years old. At the time, I didn't really care about bison- they weren't ferocious like bears or as active as elk. However, they quickly taught me to respect them. I don't think that I found bison, but that the bison found me. During heavy winters, they would migrate out of the park and come hang out in our yard. I remember the chaos that was caused when the wranglers came to haze the bison back into the park. Eventually, they would work their way back out. It made the bus stop more interesting: slowly going out to the side of the road in the morning darkness of winter, hoping that I would not come across a 1,500 pound beast.
In 7th grade, Amy Martin interviewed me her podcast (Threshold S.1 E.7) about bison (It is an amazing podcast and I highly recommend listening to it). This was the first time I had a voice to my opinion on bison. I did not have an incredibly in depth knowledge on the subject at the time, for me bison were these cool animals that visited us in the winter and weren't afraid of anything really. The simplicity of a child can be a really valuable perspective, even for a complicated and decisive issue like bison. The following year in 8th grade, I had the opportunity to attend an Ecology Project International (EPI) course in Yellowstone (another fantastic organization). Here I was introduced to Chris Geremia, a bison biologist for the park. I was really interested in what he had to say about what was happening around my community with bison. I was able to stay in contact with Geremia after the course. Later, at the beginning of my sophomore year in highschool, I was given the chance to attend the Bianniel Yellowstone Scientific Conference (also with EPI) to be on a panel to talk about living with bison. It was an amazing experience, not only for being able to share with the public what it is like to be around bison, but also for attending all of the other presentations about everything under the sun in Yellowstone. Shortly after, I began my bison project, the results of which are within this website.
If I'm not doing research or school work, you will likely find me outside. I love running - recently completing my first marathon- and will wake up at o'dark thirty to go on a run or grab my bike to peddle my way to school. Summers get divided between hiking, backpacking, and floating the river with the occasional fishing pole. Winters have me hitting the slopes. Downhill or backcountry skiing are up for grabs. I also helped coach skate skiing for the Gardiner Ski Team, a small, but fun, group of kids. Debate filled the remaining time. I like to have fun and try to bring my passion for the outdoors into everything that I do.
I now attend Stanford University where I am studying biology with a focus on ecology.
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