Aspen was born and raised in Southern Michigan, immersed in the natural world from day one. Her family valued and prioritized time outdoors, instilling a sense of wonder and appreciation for nature through foraging, hunting, fishing and camping. Many of her fondest memories as a child include morel hunting every spring, summers filled with outdoor adventures and silent autumns spent in the forest, patiently waiting for deer. It was never a question that she would pursue a career in the outdoor industry, it was only a question of how she would do that.
Aspen graduated from Lake Superior State University with a degree in Parks and Recreation and a focus on Outdoor Leadership. During college, she spent her summers and falls working for Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources, learning how to manage natural resources for public use. Through her experiences leading various outdoor recreation activities and developing programs about Lake Sturgeon and Atlantic Salmon at the Center for Freshwater Research and Education through LSSU, Aspen began to reconsider what impact she wanted to make through her work.
Up to this point in her life, Aspen had never wanted to be involved in education or working with children in any capacity–boy, was she wrong! This changed when she moved to Minnesota after graduation to become an Outdoor Recreation Educator with Three Rivers Park District. Aspen spent two seasons with the district leading summer camps, teaching paddle sports, archery, fishing and more. She gained invaluable experience and was so profoundly impacted by her campers and participants that it was no longer a question of what her path in the outdoor industry was.
She spent her winter at an inner city elementary school as a building substitute teacher, valuing the special relationships she was able to build and loving her role as an educator. By the end of her stint in Minnesota, Aspen had discovered her passion for connecting and engaging children in the wonders of the natural world and made it her mission to continue empowering youth through positive experiences outdoors in any facet possible.
A Michigan girl through and through, Aspen jumped at the opportunity to become the Education Specialist for the Grand Traverse Conservation District and to move home! Aspen aims to continually engage, empower and connect people to the incredible wonders of the natural world through her position. She’s adamant about encouraging public landowners to take advantage of their space and getting outdoors in any capacity and weather possible! You can find Aspen foraging, fly fishing or camping with her cat and dog when it’s warm out and may see her creeping through the forest in pursuit of turkeys and deer in the fall.
