Hey! My name is Erin Savoy; I am a student at Seattle University studying Environmental Studies, Biology, and Spanish. I grew up in Reno, NV, Jacksonville, FL, and Portland, OR. Daughter of high desert dwellers and avid outdoors people, I spent my childhood outside, learning to hike, backpack, camp, and explore with my parents and two younger sisters.

I have passion for learning about the biology of the natural world, but also the ecology of our intertwining evolution, connections, and histories. I wish I could spend every day taking walks, observing animals, and identifying plants! I also love reading and drawing. I particularly like to draw the morphology of plants and animals. Another strong passion I have is for music. I spend every second I can of e

very day listening to a wide variety, from Blues and Jazz, Grunge, Punk, to Death, and Thrash metal. My absolute favorite band and influence is Fleetwood Mac. I learned guitar early on, but now focus on playing the drums with my friends, and in a band.

I became more intrigued with the history of National Parks during my freshman year of college, in the same class that made me decide to pursue Environmental Studies. I began to understand how we conceive of wilderness, and the process by which we started to protect some of the most beautiful places, while simultaneously erasing the residents of those places. While having a contentious history, the National Park Service has served to protect natural areas, but also important historical sites, monuments, and wilderness protection areas. This protection of the collective American heritage, history, and natural beauty is what I hope to contribute to the stewardship of nature and the world around us, by becoming a Park Ranger. This is why I am very excited to have the opportunity to work with In My Backyard this summer, to work to try to make this collective heritage available to everybody.