I am a biologist and a naturalist. I grew up in Miami, exposed to subtropical nature in all its glory while southern Florida was still largely unspoiled. I received my Ph.D. in Zoology from the University of Miami in 1966 with a study of the dragonflies of southern Florida, and shortly thereafter I moved to Seattle, where I have lived ever since. I recently retired after 15 years of being the Director of the Slater Museum of Natural History at the University of Puget Sound, where I also taught in the Biology Department. I have taught at four universities and continue to teach adult-education courses in several venues. I have also led nature tours and traveled on my own to all continents, and I have studied dragonflies and birds and photographed all aspects of nature worldwide. I am an enthusiastic nature photographer, with many photos published in magazines, books and interpretive displays.

I have published over 75 scientific papers on my favorite animals, and my contributions to natural history have included these books: Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest, Shorebirds of North America: The Photographic Guide, Exotic Birds, Alaska: The Ecotraveller’s Wildlife Guide, Dragonflies and Damselflies of the West, Dragonflies and Damselflies of the East, Dragonflies and Damselflies: A Natural History, ABA FIeld Guide to the Birds of Washington, and Dragonflies and Damselflies of Costa Rica.