Get to know Brooke Marshall, Proposal Coordinator

Hometown:

Originally from Bel Air, located in Harford County, Maryland. Harford County has over 57,093 acres of preserved agricultural areas and farmland, making it a rural place to grow up.

Professional area of expertise:

I really enjoy technical and social media writing.

Favorite album:

It’s a three-way tie between IV by Zeppelin, The Bends by Radiohead, and Meddle by Pink Floyd.

Favorite ecosystem:

I love salt marshes. Growing up, I took a lot of trips to the Eastern Shore [of the Chesapeake Bay in Maryland] where they are prevalent. My mom now lives in a neighborhood in Bishopville, MD, situated on a golf course that is surrounded by marshes. When I go to visit, we take frequent walks around the area, checking out the different animals living in the marshes, including crabs and herons.

Salt marsh and wild ponies on Assateague Island, MD

Go-to stress reliever:

Spending time with my chickens is my stress reliever. I have seven laying hens ranging in age and breed, meaning they all have different personalities and it’s entertaining and relaxing watching them free-range around our yard. I also enjoy practicing yoga and tending the garden in the warmer months.

Brooke’s backyard chickens

New skill/hobby developed during the lockdown days of COVID:

I started working with Kate Cambell Floral Design, a freelance floral designer who uses locally sourced flowers to create amazing pieces for weddings and special events. She believes in using the natural bend of flowers to create the shapes of her pieces, which is really beautiful to watch and assist in creating.

Role model:

My role models are my parents! They’re absolute rock stars and my best friends.

Favorite podcast:

Not Past It” on Spotify! Each week the host picks a different point in history that happened during that same week in the past, highlighting areas of cultural and racial injustice, environmental issues, and much more. I definitely recommend it.

Something people may not know about you:

I really love writing poetry. I grew up reading and writing and was involved in a lot of different writing clubs in high school, including Journalism and Creative Writing club.

Brooke in Big Sur, CA

Childhood ambition:

I was absolutely sure that I was going to be like Anthony Bourdain and be a traveling food writer.

Pets:

Aside from the chickens, I have a six-year-old black cat that I rescued from the local humane society four years ago when I got my first apartment. In true black cat fashion, she’s incredibly affectionate. We also have a two-year-old border collie named Morrison (Morri for short). She is rambunctious, definitely smarter than me, and will be very vocal if she wants something.

Morri

Favorite activity to do out in nature?

We do a lot of camping when we have the time. I’ve recently gotten into learning more about mushrooms and mycology to be able to forage while we’re on our trips.

Volunteer work:

I run transports for Keller’s Cause. They are an amazing 501c3 organization that transports, fosters, and adopts double merle (blind, deaf, or blind/deaf) special needs dogs, which are typically products of overbreeding dogs with certain gene types.

Best Biohabitats moment so far:

Maybe not best but certainly funniest, it was my third day, and I went to the bathroom after about three Teams meetings, only to realize that somehow, I put my button-up shirt on inside out.

Morri joins Brooke and her partner for a hike in Harper’s Ferry, WV