"Katie Finnigan has been an exceptional student in my theory and research methods courses. She is a very critical thinker, but also exceedingly thoughtful and empathetic, in particular if it comes to the human experience of place and landscape. Her ideas are highly original, and she is driven by a strong ethos that foregrounds landscape as something that is central to human culture and to the individual ability to grow as human beings and build community. While she is very concerned with the “big topics”, such as equity or climate change, she does not just see them as large-scale planning and policy issues, but is thinking deeply how those affect communities and individuals in place."
-Associate Professor Joern Langhorst
BS | Cal Poly Humboldt
Natural Resource Planning and Interpretation
Fall 2012
MLA I CU Denver
Summer 2023
EDUCATION
"It was a pleasure to have Kathryn Finnigan as a volunteer at my eco resort, The Lost and Found... Katie instantly became an important part of the team understanding that the tasks she participated in were part of our larger vision to introduce ecotourism to an impoverished community. From greeting customers to hard work maintaining our trails Katie followed through with enthusiasm.
Katie was comfortable leading new volunteers especially with special creative art projects using recycled materials. These have become a permanent part of our guest’s experiences. Her artwork is integrated as part of a wildly popular treasure hunt. Her art installations with bilingual trail markers along the main path to our lodge were featured on television travel documentaries.
Leaving the comforts of home to face the often stressful life of Central America is not easy for anyone, but Katie is an open minded adventurer that found opportunity in an environment that often gets the best of people. She not only thrived in this environment, but she did so with a contagious smile that made the challenges we all faced a lot more fun."
- Patrick McGreer (Lost and Found Eco-Lodge Owner)
