Drew has a passion for conservation starting from yearly backpacking trips as a child. He graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo with a Bachelor’s degree in Forestry and Natural Resources  and a Master’s degree in Forestry Sciences. His research for his master’s thesis focusing on suspended sediment following timber harvest was disrupted by the Lockheed Fire in 2009 at Swanton Pacific Ranch, which turned into an opportunity to focus on erosional processes following wildfire.  Drew spent 3 years serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in the South Pacific between his bachelor’s and master’s degrees working with villages on adopting marine protected areas (MPA’s), various water quality improvement projects, and environmental education at the primary school. He worked at the NRCS over the past 14 years gaining invaluable experience in conservation planning and project implementation with farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners.  In his free time, Drew enjoys surfing, hiking, traveling and spending time with his family.