I have always been interested in nature... from my first memories I was always finding animals, bugs, plants, creatures of any sort. I grew up on a farm in the midwest so there was ample opportunity for exploration. Science has always fascinated me, but I wasn't sure where to focus that energy, so I got my undergrad degree in biology. That wasn't really enough for me, so I got my grad degree in biomedical visualization, sort of medical and scientific illustration. I moved to the San Francisco Bay Area to pursue this, and now run my own company, doing graphic design and illustration for primarily biotech. I also volunteered at the Silicon Valley Wildlife Center for 6 years, using my love for nature and background in medicine to help orphaned and injured creatures.

The bay area is so rich in nature, it is truly my home now, and I've passed this passion on to my daughter, now 13, who is every bit as fascinated with it as I still am. She finds things and we identify, photograph (often adding illustration) and note as we can. I am excited to have found this site, both for a way to explore new creatures others have located as well as a way to categorize what we find.