Growing up on military bases gave Michelle a taste for travel and ample opportunity to explore a variety of bioregions. Whether catching fireflies on the prairie, or collecting olive shells on a Pacific beach, fascination with life on this planet has been a constant in her life. 

Michelle studied Sonoran desert ecosystems at the University of Arizona, graduating with a B.S. in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology in 1990. From the desert Southwest, Michelle moved to the temperate rainforest of Southeast Alaska, living in the small coastal community of Haines for several years and working as an interpretive naturalist, guide and educator.  Michelle has been part of the Lindblad expedition staff since 1998, as a naturalist, Undersea Specialist and Expedition Leader. In 2006, Michelle earned an M.S. in Marine Biology at San Francisco State University, completing her thesis on the effects of changing ocean climate on the kelp forest fish community off Santa Cruz Island, California. Michelle and her husband Mark live aboard their Morgan 38, and sail whenever possible. Since 2001, they’ve explored the Pacific Northwest, San Francisco Bay, Southern California and the Gulf of California.