Well, maybe. My Mombo, Cathy, said it started the day I was born. You see, back in the Cretaceous Period, when disposable diapers first reared their stinky heads, mom couldn’t wait to finally have it easy. She washed each and every cloth diaper for my two older brothers, and when they put a “pamper” on my newborn ass I got a rash. I guess I’ve hated single use plastic since.

Fast forward to my love of all the land, water, and air creatures that asked me to be their voice. I earned a Biology degree from Fort Lewis College in Durango in the mid 90’s, and fell in love with Ornithology, the study of birds. I’ve worked on oodles of projects since then, and still try to keep one foot inside that door, to this day.

Feeling anxious to leave the Southwest in the late 1990’s, I became a SCUBA instructor in Southeast Asia, fulfilling a dream of diving every damn day. It turns out that receiving a paycheck for the thing you love the most can almost ruin it. And, I missed my birdies.

There’s so many other hats I’ve worn, and most every one was about wildlife research and education about different ecosystems. Add Cave guide to the mix, and I’ve covered the air, ocean, and underearth in these escapades. The thing that kept eating at me was that nothing was being done through legislation to protect the Critters, large and small, from human infringement and exploitation.

And…WeFill was born! Every time someone refills and buys local, package/plastic-free household and personal care goods, a tally mark is recorded. This tangible change I can look at every day is my reminder that WeFill and the beautiful communities of the Four Corners Area are committed to protecting our fragile, yet resilient ecosystems. Now, this is progress!

And, the bonus bits? I couldn’t do any of this without my beautiful Mom, Cathy. She has supported me through all my unconventional endeavors and encouraged me to pursue any and all of my dreams. Working with her at WeFill is the cherry on top!