About Me

Holding a Grey Cat Snake in Thailand

Hola! My name is Brad Nissen and I'm a goofball. I'm always looking forward to my next adventure, and I enjoy telling stories. I love to travel, spend time outside, and explore. I have been fascinated with exploring the great outdoors since I was very young. I grew up in Charlottesville, VA without a TV - which caused me to spend most of my childhood playing outdoors or reading books. I was a member of the Boy Scouts of America, which meant many weekends spent camping, backpacking, and developing valuable outdoor and leadership skills. At the age of 16, I achieved the rank of Eagle Scout - one of my proudest accomplishments. Spending so much time outside as a kid has shaped who I am today, and helps to drive my passion for wildlife and conservation.

While in middle school, I had the opportunity to travel to Guatemala on a mission trip to construct concrete stoves for poor villagers in the highlands. As my first trip abroad, this experience awakened me to the vast differences in cultures and wealth across the globe, and inspired me to make a difference in the world. Since then, I have been on many different adventures and visited a multitude of fascinating places... and still can't seem to cure the itch to explore and conserve as much of this wonderful planet as possible.

After high school, I attended the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg, VA and graduated with a B.S. degree in Environmental Science. A few highlights of these four fun years included learning to SCUBA dive, studying Spanish in Ecuador, working as a camp counselor at Seacamp in the Florida Keys, and traveling to the Everglades. After graduating, I recognized that I wanted to take a break from school but struggled with the question, "What do you want to do with your life?" So I got a job as a bartender at a local restaurant while I tried to figure out my next move.

Trying on a tortoise shell  in the Galapagos Islands

I have always known that I would like to work with animals, and as I have grown older I've realized just how much these creatures need our help. After graduating college, I received an internship at the National Zoo working in the Reptile Discovery Center with Dr. Kim Terrell and her research on Hellbender Salamanders as well as many other reptiles and amphibians. This internship offered a small glimpse into the fascinating realm of herpetology, and provided me with a greater sense of direction by opening my eyes to the many dangers facing these species, especially amphibians. I've decided to pursue working with "herps" in the hopes of helping to preserve the world's biodiversity. I am currently in the process of working a variety of temporary field jobs to increase my herpetology and field biology knowledge/skill set, while exploring the world.

Holding an Eastern Hellbender, with Kim

Although I am still trying to figure out what exactly to do with my life, I'm certainly enjoying the ride. In my free time I get a kick out of going camping, (night) hiking, mountain biking, SCUBA diving, traveling to new places, meeting new people, reading a good book, or simply drinking a few delicious craft beers with friends. 

I started this blog before heading to Thailand to work as an Amphibian Field Technician, as a way to keep my friends and family updated. Traveling and exploring new places is something I am very passionate about, and I've decided to continue this blog as I travel to more new places to share some of my stories and thoughts with friends, family, and the world. Cheers!