Meg had always loved animals since she was a young girl. Her friends and family nicknamed her "Meg the Mystic" since she was always pondering what life would be like with fairies and other spiritual creatures. She always felt a connection to place and believed that there was hidden magic in this world. If you looked closely enough, you might even find it!

Meg's first love was the ocean! Her parents sometimes called her a mermaid because she was always swimming in a pool or running to the beach with her goggles in hand whenever she had the chance. She developed a fascination with sharks and believed that they were simply misunderstood and needed humans to protect them. Meg promised herself that she would stand up for all critters, no matter how big or how small they were!

When Meg became older, she decided to go to college, otherwise known as "big kid school". When Meg finished college, she graduated with a degree in Geography and Environmental Science. This meant that she could find different jobs protecting the earth, saving her animal friends, and teaching others about the superb outdoors!

Meg found fun and exciting jobs both in and after college! She led hikes and nature talks at a city park, was an outdoor educator at an aquarium where she was reunited with her beloved sharks, was an outdoor camp counselor that took kids camping and climbing, and was even a preschool teacher! She was able to share her love for fairies, the earth, animals, and the value of place with those around her! There was one job in particular, though, that changed her life and made her realize why she wanted to be an educator...

Meg was offered a job as a park ranger at Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado during the summer of 2017! It was her dream job! She was able to teach children, adults, and families about rocks, trees, animals, mountains, and what scary things could happen if we didn't protect our special places, such as national parks. It was in this place that she developed a love and adoration for pikas.

Meg became fascinated with pikas because they reminded her of fairies. These animals, whose cousins are rabbits, live high up in the mountains where there are no trees. They live under rocks, about the size of a football or even smaller! They also scurry around all day, looking for flowers to stash in a pile. Once winter comes, they will eat these flowers to stay warm during the cold months ahead.

Pikas can only live up in the mountains where it is cooler because their bodies cannot adjust to hot temperatures. They also make a very loud "EEEEP!" sound! This is to say hello to their friends and family or to let strangers know, "Hey, you're too close to me!" When Ranger Meg volunteered to help look for pika colonies as part of a research project at Rocky Mountain National Park, she heard her first "EEEEP" and saw many tailless pikas running around rocks, looking for flowers!