I've been a devotee of documenting flora since first year university. For my Masters I looked through my field herbarium from the arid Klein Karoo region, and realized that many of the Hermannia could not be identified. I figured it was an appropriate way to demonstrate the exceptional diversity of this region, and undertook to elucidate the genus, and all the new species that continue to be discovered.
I am at heart a conservationist dedicated to the protection of the biota of the earth. Knowing what biota look like and where they occur is a first step towards conservation. Next is acting on this information.