My First Love
Growing up in Northern Minnesota, I was happiest outdoors, exploring nature. I felt a sense of joy, belonging, and wonder. Nothing made me happier than capturing a frog, an insect, or a baby catfish and studying them closely before releasing them. I loved picking blueberries in bogs, watching bats eat insects out of the night sky, and listening to wolves calling one another. Nature was my teacher, my mentor, and my first love.
When it came time for college, I wasn’t sure what to do with my life, but I loved nature, so I decided, why not study it? Off to college I went to pursue a degree in environmental science. I knew that I had made the right decision on the first day of my freshman botany class. I discovered I loved botany. I set my sights on teaching botany at a college level, or if that didn't work out, I would manage Yellowstone National Park.
Being a botany professor or managing Yellowstone didn’t happen. Life took me in a different direction. However, my love of nature and the environment continued to grow, and I’m still happiest when I’m in nature. I always knew that someday I would return to doing something to help the environment, and the likely time would be retirement.
I’m not fully retired yet, but I’ve achieved the perfect work-life balance by working part-time and volunteering at an organization with a mission that includes enriching people’s lives by connecting them with the wonders of nature while inspiring wise stewardship of the natural world. Earlier this year, I became a docent at Tohono Chul, a botanical garden in Tucson, Arizona, where I live. I found a place to volunteer that nurtures my love of nature and provides me with a way to help the environment through environmental education.
I’ve come full circle by returning to my first love.
