As a kid, I loved being outside. The wooded bluffs and floodplains of the Upper Mississippi River Valley were my home. In 2017, I moved from Illinois to Vermont to earn a degree in Ecology from Sterling College. An immersive field studies curriculum swept me away to the deserts of the American Southwest, the high peaks of the Sierra Nevada, and the lush forests of New England. These experiences deepened my fascination for the natural world and plants, in particular.
Since then, I have worked for the US Forest Service in Michigan, performed ecological restoration work in Chicago, and I currently work for the Chicago Botanic Garden’s Plants of Concern Program as the Program Coordinator for Northwest Illinois. In addition, I serve as an officer for the Quad Cities Chapter of the Illinois Native Plant Society.
I believe that a healthy and sustainable future for us humans will require an intimate and balanced relationship with our local ecology. We must choose to positively engage with the Eden that we have been gifted. I hope that this site will help Quad Citizens reconnect with and appreciate the natural richness awaiting in our backyards.
*All photos on this site are taken by me unless otherwise noted.*
Flora of the Quad Cities Region 