A love of nature, adventure and wild places has been a constant in Emma’s life, from a childhood spent in the field with her father in pursuit of rare birds to teaching 5th graders about ecology as an outdoor educator. The child of nature lovers who met in West Africa in the Peace Corps, Emma grew up in Maryland dreaming of travel. Far-flung adventures to Costa Rica and Canada for birding and to Puerto Rico to visit family were among her happiest memories, along with summers spent camping closer to home on Assateague Island, watching wild ponies and black skimmers all day. Emma’s first taste of working in travel came after a grassroots development trip to El Salvador before college with International Partners. Throughout college, she worked as a trip leader for the organization, returning to El Salvador numerous times. After college, she moved to a small town outside Munich, Germany to work as an au pair. She enjoyed exploring Europe in her free time, particularly finding all possible hikes that ended with a beer garden near the top.

Emma came West for an outdoor education position at Cal-Wood Education Center above Jamestown, Colorado, where she taught 5th graders about ecology, the water cycle and the joys of looking for aquatic macroinvertebrates. She loved living in a remote A-frame cabin overlooking the Continental Divide and a meadow that was frequently visited by owls, mountain lions and migrating elk. Completely embracing the Colorado lifestyle, Emma has worked in conservation or the craft beer industry since, with stints at the Brewers Association and Palmer Land Conservancy after completing graduate school. Emma has a BA in English Literature from Yale University and a Master’s in Music from the University of Colorado Boulder.

In her free time, you'll find Emma birding, hiking, biking, trail running, camping, singing, practicing wildlife photography, or any combination of those activities. Favorite travel and nature experiences include watching baby sea turtles hatch in Mexico, swimming with African penguins whizzing by in South Africa, whale watching in Canada, and scuba diving on the Great Barrier Reef.