I began growing California native milkweed four years ago and started an amateur study of monarchs and their lifecycles. That led to learning about and planting native in my yard, which brought me to an exploration of the native (and non-native) insects in my area. I also have a small backyard pond and have enjoyed watching an ecosystem spring up around it, with local and migratory birds, dragonflies, mud daubers, and other wildlife accessing the small waterfall daily.

My current focus remains on monarchs, native bees, and other insects that have made my local plants a habitat.