Undergrad degree from UCB '74 in Biological Ecology (I think that's what it was called.) Evolution, Ecology, Taxonomy were my main interests. Grew up reading books by JH Fabre (mostly translations by Alexander Teixeira de Mattos), I later read books by Niko Tinbergen, Jay Gould, E O Wilson and others. Wilson is a particular hero of mine.

While I have worked most of my life as an electrician I have never lost my love for the natural world which has been my special place of comfort, joy and refuge since I was 2 and a half years old in our wild backyard lot on east 15th street in East Oakland. As an undergraduate at Berkeley in the early 1970's I learned of the existential threat posed to the natural world by human activities and numbers. (I = PAT) Human impact is directly proportional to Population Numbers, Activity levels or Affluence and the Technologies Employed. Often it is a difficult equation to give specific quantitative values and units, but these days global climate change gives fairly clear and specific values for at least that small part of the larger impact.

My interests are: Native California species (Plants, Birds, Butterflies, Mammals, Reptiles, Amphibians). I also have particular interest in native plant species that are grown as ornamentals. I am interested also in the weedy plants that grow in abandoned lots, invasive garden species, and backyard animals (Arthropods, Birds, Mammals, Salamanders).

I find that I am learning a lot using iNaturalist. Many of the names of things that I thought I knew have changed and the number of species in each Genera seems to have grown though that may simply be a reflection of my previous ignorance. Thank you all, particularly iNaturalist staff but also all of the wider community, for all that you have done to create this space. I feel like I have found a home.