Maisie’s roots are back in the deciduous hardwood forests of the East Coast, but she always felt drawn to the vast, open landscapes and craggy mountains of the West. During her time in undergrad at the University of Vermont, she found herself lucky enough to experience a field semester with the Wild Rockies Field Institute on the Montana Afoot and Afloat course. This experience only stoked her curiosity of the history of the West, her love for the semi-arid landscapes where the plains meet the mountains, her drive for solving today’s intractable environmental issues, and her passion for experiential and outdoor education. After a few years of leading environmental and field education experiences in California, Alaska, Montana, British Columbia, and Costa Rica, she found herself back in Montana to pursue her Master’s in Environmental Studies with a Certificate in Natural Resource Conflict Resolution. During her time in the program, a fellowship with the National Forest Foundation allowed her to gain hands-on experience facilitating local collaborative conservation groups where stakeholders and agency experts work together on natural resource and public lands issues. She is excited to bring her experience in the conservation field and her passion for education back to WRFI. It is her dream to one day teach on every WRFI course. Interests other than WRFI include farming, skiing, knitting, and making kombucha.