James was fortunate to have a wonderous childhood with plenty of time shared among friends and family in the magic of the outdoors.  For over two decades, he’s developed and helped manage parks, camps, outreach programs, nature centers, their staff and volunteers of all ages, spanning both the Chesapeake and San Francisco Bay regions.  He has worked with countless families, school systems, special interest groups, service organizations, corporations, and non-profits.  James attended the University of South Carolina and earned a B. S. degree in Marine Science.  While there he also developed a fluency in Spanish, which he enjoys using on travel excursions in some of Latin America’s most incredible wild spaces.  James holds a Master of Arts degree in Teaching Biology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.

Over many years of managing nature centers in both Maryland and California, James would often host open-ended outdoor experiences for his friends and their kids.  While raising his own children in California he started a drop-in “Sunday Nature School,” which came to Maryland as Lure of the Wild Nature Camps in 2021.

James’ goal is to help parents feel more comfortable giving their kids the space they need to more fully engage in and develop their natural senses of wonder and curiosity.  Letting children explore freely might sound new and dangerous in our screen- and technology-entrenched world, but it is in fact a thousands-year-old human tradition that continues to help people develop a healthy sense of reasonable risk and safety, naturally, through real world experience.  It also happens to provide a wonder-stoked childhood from which to build a life filled with curiosity, care, and imagination that will fuel a positive future for all.