Hey there, I’m Jake! I grew up in a small town in southeast Wisconsin surrounded by forests and farmland and was lucky enough to live five minutes from my grandparent’s farm. There I spent endless hours hunting, fishing, and walking in the rivers and through the woods. Being physically active is very important to me so you’ll often find me either running, biking, or hiking. I also have competed in collegiate athletics in the pole vault (probably the best sport ever)! I recently graduated from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh with a major in Biology and an emphasis in Ecology. After graduation, I assisted on a watershed wide freshwater mussel survey with the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources. It was definitely a great experience, I learned a lot of new skills, and snorkeling in rivers for eight hours a day wasn’t too bad either! Now, I’m super excited for this entirely new adventure; to go to new places and to see the desert, meet some great people, and to do some awesome conservation work!
