Angelica Hatke grew up living back and forth between rural places in the Shenandoah Valley and similarly wild parts Northern Tuscany, Italy.  She graduated from college in 2026 with a degree in general biology. Angelica has volunteered since 2017 as a specimen preparator for the Smithsonian Conservation Biology Institute where she gained a stronger passion for local conservation work. Angelica’s interests include ornithology, geology, paleontology, museums, and watercolor painting. She spends her free time watching birds and painting dinosaurs.