I joined iNaturalist in late 2015, when I was primarily a birder who had always had an interest in anything living. I was instantly hooked on iNat, and began actively uploading observations of anything and everything. I now consider myself a well-rounded naturalist, but birds remain my primary interest. I am originally from San Diego, but currently reside in the Midwest. I graduated in May of 2023 from the University of Kansas, majoring in Ecology, Evolutionary and Organismal Biology, and am returning to KU to begin my graduate studies in fall of 2024. I have worked on a wide range of projects, mainly surveying birds and plants, from the Northwoods of Maine, to the Ozarks of Missouri, the Cordillera de Talamanca in Costa Rica, and the northern Cascades of Washington.

On iNaturalist, I tend to spend the spring and summer months submitting observations, and in fall and winter I do a lot of identifications. I identify bird observations worldwide, but I focus on reviewing birds from Central America. I also review specific families and genera such as Trochilidae, Calidris, Empidonax, Contopus, Momotus, and Dendrocolaptinae. When I do identifications, I am typically doing hundreds a day, and don’t comment on most. If you have any questions about an identification I provide, please tag me and I will try to respond. If I miss a comment, PM me – I’m usually good at responding to tags, but I’ll never miss a direct message. If you find yourself in Lawrence, KS, I am always happy to get out in the field with other naturalists.

Areas of expertise:
-Birds of North America
-Birds of Central America
-Birds of South America

Areas with a strong working knowledge:
-Birds of the world
-Flora and fauna of San Diego county
-Flora and fauna of the central Midwest (Kansas/Missouri)
-Flora and fauna of the Northwoods of Maine
-Flora and fauna of the Northern Cascades of Washington

Areas with general knowledge:
-Butterflies of North America
-Dragonflies and Damselflies of North America
-Intertidal species of San Diego county