This week’s spotlighted MHS graduate is Daniel Hagaman from the class of 1989. I had the opportunity to hold an in-person interview with Daniel over lunch at Acoustic Café while he was visiting his parents in Menomonie.
We started off getting reacquainted with each other and talking about Daniel’s memories of Menomonie. When I asked him what he best remembers, Daniel was quick to respond with “track and cross country.” Since then, he’s had a lifelong love of running (as well as mountain biking and hiking). In fact, he had completed a run before we met for lunch!
At MHS, he learned that he had a strong interest in building construction and drawing. It was at that time that he set his sights on becoming an architect. After studying graphic design and architecture for two years at the University of Minnesota, Daniel was drawn into the beginnings of his Central and South American cultural experiences by spending 1992 in Mexico, studying that country’s language and culture. He described this as his “life-changing moment.” This experience sparked a desire to learn Spanish and experience other cultures first-hand.
After earning a B.A. in Anthropology (with an emphasis on Latin American Studies and Archaeology) from the University of Colorado in Boulder in 1996, Daniel spent a full year in an exchange program in Costa Rica. In 2006 he earned his M.S. in Land Resources at the Gaylord Nelson Institute for Environmental Studies in Madison. Since then there’s been no stopping him! Daniel has lived and taught in Bolivia (where he served from 1998-2001 in the Peace Corps, concentrating on environmental studies and eco-tourism), Costa Rica, Mexico, New Zealand, Chile and Argentina. He’s also served as a naturalist guide and conservation photographer while being involved in safely leading backcountry day-excursions and teaching the natural history of the area.
During his career, Daniel has led field studies programs throughout Latin America, and at Camp Denali in Alaska’s Denali National Park. Since 2015, he has also led many diverse programs with the environmentally conscious travel company Natural Habitat Adventures based in Colorado that promotes “Conservation Through Exploration.”
When Daniel isn’t traveling the world and sharing his knowledge about the environment, natural resources and sustainable energy, he loves leading trekking and camping trips. Daniel, his wife Esther, and his son Ruben, live in Paonia, Colorado, on the state’s Western Slope of the Rocky Mountains. In his free time (how is that even possible?), he is a gardener, a photographer, and an explorer of the canyons and ranges of the American Southwest. Traveling for Daniel is a lifestyle, but it is also a privilege that many people do not have. Living in other cultures has given him new perspectives, new ideas, and allowed him to reflect on the importance of involving local communities with conservation efforts.
This article ends in Daniel’s own words: “I love teaching others about the importance and beauty of wild places, of the animals and plants that inhabit those spaces where people are sparse. My hope is to instill a sense of awe and inspire others to help protect these environments for future generations. In other words, to be good stewards of the land, the same land that gives us clean water, clean air and inspiration for life.”
If you’re interested in learning more about Daniel’s experiences, here’s how:Natural Habitat Adventures—Conservation Through Exploration: NATHAB.COM
Webpage: handseyephotography.com
Instagram: handseyephoto
