I have been a student of the natural world my entire life. The first “big word” I learned as a child was “observant.” My mother used it to describe my attention to the world around me.

We moved around a lot, but I always had a special place outside. In California it was the thick-leafed cherry-laurel in the front of our apartment building and the mosquito-larvae-filled puddles formed during the wet season. In Connecticutt it was the tree-covered hillside with salamanders in the creek at the end of our dead-end street, then on to the miles of trails through small forest pockets and hidden groves of boulders in the Navy housing where we later lived. In Washington, it’s been the steep “secret” woods across the street, trail-laden Sehome Hill, and now my own personal paradise - Scarboro Hill.

I didn’t receive any formal education about nature until college. An accounting major to begin with, I had the very good fortune of signing up for a geology class to fulfill a science requirement. One class led to another and I soaked up as much information as I could about the world around me.

Now I am a park ranger and get to spend my days out in nature, helping wildlife and sharing what I have learned with our park visitors. I started this site so that I can reach more people.

Pull up a chair and stay awhile. I have gathered a lot of information over the years and I would love to share it with you!