Rae grew up exploring the pockets of woodland that surrounded her family’s farm and spent most of her summers outdoors and under the tree canopy. Her passion for both flora and fauna led her to study wildlife conservation in northern Tanzania, which informed her undergraduate degree in environmental sciences, focused on wildlife conservation, as well as her master’s degree in landscape architecture. Nowadays, she enjoys assisting volunteer organizations caring for Chicagoland’s urban trees and exploring niche habitats in green spaces around Chicago.

Rae joined Living Habitats as a landscape designer after graduating with a Master of Landscape Architecture from the University of Oregon and a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan. She worked as a residential landscape designer in western Michigan prior to graduate school and advocated for the incorporation of native species in her gardens. She enjoys large-scale, ecologically focused projects that prioritize resilience and multi-purpose functionality. With design experience stemming from her education in both the Midwest and Pacific Northwest, Rae utilizes in-depth research to produce designs that balance ecology and aesthetics. At Living Habitats, Rae also uses her graphic skills to effectively present and document projects for clients and facilitate collaboration within the Living Habitats team.

“I was very fortunate to work on the Wallis Annenberg Wildlife Crossing in Agoura Hills, California during my time at Living Habitats. I enjoyed the wide array of topics this project involved, from complex grading challenges to detailing roadway jump-outs for mountain lions and other wildlife. Once complete, the wildlife crossing will connect formerly fragmented habitat and make movement safer for wildlife, in addition to protecting drivers on the 101 freeway. I’m so excited to see the crossing as it currently undergoes construction and begins to deliver on the vision of wildlife connectivity and improved roadway safety.”