Wilderness Leadership

A central part of my teaching practice has been connecting young people with wild landscapes as places of learning, leadership, and reflection. Through multi-day wilderness expeditions—ranging from orientation trips to advanced senior leadership courses—students engage deeply with the ecosystems of the Southwest while developing practical skills, resilience, and social-emotional awareness. These experiences integrate course concepts with lived experience, allowing students to explore ecology, natural history, conservation, resource management, and climate change in direct relationship with the land.

Over the years, the wild landscapes of the Pecos and Gila, Escalante, Big Bend, and the Grand Canyon have served as immersive classrooms, offering powerful settings for mentorship, inquiry, and personal growth. Within these environments, students learn to lead with care, take responsibility for themselves and others, and develop a lasting relationship with the landscapes that shape both ecological understanding and ethical action.