Having spent the past two years teaching English in rural Japan as part of the JET program, Chris recently returned to the U.S. His interest and involvement in environmental issues was strongly influenced by a seven-month overland backpacking trip from Japan to West Africa. The call of the open road, getting lost in the wilderness, and good beer are among his passions. Chris graduated from Washington and Lee University with a degree in history and poverty studies. He currently works for an outdoor education organization in Pittsburgh, Pa.