I've been learning identification, edibility, and medicinal uses of plants for most of my life. And I try to spend as much time as possible in nature.

When I was about 14 when I was lucky enough to attend a workshop led by a Native American of Cherokee ancestry who had retained her culture's traditions and knowledge of the Ohio River Valley. She taught us about all the edible and medicinal plants that you could find in a typical Ohio yard and I never forgot them, that was one of the initial sparks for a lifetime passion. I bought her book and a few other herbal books and read them multiple times over! I like to learn the historical uses of plants more than the ID info and enjoy reading multiple sources and cultural perspectives. I also enjoy putting the information into practice and have experimented with plant and mushroom medicines, and forage regularly. Lately I have been focused on learning to ID more mushrooms, understory plants, and insects.