Michael grew up in the United States, and received his undergraduate education at Dartmouth College where he earned an honours B.A. in cultural anthropology and biology in 1968. He moved to Vancouver, British Columbia with his wife Carolyn to do graduate work at UBC, from which he earned a Ph.D. in resource ecology. He also qualified as a secondary school teacher and taught science and mathematics in Vancouver area public schools for several years. In 1978 he returned to UBC to join the Faculty of Education, where he taught teacher preparation courses in environmental education and science teaching methods. In 1984 Michael joined the B.C. provincial civil service in Victoria, serving in a variety of management roles in the Ministry of Education, including assistant director of curriculum, director of research and development for the provincial education technology centre, and director of planning for the Ministry. Michael retired from the provincial civil service in 2000.
Michael and Carolyn moved to Galiano Island, British Columbia in 1979, where they raised their son Peter. Michael is active in the Galiano community, and has served on the boards of a number of local community organizations. Personal interests include birdwatching, natural history, gardening, photography, hiking, and travel.
