Ashley was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and visited Jackson with her family for the first time when she was five. She spent summers at the late Crescent-H Ranch in Wilson, WY, returning year after year to cultivate her connection with the ecosystem and learn the landscape. While earning her B.A. in English at the University of Kentucky, Ashley spent summers in Grand Teton National Park, working as a wrangler/horseback guide through Jackson Lake Lodge. Here, she developed much of her formal knowledge about the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem, as well as her interest Western American literature.
Along with her summers in GTNP, Ashley’s long-lived reverence for the landscapes of Northwest Wyoming inspired her academic career path. She went on to earn two more degrees in English: her M.A. at The University of Oregon, and her Ph.D. at The University of North Texas, both of which focused on environmental and Western American literature, and the environmental humanities (environmental literature, history, and philosophy). She has taught at various universities throughout the U.S., with classes focused on environmental and environmental justice literature, ecology and the mind, and equity in outdoor recreation. As an academic, Ashley lived as what author Gretel Erlich calls “a culture straddler”: she spent the school year living where work took her, but always returned to Jackson for summer and winter “breaks” (this time allowed her to conduct research and write, and to work her summer job as a gardener). After 15 years in higher education, Ashley is thrilled to return to Jackson full time to share her experience, knowledge, and love for the region with visitors from around the world as an EcoTour Adventuress wildlife naturalist guide.
Book Your Trip Today!
Call (307) 690 - 9533
for more details or customized private trips.
