One of the first things I ever wrote as a young child was a little journal of discoveries in nature while on a family trip near a pond, drawn in crayon and labeled as best as I could. This desire to discover, identify, admire, and share nature has stayed with me for 40 years and has only increased since smart phone cameras have gotten better and access to information has become instantaneous. When I'm looking for inspiration or need a break, I go outside choose a random area or plant and turn over leaves until I find something new, and it never fails. I love this planet and the amazing array of species we share it with, including the oft-overlooked regular things alongside roads and in our backyards.

I gravitate towards insects, fungi, and flowering plants in Pennsylvania's trails and preserves, but lately I have been fascinated by the native and invasive species that we see every day but might not know about their origins and uses.

Avid plant collector and gardener, learning to propagate a variety of plants, and love hiking and kayaking I nature above all else, as my primary job is a designer spending most of my day in front of screens.