Chris grew up in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains of northern New Mexico, where he developed a rudimentary, but deep appreciation for natural beauty and ecological processes. He moved to the Pacific Northwest in 2005 where he eventually began working as a community organizer and environmental activist, advocating for coastal forests and rivers and the human and wildlife communities that rely upon them. Thrilled to return to the high desert landscapes of his upbringing and to help protect the resilient wildlife of the area, he joined WildEarth Guardians in 2017 as the Southern Rockies Wildlife Advocate. Chris has a formal education in Religious Studies, including a bachelor’s degree from Lewis and Clark College and a masters degree from the University of Chicago.