I knew what field I wanted to work in (marine tourism) and did some research with contacts and friends who had traveled NZ before, eventually deciding I wanted to try and work in Kaikoura. It was touted as the marine mammal hotspot of the country, and my good friend Fi (who I actually had never met in person until moving to NZ) was working there. It seemed perfect!

Applications were sent. Bank accounts were opened. Cars were purchased. A room was rented. Interviews were had. And then, there I was, employed as a dolphin swim guide in this beautiful little seaside town. The company I worked for is Dolphin Encounter Kaikoura, the only dolphin swim company in Kaikoura and arguably one of the most well-organized operations. I might be biased, but I think Kaikoura is the place to swim with wild dolphins. See why I believe it’s ethical here!

This city of sunshine and surf, provider of very Maui-esque vibes and endless good feels, also dishes up some pretty satisfying plant-based dishes. Not that I should be surprised - San Diego residents seem like the pretty active, health-minded peeps! There’s a healthy peppering of vegan and veggie restaurants throughout the city’s neighborhoods, reflecting the demand for more wholesome dining.

Thanks to an interesting twist of fate, I’ve been spending quite a bit of time down in this beachy city. Eager as ever to try out the vegan options while exploring a new city, I set out on a mission with one of my most favorite vegan companions and we’ve been having an absolute treat of a time sampling the huge variety of vegan foods San Diego has to offer!

I love when I meet a new eco-entrepreneur who is starting a business that’s more focused on showing love for the planet than earning profits. Throughout my travels, I’ve realized that you can find like-minded people all over the world who aren’t afraid to get out there and make things happen. It truly is an inspiration when you see these people using their creativity and innovation to promote change! That’s why I was so excited to come across Seasick Sunscreen Co., a boutique eco-friendly sunscreen start-up based in Wellington, New Zealand.

For now, I want to share this particularly special experience that is unfolding, right now. I’m on a ship in the Antarctic, specifically the Antarctic Sound on the northeast side of the Western Antarctic Peninsula, with a group of 120 women and non-binary people in STEMM. It’s facilitated by Homeward Bound. Read more here: it’s late, and this girl needs to get to bed.

But I wanted to start a log of our experiences each day, and I need to get caught up before time flashes by and I’m disembarking in Ushuaia in two weeks. Updates will be mostly through photos, as that is the energy level I’m working with currently.

Kinnes Cove

Home to a bustling Adelie penguin colony, with some Gentoos and a random Chinstrap or three thrown into the fray. We saw a sleepy, chunky Weddell seal hauled out on the shoreline, and a few lazy humpbacks cruised past our zodiacs on their way to redder pastures (because of krill, duh).

Hi from Maui - just wanted to check in and give a few life updates! The last few months have been a f***ing whirlwind, and in a mostly good way. There are positive whirlwinds, I can confirm – they shake you up and make you reevaluate what’s important to you. Even as I write this, my mind feels like it’s spinning at a thousand turns per second. The last few months have brought a lot of change, a lot of life lessons, a lot of new experiences, a lot of new people, and a lot of talking through masks…so my voice is basically always raspy or gone.

Luke is an amazing friend. We met thanks to our mutual use of Facebook marketplace and Sony camera systems, and immediately clicked with our passions for content creation and nature. I fondly remember our first meeting at the Salty Fox coffee shop across from the Friday Harbor Ferry Terminal, oat milk lattes and bright summer sun lighting up the conversation and the streets. I don’t want to give away too much of Luke’s story (he’s going to share it down below), but what I will do is warn you to prepare yourselves to be blown away by the beauty of his photographs. He specializes in landscape photography, mainly of the North Cascades. San Juan Island residents are blessed to have this national park essentially in their park yard, and in my opinion its one of the hidden gems of our national park system in the U.S. A bit removed and not as easily accessed as the others, I think it provides every bit of the magic and breathtaking alpine views of the more popular Glacier, Ranier, and Olympic National Parks without the gawking crowds.

The crazy cool thing about snorkeling in Hawaii is that about 25 percent of the fish you can see out here are endemic to the islands. You won’t see them anywhere else! There are very few places in the world where you can find a comparable number of unique fish species. Why is that? The Hawaiian Islands (which are actually the tops of an underwater mountain range) are separated from all other underwater mountain ranges by a distance of more than 1,000 miles, far greater than the distances between any other Pacific islands and their neighbors. This massive distance between Hawaii and other island chains is what paved the way for the emergence of many new species. Isolation encourages endemism because the fish populations are much smaller and more localized, and therefore are more easily affected by genetic changes. Two examples of endemic fishes are the Milletseed Butterflyfish and the Saddle Wrasse - they are super abundant down here, and a probable reason for that abundance is that they are the most perfectly adapted to the local ocean conditions, in comparison to non-endemic fish.

A few weeks ago, I was able to participate in a really interesting writing workshop focusing on the co-recovery of orca and salmon. This workshop was born from a collaboration between the Endangered Species Coalition and Creature Conserve – two amazing organizations that I’ll talk more about later – and was the second in a series of events on the theme of integrating science and art for conservation. When the invitation email popped up in my inbox, it was a no-brainer to accept.

I left Idaho for the San Juan Islands in July, mainly to help a friend out by dog-sitting for her while she and her partner went out sailing on the weekends. There was a large part of me that also wanted to be back in one of my favorite places in the world, surrounded by people whose values align a little bit more strongly with my own. Northern Idaho is beautiful, but I missed the ocean. The dog-sitting arrangement gave me a purpose and a reason to leave Idaho; the people, the summer, the whales, the air (as ocean air always does) gave me a reason to stay.

I had the privilege of chatting with the wonderful Sarah McCullagh, who has been in my life since the spring of 2016 when she chatted on the phone with me to interview me for my second naturalist position, up in the Pacific Northwest. Sarah is one of the most passionate, well-spoken, and understanding advocates for the Southern Resident Killer Whales and marine ecosystem in general that I have ever met, and I’ve been so appreciative of all the time I’ve had to learn from her. She’s one of those wildly intelligent gals who knows each of the Southern Residents by sight and can launch into detailed explanations of each of their life histories instantly. I admire that passion so much.

That brings me to introduce the beautiful Colinda. I met this firecracker of a woman from the Netherlands through a mutual friend from Maui who just knew we’d get along, since we “both absolutely adore whales!” Never one to turn down a chance to connect with a similar spirit, I jumped at the chance to meet her. Now that we’ve been friends for a while, I can confirm that Colinda has some amazing stories to tell.

So without further ado, please read on to hear how a passionate nature lover from the Netherlands grew into her role as a project leader for the National State Forest and developed a love for marine life. She’s also an incredible photographer, as you’ll see! All the photos from this post are her own.

So without further ado, please read on to hear how a passionate nature lover from the Netherlands grew into her role as a project leader for the National State Forest and developed a love for marine life.

And a very Happy 50th Earth Day to you! If you’re like me, you might be missing that wild and uninhibited feeling of being in your favorite national/state/local park or other wild space that you love right now (thanks to the Rona-coaster). Maybe you’re instead focused on enjoying the view out your window, looking through posts from your old travel blog, or simply relishing the smell of spring blossoms on your evening walk around the block.