Wesley Mathis

During the winter months, Wesley teaches high school and college English and composition in Utah. But when that last bell rings, signaling summer vacation, Wesley ditches the paved environment and four walls of the classroom to hit the dirt trails of Yellowstone, the Colorado Plateau and the Sierra Nevada. He got his start as a naturalist guide leading backpackers through remote regions of Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks. Later, he directed educational nature programs in the High Sierras of California. Wesley has trained both guides and clientele on proper wildlife etiquette, especially regarding human encounters with large mammals like moose, black bears and grizzly bears. On several occasions, Wesley has volunteered with wolf biologists in the backcountry of Yellowstone, surveying wolf habitat and transporting equipment.

With a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s in creative writing, Wesley enjoys converting his experiences in the desert and mountain landscapes of the American West into meaningful memoirs, essays and narratives. Currently a Ph.D. student at Utah State University, Wesley is studying environmental rhetoric, particularly the ways in which professionals communicate about environmental issues such as wildlife management and conservation. His ambition is to change the way policymakers, educators and scientists interact with the public in order to eliminate stigmas and misconceptions surrounding ecofriendly movements.

Upcoming Adventures with Wesley:
An Insider's Journey into Yosemite

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