I am a current high schooler based in Irvine, CA, and have loved animals all of my life. However, I was able to strengthen my connection with nature after discovering birding through the Sea and Sage Audubon Society summer camps. Soon afterwards, I went vegan at the age of 12 to combat animal cruelty and environmental destruction. Around the same time, I was able to create a native plant garden, with a focus on California coastal sage scrub. One year later, I became a Climate Reality Leader, giving presentations on climate change, while simultaneously starting a YouTube channel and website to educate people about environmentalism during the pandemic. Also during this time, I began volunteering for habitat restorations and beach cleanups, but I have recently expanded that to include being a Least Tern monitor for California State Parks, starting an environmental club called EVOLVE at my high school, and being a Cool Block Leader and student representative for Cool Irvine, my city's climate program. In 2021, I delved deeper into birding after meeting @thesurfbirder and @itazura. I was then introduced to iNaturalist by @thesurfbirder while being an assistant at the very camps in which I had started birding. With a new lens for my parents' old DSLR, I immersed myself into the incredible world of iNaturalist. This platform has allowed me to continuously learn about and appreciate the wonders of the natural world. Alongside my newfound desire to explore nature, at the beginning of 2023, I published my first novel, "Auctioning Off Existence: The Tragedy of the Amazon Rainforest," a project I worked on throughout 7th and 8th grade. Over the next few years, I hope to keep doing all I can for animals and the environment, as well as trying to make iNaturalist a welcoming space for others, just as it has been for me.

Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions (I can probably best help with queries about human impact and veganism) or with any environmental/nature related opportunities!

Contact me at aashaymody@hotmail.com
Ebird: https://ebird.org/profile/MTE1ODQ0Nw