Patrick was raised in the Pacific Northwest and spent his childhood years camping, backpacking, and exploring the rivers and forests of the Cascade mountains with his family.  His love of the natural world stems from countless hours spent on his favorite rivers and streams, fishing, skipping rocks, and swimming with his younger brother.  He received his MA in Philosophy from the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque with a strong emphasis on environmental ethics.  He went on to earn his doctorate in Forestry & Conservation from the University of Montana, with a focus on public lands policy and the ethics of wilderness management. He is a strong believer in public lands remaining public and has devoted his career to ensuring that the other-than-human inhabitants of these special places are protected from exploitation.