Growing up my career goals included being able to giggle often and look at trees. To the naked eye, these seem juvenile. However, I now realize these "childish dreams" were rooted in a love for nature, science, and conservation. I recognized our resources were changing and felt that I had no way to help our evolving environment. This desire to increase my scientific knowledge and put that knowledge to use for the health of both humans and the environment is what fuels me every day in my career and quest for continued education. While my childhood career goals still bring me joy, they have evolved. These now include working to share co-produced knowledge with tribal members and scientists. My research focuses on blending Western science & Indigenous knowledge through education and risk-based evaluation of HABs in sea otter stomach contents.