Born and raised near Seattle, USA. Bachelor's degree from Oregon State University and a master's degree from Hokkaido University in northern Japan. Currently based in Uppsala, Sweden, I am a PhD Student at Iceland's University of Akureyri. I am a wildlife researcher with particular interest in avian conservation and ecology. My past research work has focused on cormorants and herons in Hokkaido, though I have a broad interest in seabirds and predator-prey interactions. Current works focus on Grouse genetics. I'm a lifelong birder, contributing extensively to Cornell University's eBird platform. I opened this iNaturalist account to sort and report my arthropod photos taken over the years.