I have been an amateur naturalist since childhood, when I fervently explored the hilly, rural, northwestern Illinois area in which I grew up. I majored in biology at Augustana College, in Rock Island, IL. I subsequently completed one year of graduate school at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champagne, in the EEE (ecology, ethology, and evolution) dept., during which I took classes such as mammalogy, ornithology, and invertebrate zoology. I was a field research assistant for Dr. Scott Robinson, finding and monitoring bird nests in southern Illinois, for 2 summers. I then proceeded to go to veterinary school and am now a retired veterinarian living in Springfield, OR. My husband, John Sullivan, and I are enjoying the privilege of having lots of time to immerse ourselves in nature and seek out wildlife, in our retirement.