Bretwood "Hig" Higman, PhD

Co-founder and Executive Director of Ground Truth Trekking, He and Erin Mckittrick are responsible for the exisistence, vision, and ongoing development of the organization. In particular Hig specializes in website development, photography, figure creation, and of course the Journeys that explore the "ground truth" of natural resources issues in Alaska.

Hig received a PhD in geology from the University of Washington in 2007, following a BA in geology from Carleton College in 1999. He studied the geologic record of tsunamis and has particular expertise in geologic hazards, sedimentology, and geomorphology. More broadly he studied geology, physics, and computer science. Hig has also studied Yoshokai Aikido, invented the jewelry manufacturing method behind Sundrop Jewelry, and sews some of the gear for expeditions.

Hig grew up in Seldovia, Alaska, where his family moved when he was 8 months old. After graduating from high-school there he spent 13 years in college and grad school, studying glass art, and walking from Seattle to the Aleutians before moving back to Seldovia. He and Erin now live in a yurt a hundred yards from his mother where they're raising their children and running Ground Truth Trekking.

Erin McKittrick, M.S.

Co-founder and Director of GTT. In addition to overseeing GTT and planning the journeys, Erin is one of Ground Truth Trekking's primary writers, responsible for communication of our mission and journeys through essays, books, blogging, media coverageand Facebook. On journeys, you'll find her taking long notes on every day of a trip. Erin also edits and writes issues article on the site and has taken many of GTT's most memorable photographs (she's a photographer when the kids let her be, anyway).

Before moving to Seldovia, Erin grew up in Seattle. She received a MS in Molecular Biology from the University of Washington in 2005, following a BA in biology from Carleton College in 2001. She met Hig in college, studying aikido (which she studied for many years both before and after college). Erin and Hig have been trekking together for over a decade, logging over 7500 miles of wilderness travel, mostly in Alaska. Their son Katmai joined them in 2009, and in 2011 his sister Lituya became part of the expeditions as well.

David Coil, PhD

David is a long-time member of GTT, now a Director, has written most of the articles on natural resources issues such as Coal and Metals Mining and has participated in the evolution of Ground Truth Trekking and this website.

Originally from Colorado, David received a B.A. in Biology from Carleton College in 1999 and a PhD in Biology from the University of Washington/Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in 2005. He has done post-doctoral work in Belgium and at the UC Davis in California.

David currently lives in Northern CA where he and his family enjoy hiking, fishing, hunting, camping and rafting. In addition to working for Ground Truth Trekking, David is involved in outreach/education in Microbiology and in Genomics.