M.D., Retired Physician
Living most of my life in California has given me the opportunity to explore it’s mountains, deserts, rivers, marshes and seashore while fishing, hunting, hiking and paddling. I’ve come to appreciate the fishes, birds and other animals inhabiting these special places. I’ve also witnessed the decline of many of these habitats due to increases in use, development, pollution, and water diversions.
When I was 6, my dad took me to the American River in the fall when the salmon were spawning. I remember fields of river cobble surrounding the area which is now mostly surrounded with subdivisions. I remember seeing and smelling the river teeming with salmon as they completed their spawning cycle. Emblematic of many of the environmental issues facing California today, the salmon run is sadly but a fraction of what it once was.
Since transitioning from a career caring for people with cancer, I am excited to put my energy towards caring for the waters, lands along with the fish and animals that inhabit them which have provided me with so much joy.