I’m Laura: ecologist, writer, traveler, lover of life, and good at being happy.

Originally from Chicagoland, I now call the Seattle region home, where I’m happily embraced by the Cascade and Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound.

I particularly love outdoor adventures, international travel, broad life experiences, and simple wandering. I find beautiful views, connections with strangers, and friendships to be my greatest rewards.

I’m fortunate to work as an ecologist for King County, where my focus is stream and wetland restoration and monitoring. My work is one of my biggest blessings. Daily, one foot is in city life, and the other is in a large waterproof boot trailing rivers, streams and wetlands. See how my passion for my work and love for nature spills into my Seattle community by leading Friends of Des Moines Creek volunteers.

Please check out my memoir about my three challenging months as the sole woman and scientist working among 25 commercial fishermen on the high seas of Alaska: Bering Sea Strong: How I Found Solid Ground on Open Ocean.