Valerie’s childhood in Alabama—one of the most biodiverse states in the country—afforded her plenty of opportunities to explore nature, from camping and backpacking in the national forests and canoeing through ancient cypress swamps, to strolling and swimming along the Gulf Coast. After high school, she was a member of one of the first co-ed treks at Philmont Scout Ranch in Cimarron, New Mexico, where she returned the following year to serve as a staff member at the archaeological camp.

Valerie got her first taste of international travel in Italy during a semester abroad in college, where she studied Italian language, art and cooking. She was also able to visit England, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Austria during her time in Europe. She celebrated Oktoberfest in Munich, toured Paris by bicycle and ate enough bruschetta in her student apartment in Florence to last a lifetime. Future trips would take her to Australia, Ireland, Mexico, Jamaica and the Cayman Islands.

Although there are plenty of faraway places still on her travel list, Valerie also enjoys adventures closer to home. Despite living across the country from each other, she and her family try to vacation together at least once a year. They’ve summited a 14er in the Rocky Mountains, spotted gray wolves in Yellowstone, fly-fished icy rivers in Glacier, listened to Cherokee storytellers in the Great Smoky Mountains, and squeezed cautiously past alligators sunning on the boardwalk in the Florida Everglades.

Valerie graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.A. in English and a minor in anthropology. She spent a few years working for an animal welfare non-profit before moving to Boulder, Colorado, to earn an M.A. in journalism with a specialization in science and environmental reporting from the University of Colorado. She’s thrilled to put her writing and editing skills to use on Nat Hab’s Good Nature blog. Valerie and her husband live in Missoula, Montana, with their pack of rescue dogs. You can find her there hiking, birding, rafting, watching scary movies and drinking craft beer at local breweries.