I fell in love with fish at an early age. I was fascinated with their habitats, their coloration, and their charismatic appearance. As an undergraduate student at The Ohio State University, I spent summers learning about fish and fisheries at the F.T. Stone Laboratory on South Bass Island, Lake Erie. It was there I decided to dedicate my life to the study of nature. Now, after earning a Master's of Science in Wildlife and Fisheries and a PhD in Forest Resources from Mississippi State University, I have returned to the Island that started my career. I am now the Volunteer Research Coordinator at the Lake Erie Islands Nature and Wildlife Center on South Bass Island and have been given the opportunity to engage the community in the science of wildlife conservation. I've already developed a pilot camera trap study to understand habitat use of Lake Erie Watersnakes and now we are hoping to expand our camera network to observe mammals on the Islands.