How The Environment Shaped My Life

We all have unique backgrounds that make us who we are, and define who we will become. I grew up in a tiny town in northern Wisconsin, and my unique small town upbringing allowed me to explore my love for the outdoors and appreciate its beauty. To begin this blog series, I want to explore my childhood to demonstrate how I became interested in the outdoors.

Growing up in small town Wisconsin, I developed a very strong connection to nature and science, along with an avid imagination. Encounters with black bears on my porch, having an ermine crawl up my arm while out in the woods, and seeing a bobcat just yards in front of me really opened my eyes to the wonders of nature, and animal behavior.

During the summertime, my family would venture out to our cabin on the lake where I escaped into the underwater world with bluegills and painted turtles darting away from my fogged up snorkeling mask. It was during one of these excursions one summer evening that I discovered a group of freshwater jellyfish in the lake, and had the chance to photograph them.

When I wasn’t snorkeling at our cabin, I enjoyed exploring the wonders in my backyard. My family and I would search our milkweed patch for monarch caterpillars and watch until they started to make a chrysalis. We’d bring them inside and wait until they emerged as monarch butterflies. In addition, I’d always venture into the ditch next to my house and watch the curious movements of mosquito larvae in the water.

Hunting and fishing have always been a part of my life, and although I’m more of a catch-and-release kind of girl, I always loved being outside and found peace in enjoying the fresh air and peaceful waters. Living in such an isolated town, we grew a lot of food in our garden, canned and froze a lot of it, and relied on venison to get us through the winter. We also tapped the maple trees on our land to make maple syrup. Experiencing the work involved with these processes, I learned to appreciate the wonders of nature.

 

In high school, I had the opportunity to volunteer in Arizona to help build water holes for big horn sheep. While in Arizona, I spoke to a wildlife conservationist and learned about the importance of education and conservation in our environment. This trip really opened my eyes to the possibilities of environmental conservation.

All of these experiences and my love of the outdoors have collectively shaped me into the person I am today, and who I will become. I am pursuing a career that will allow me to develop and share my passion with others, and will use this blog to talk about important environmental issues and answer some common environmental questions.

Knowing the role of the environment in your life is the first step in helping to protect it.