My love of nature, nurtured by reading every book John Muir ever wrote, inspired me to become knowledgeable on a myriad of natural history topics. I studied at Cornell University and in 1975 received a degree in Environmental Conservation. My earliest job in my field involved working with Oregon State University during the years seminal research was happening on old-growth forests at the HJ Andrews Experimental Forests in Blue River, Oregon . After moving to Juneau, Alaska I participated in teaching opportunities--mostly in the field--from the Sea Week program for kids and Road Scholar (formerly Elderhostel). An appreciation of NPR lead me to work at KTOO and KHNS which included co-hosting the We Like Kids! show which often incorporated science and nature themes. On moving to Haines on my sailboat, I took a job as a naturalist guide for Haines-based Alaska Nature Tours. Along the way, I found time to write books, including "Native Plants of Southeast Alaska", a series of guides on the Mushrooms of Alaska and "A Naturalist's Guide to Haines, Alaska."