Joined: Sep 4, 2018 Last Active: Oct 9, 2024 iNaturalist Monthly Supporter since September 2019
I've lived at Lake Tahoe since 2005 and, ever since moving here, have fallen in love with the place. Although I’ve been playing outside my entire life, it's only been in the last few years that I've begun to consider myself a naturalist. This became clear as my focus shifted from logging miles to logging identifications. Now it takes me forever to get anywhere in the backcountry!
In addition to going out and enjoying what Tahoe has to offer, I publish a hiking, backpacking, cross-country skiing, and snowshoeing blog (https://TahoeTrailGuide.com) and supporting YouTube channel (https://www.youtube.com/jaredmanninen) that focus on recreating in the region. I'm primarily interested in species and information about the flora and fauna of Lake Tahoe and the surrounding Sierra Nevada Mountains. So, whenever possible, I include in my articles imagery and information about Sierra Nevada wildlife and plant life. My intention is to inspire people to look closer at the world around them and develop a greater appreciation for the outdoors.
In 2020, I became a certified CA Naturalist through Lake Tahoe Community College's Wilderness Education and Outdoor Leadership program. Other than the CA Naturalist cert and the wilderness courses I've taken, I actually don't have any extensive formal education in the natural sciences (BA in technical writing w/minor in fine arts and AA in business). So, I appreciate any and all help with my identifications.
In the meantime, iNat's wonderful community of observers and identifiers has provided me with a crash-course in naturalism. I'm so glad I finally got on-board in earnest (in 2019) because it's enabled me to have a richer outdoor experience.