Hi everyone. Finally getting a bio for once! (8-29-24)

My name is Jonas. I am currently a PhD candidate, NOT in something ecology-related, but naturalism remains one of my biggest hobbies. I was born and raised in a rural-suburban area a bit away from Seattle, Washington, but moved to Los Angeles County in 2013. While I am usually away from California, I visit home quite frequently, during which I am fairly active making observations while on my hikes and nature explorations. Although, regardless of where I am, I often find myself making sporadic identifications.

My fondness for plants, animals, and nature at-large goes far back in my family, but as for many from the Pacific Northwest, I grew up with a fondness for such things, outdoor activities (hiking, mainly), and naturalism, which I have fostered ever since. This website has been an excellent place to cultivate such interests, meet other like-minded individuals, and learn so much more about nature.

I generally specialize in the native flora and fauna of the US West Coast, particularly the California Floristic Province. Some of my current obsessions include native oaks (especially scrub/bush oaks) and various rare native plant species or ones with limited ranges. Perhaps some of my hikes end up being more like explorations as I try to push the boundaries of documented ranges for certain species or rediscovering species that haven't been officially documented in certain areas for several decades.

My experience reading academic papers in other fields has translated fairly well to parsing through the scientific literature on the topics aforementioned (or at least I'd hope so?). I am constantly learning and trying to better inform myself through conversations with others and reading solid, informed material. Feel free to message me if you'd like to talk about anything nature!

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