I'm an attorney who grew up on the East Coast: New York, New Hampshire, and Maine. After moving to California in 1980, and making mistakes with planting ornamentals in my yard, I fell in love with California native plants. I joined the California Native Plant Society and went on field trips to learn more, which resulted in removing my lawn in 1988 and planting natives. I discovered iNaturalist in 2016, and began by posting only a few observations. When I retired from the practice of law, I had time to take the Mission Trails Regional Park Trail Guide class in 2020. As a result, I learned more about the importance of iNaturalist and how to be a better contributor. Although our Trail Guide classes were interrupted by the pandemic shutdown, I was able to complete the requirements and became a Trail Guide in August 2020. I look forward to the day when I can begin leading nature walks in Mission Trails. In the meantime, I'm hiking, walking, and enjoying the treasures of our natural world.