RJ grew up in Minnesota. There he earned a degree in classical guitar performance while working part time as a naturalist for the parks. Then he moved to Washington to explore the Cascade Mountains via hiking boots and backcountry ski. Now he has an Earth Science teaching endorsement and works for a variety of outdoor education programs, including the Snow Goose Marine educational program.

“I first experienced Alaska in 2004 while backpacking the inland tundra of Denali National Park. The next the summer was in the icy fjords of Glacier Bay as a deckhand/naturalist. My appreciation and comprehension of Southeast Alaska’s amazingly rich and complex environment only continues to grow, year after year, exploring aboard the Snowgoose!”