Finding a New Mission

Six years after retiring from an ivy league university as a research administrator, I have found my calling and a new passion on a little island off the coast of Branford, CT.

In May of 2025 I became a volunteer with the Stewart B. McKinney National Wildlife Refuge (SBMNWR) and Friends of Outer Island. Outer Island is one of the Thimble Islands; the only island opened to the public. It's much smaller than San Nicolas Island, CA, where I was stationed for four years in the US Navy, but it feels similar.

I have found that volunteering as an island docent, giving people tours, sharing the history of the island with visitors, and providing island maintenance, while helping to protect the shore birds that nest there, has opened up a new love for me as I approach my seventh decade.

It feels so wonderful to be part of nature while engaging with the public, and fellow volunteers and refuge staff.