I have been curious and observant of Earth's life forms since childhood (humans inclusive!). As a kid, tide pools were the exciting habitat, and in college I discovered the fascinating worlds of flowering plants and insects through environmental studies courses. (Picture me walking about campus and riding shuttles with a butterfly net in hand for three months straight.) One fateful Christmas Eve day, my partner and I followed our curiosity to identify a small hawk in his parents' back yard, and soon became avid birders. Being a birder, especially with mutual reinforcement from my excellent birding buddy, launched me into a new and wonderful level of being an amateur naturalist. I have been looking for ways to integrate and increase my knowledge of plants, insects, mammals, and reptiles. I look forward to filling in observations and interacting with fellow naturalists! I use eBird for bird observations, and iNaturalist for all other taxa.