Born and raised in Oregon, Maria spent her childhood summers immersed in nature. At age 10, a family road trip to Yellowstone, Grand Teton, Bryce Canyon, Zion, and the Grand Canyon sparked a lifelong love for the outdoors, and participating in the Junior Ranger program had her picking up trash at each park. This formative trip inspired two lifelong habits: litter patrol and squeezing in as many destinations on a single trip as possible.

After earning a journalism degree from the University of Oregon, Maria joined the Peace Corps as an English education volunteer in the Philippines. That experience deepened her passion for travel and cultural exchange. She went on to work in Panama, coordinating trips to Cuba for U.S. residents, before returning to Oregon in 2016 to train AmeriCorps members. Eventually, she transitioned to travel consulting, crafting custom itineraries across Europe and South America.

Now at Nat Hab, Maria blends her planning skills with her love for adventure. She’s explored diverse landscapes across the Americas—from kayaking with belugas and locking eyes with a polar bear in Churchill, to snorkeling with penguins in the Galapagos, tracking jaguars in the Pantanal, and observing brown bears up close in Alaska.

In her spare time, Maria enjoys searching for new hiking trails (bonus points if there's a brewery at the end), patios to enjoy on a sunny day and cheap flight deals to continue exploring the world.