Growing up in the Appalachian foothills of Northern New Jersey taught me a deep love of the natural world. The rampant development of so-called NYC bedroom communities which peaked in my hometown in the 90s showed me how brutally wildlife could be impacted by unchecked suburban sprawl. But the feeling also lingered of something magical about this new, more frequent contact between people and nature, if only it could be managed better. In one way or another, understanding the feedback between people and nature has always been at the core of my pursuits.