I’ve tried to help make this a healthier planet my whole adult life. I went to college with the goal was of promoting sustainable agriculture in the tropics, earning a B.S. in Plant Science (tree crops) from UC Davis and an M.S. in Botany from the University of Florida. I did my thesis research in a Costa Rican rainforest (on roots), followed by a ten-month internship in Panama. This didn’t lead to the career I had hoped for, and I explored being a researcher, a teacher, and the head of a small land conservancy before I found work in environmental consulting, a career that I pursued for two decades.
My work surveying biological resources on sites slated for development allowed me to explore wildlands throughout southern California. As I observed native plant communities, I gained an appreciation for how they fit together in space and change over time. I balanced my professional work with volunteer activities, becoming a leader in the California Native Plant Society at both the State and the local level, where I started the Gardening Committee (and several others) and served as Chapter President for four years.
My favorite part of consulting work was habitat restoration, because I was helping create something that wasn’t there before. My interest in designing native landscapes for homeowners grew out of a desire to bring some of the beauty I’ve experienced in nature back into our everyday urban lives. I hope that as more people enjoy native plants where they live, our connection to the natural world will grow and the desire to protect what’s left will blossom.
My work surveying biological resources on sites slated for development allowed me to explore wildlands throughout southern California. As I observed native plant communities, I gained an appreciation for how they fit together in space and change over time. I balanced my professional work with volunteer activities, becoming a leader in the California Native Plant Society at both the State and the local level, where I started the Gardening Committee (and several others) and served as Chapter President for four years.
My favorite part of consulting work was habitat restoration, because I was helping create something that wasn’t there before. My interest in designing native landscapes for homeowners grew out of a desire to bring some of the beauty I’ve experienced in nature back into our everyday urban lives. I hope that as more people enjoy native plants where they live, our connection to the natural world will grow and the desire to protect what’s left will blossom.
