I moved to Durango in 2011 to live with my grandparents. I studied engineering at Fort Lewis but became overwhelmed and was living a very unhealthy lifestyle. I began to get into mushroom foraging and spending more time in the wild. 

I first heard of Turtle Lake Refuge from a friend and started going for the lunches. I began volunteering at the farm and cafe as well. I fell in love with the community here and was thrilled to be offered a job growing micro-greens and brewing kombucha. During my time here I've learned a lot about wild medicinal and edible plants. I've incorporated these teachings to help improve my own life.