Laura has worked as an educator and naturalist for over 50 years. Her first jobs with the Forest Service in Washington state led to supervising work crews in Alaska constructing trails and doing conservation projects. Then, she began a teaching career in Yellowstone National Park in the 1980’s that included summer ranger work in Glacier National Park. After marrying a park ranger, she moved to Colorado for twenty more years of elementary teaching and summer outdoor exploring in Canada. Saying goodbye to the classroom she worked nine years as a park ranger in Grand Teton National Park, leaving the park in 2020. Interacting with the public while they viewed and learned about bears, moose, bison and wolves was a dream job. Semi-retired, now she splits her residence between Crested Butte and Grand Junction, Colorado.
Her love is exploring the outdoors as a keen observer of the natural world and continuing to learn about the connections between wildlife, birds, and the plants they depend on. She is an avid gardener, hiker and Nordic skier. Traveling to remote places in the world to hike and learn natural history is part of her desire to be a lifelong student. Laura’s hikes will include flower appreciation, identification and discussion of how plants support the rest of the ecosystem.