While studying wildlife sciences at Oregon State University, Braelei published original research on stress physiology in developing birds and worked as a field biologist across the Pacific Northwest, desert Southwest, Northeast coast, and in Southern Australia. During their post-graduate studies at the University of Northern Colorado, Braelei focused on evolutionary ecology and acoustic biophysics, investigating how the physical structure of the environment can affect animal sounds. Around this time, Braelei also co-founded a national caucus of LGBTQ+ avian scientists and consulted for the Oregon Biodiversity Information Center as an endangered species specialist. Braelei currently works as a naturalist educator and content creator for North America’s largest conservation nonprofit, the National Wildlife Federation. In addition, they enjoy working as a freelance wildlife biologist, conservationist, photographer, and an adventure tour guide around Denver, Colorado. They love sharing a sense of exploration, wonder, and appreciation for the environment and its creatures. Besides outdoor activities like birding, backpacking, and rock climbing, Braelei also enjoys storytelling, both in the forms of fantasy novel writing and as an avid Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master. They have led a middle school program and a climate-focused program in Alaska.