Jason Mays

Jason is a native of the North Carolina Mountains, having grown up along the banks of the New River near Boone NC. He began snorkeling in the local streams at an early age and spent much of his youth fishing and paddling. As a young adult, Jason spent several years guiding whitewater paddling trips on several southeastern rivers, before deciding to continue his education and pursue his interest in riverine ecosystems. Jason completed an undergraduate degree in biology at UNC Chapel Hill. During this time, he conducted studies of aquatic salamanders in the Nantahala National Forest, looking for new species among isolated populations. Jason continued on to complete a master’s degree in fisheries science from NC State University where he focused on the effects of pollution on the region’s freshwater mussels. He has been a professional biologist for almost 20 years and has spent much of that time performing snorkel surveys to find some of the rarest species in the region. Jason still prefers to spend his free time in the river and enjoys teaching others about our area’s natural resources, believing that giving people hands on experience in nature is the most effective tool for preserving our natural heritage.