Birthplace: North Carolina

Current City: Richmond, Virginia

What did you want to be when you were growing up?

My parents met in the Galápagos as biologists, so I always wanted to be a biologist growing up.

How did you get started in your field of work?

I was awarded a National Geographic Young Explorers Grants Grant from the Expeditions Council to map and photograph caves in Gabon.

What inspires you to dedicate your life to conservation?

I have always been drawn to rivers. Rivers bond the land and sea; they flow through every ecosystem and touch every culture. Everywhere you look, on every map, rivers lead the way. Rivers, like submarines, take explorers into places few people have ever been and few people will ever go, and there—where nature is wild and as it should be—I find joy.

What’s a normal day like for you?

If I am in the field, I spend my day photographing, filming, and collecting information. If I am home, I spend my day reading, researching, and planning projects.

Do you have a hero?

Without a doubt, my father. Without him, I would be nowhere. National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence Mike Fay is another hero.

What has been your favorite experience in the field? The most challenging?

I recently spent a month in northern British Columbia making a Web film for National Geographic on water and religion with my childhood friend and fellow National Geographic Explorer Trip Jennings. It was wonderful to work on a project with an old friend! I would say that is a recent favorite. And, of course, any time spent in the field with my parents is a favorite. The most challenging field experience I've had is still the cave rescue our expedition had to perform in Gabon to free a team member whose legs were pinned by two-ton rock.

What are your other passions?

Writing, books, kayaking, and storytelling.

What do you do in your free time?

In my free time you can find me kayaking the rapids of the James River in Richmond, Virginia.

If you could have people do one thing to help save rivers what would it be?

Spend as much time as you can on a river that is part of your life, for every second you spend on that river you will fall more in love, and your desire to protect it will grow.