I'm very grateful that I was able to participate in the Riekes Nature Awareness program. Connecting with nature has been a life-changing experience for me. I wrote The Budding Naturalist's Guide to the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum with the goal of encouraging young people to connect with nature.

My career in the outdoors has grown from teaching classes with Smokey the Bear in Colorado, to leading month-long backpacking trips in Big Sur, to living in the Oregon desert with a wilderness therapy program. The lessons I've learned from these people and places have given me the knowledge I needed to thrive in the Riekes Nature program.