Valerie’s childhood in Alabama—one of the most biodiverse states in the country—afforded her plenty of opportunities to explore nature, from camping and backpacking in the national forests to canoeing through ancient cypress swamps. She got her first taste of international travel studying abroad in Italy during college, where she studied Italian language, art and cooking. She also visited England, France, Spain, Germany, Switzerland and Austria during her time in Europe.

Valerie graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.A. in English and a minor in Anthropology. A few years later, she moved to Boulder, Colorado, where she earned an M.A. in Journalism with a specialization in science and environmental reporting from the University of Colorado. She and her partner now live in Missoula, Montana, with their dog and two cats.

Valerie's time at Nat Hab has taken her to the subarctic tundra of Churchill, Manitoba, to witness wild polar bears and to the rainforests of Peru on our Great Amazon River Expedition. Her first trip to Africa was our Secluded Botswana safari, where a highlight was watching a pack of African wild dog puppies erupt out of their underground den at mealtime. Most recently, she explored British Columbia on Nat Hab's Great Bear Rainforest adventure, where she encountered a rare spirit (kermode) bear and got goosebumps listening to the howls of coastal wolves.