Rachael Dochinger was born and raised in Fort Myers, Florida. As a kid she explored swamp and marine ecosystems learning how to sail, windsurf, scuba dive, and snorkel. Rachael got her Bachelor’s of Science in food systems and environmental studies with a minor in community and international development at University of Vermont. During her time at university she did undergraduate research in a botany and phytology lab where she assisted masters student with their research and created permanent slides for the university’s personal herbarium. After college Rachael became a field ecologist technician where she collected scientific data on things like mosquitos, beetles, ticks, and mice. From there she moved home and worked for a tour company leading eco tours on kayaks. This experience helped her realize her continuous passion to share knowledge with others as well as her love for outdoor education. From there she decided to come to APU to pursue a masters in outdoor and environmental education. She spent this summer connecting with the APU community and working as an instructor at Camp Kellogg. Rachael’s favorite things to do are hiking, traveling, reading, having movie nights with friends, and doing arts and crafts when she has time.