Born and raised on the East Coast, Sonja moved out to California for college, fell in love with the mountains, and never looked back. After receiving her doctorate in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley, Sonja went on to teach ecology, evolution and plant biology at Berkeley where she mentored new instructors and designed field-based exercises to get her students outside and exploring the natural world. For the past decade, Sonja has made her home in the Sierra, learning more about the plants, animals and history of the region while out hiking, climbing, and exploring. In addition to her work as a guide, Sonja has worked as a wildlife biologist for the CA Department of Fish and Wildlife, a wilderness ranger in Yosemite, and has been published in The Economist for her research on fisheries issues in Southwestern Alaska. She has been committed to making the outdoors safe and accessible to all, spending several years volunteering as a team member for Inyo County Search and Rescue and as an adaptive ski instructor for Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra.

Sonja loves to share her knowledge of wildlife biology, ecology, and sustainable recreation with others so they can experience Yosemite with the same sense of wonder she first had. Sonja is certified as a Wilderness First Responder (WFR).