Carrie’s fascination with Africa began with a book about African wildlife that she read in her elementary school library. As kids, she and her best friend “practiced” running away to Africa in the woods of Southern New Jersey. While this plan never came to pass, she did get there eventually and fell in love with Africa on her first visit. She went back to train as a Level 1 Field Guide (safari guide) the very next year. There is something about taking steps on African soil that makes her feel at home and connected to the earth. She has traveled to the African continent thirteen times in many years, and loves to share its beauty with first time travelers and those who have caught the bug the way she had. In 2014, she could no longer resist the feeling or her need to give back to the people and wildlife there. She founded the Endangered Canid Project, a not for profit organization that benefits the research and conservation of the African Wild Dog and other endangered species. The organization’s mission is to connect college students to real-world projects that enhance their education and benefit research and conservation. The organization’s flagship current project is with Washington State University for the design and construction of an affordable research drone for conservation.