Kamala (any pronouns) comes from a large dog family where there were at least six dogs at every family gathering. And of all the dog lovers in their family, they were the one affectionately dubbed the “dog whisperer” by family and friends. Growing up in West Marin, surrounded by nature, she developed a passion for animal behavior, wildlife, and leadership at a young age. Her first job at age fifteen, she worked at a doggy daycare in Mill Valley where she cared for up to thirty dogs at a time. She was an outdoor leader and Nature Guru at the City of Berkeley’s Echo Lake Camp in the Sierra, as well as their Tuolumne Family Camp near Yosemite, where she ran the nature program, and educated children and families on native plants and animals. Their other interests include writing, filmmaking, video, editing, painting, rock climbing, and hiking.