Born and raised here in the Cascadian Bioregion, Ross was immersed in the outdoors as a young child, which aided in developing a strong affinity for exploring the natural world and building community around it. At the same time, he witnessed everywhere along the spectrum of healthy, vibrant landscapes, to devastated ecosystems and economies and the long-lasting impacts that are still present today in many ways.

This connection to the outdoors led him to pursue a career in storytelling as an adventure filmmaker after attending MSU for a BFA in Film and a Minor in Biology. After a decade of experience telling stories about communities in the outdoors, he went back to school for an MBA to be more versed in the economics and drivers behind business of today.

This variety of experiences, education, love for the outdoors and a background in storytelling culminated in 2019 with the birth of ‘Nerdy About Nature’, a wildly successful multi-media project that educates folks on nature and our interrelationship to it as a means of inspiring them to think differently, engage constructively and work together to create a more just, equal, inclusive and diverse future for us all. In addition to creating equal-access education for all, Ross works in the ecological restoration of forests and watersheds to help heal the damage done by industry in the past in order to create a healthier future with more opportunity for all.