Griffin Hoins

Griffin is interested in people’s relationship with their natural resources, whether it is conservation or utilization-based, and in countries facing the immediate threats of climate change. He wants to visit cultures where the ancient past and present are interwoven, places as diverse in geography and biodiversity, culture, and art from each other as they are from his home in the Pacific Northwest. He will travel to Greenland, Tanzania, Madagascar, India, Nepal, Myanmar, Palau, and Japan, seeking kindness and to gain understanding. On his return he hopes to enact awareness and collaboration help promote a global community.

Alumni Reflections

How did the Bonderman impact your life?

“I don’t know if I can succinctly explain how Bonderman impacted my life without sounding trite, but I will give it a shot. The experience humbled me, altered my perceptions, made me more appreciative of nature and community, made me more conscious and mindful of my actions, and more empathetic to the diversity and complexity of the world. Bonderman has also made it difficult to settle for a ‘real’ job.”

What are you doing now?

“I’m happy to be in a thriving community, enjoying life, on the ocean, in the mountains, and in the forests. I work as a scientific diver, a marine educator on a tall ship, and a ski school director. I am passionate about marine conservation, and I am actively trying to find where I best fit in that space to make the most positive impact. I’m also still traveling and wandering as much as possible.”

Griffin Hoins on Bonderman.