Seed

I have always been interested in wildlife, ever since a kid. I remember sitting down to watch endless television shows on animals and insects, or the secret life of some unknown plant living in the remote forests of Borneo. Granted, at that time there were only four television stations in Britain, so 'endless' really meant once a week. I had books that listed all the native plants, animals, trees, insects and fishes, and at one point, had all the scientific names of mammals committed to memory. 

It was from my love of nature that came my passion for biology. I was fascinated with how things worked - not clocks or cars, those things are dull and boring - but the very workings of life. At school I excelled at biology, and went on to study microbiology at university. Alas, after graduating, my scientific journey came to an end. I had wanted to continue, to get a doctorate, but life had different plans for me.

I ended up taking course on how to build and upgrade a computer, which landed me placement in the IT department of a company. It was there I made the acquaintance of MS Access, and ever since that eventful moment, I worked with databases. 

Yet in my heart I still yearn for biology. 

Last year I decided I want to grow mushrooms, partly because I like the science that comes with it. It occurred to me that I needed a clean space to prepare cultures, and set about building a laboratory in my basement. How clean such a space will be remains to be seen. In addition to growing mushroom, I also want to hunt for them. Not only does that require being able to identify the species, but also knowing where to locate them. Sometimes fungus species are associated with certain trees, so being able to identify the tree will point you in the right direction. As trees tend to live together in woods (imagine that!), all I need to do is find a woodland that (1) has mushrooms, (2) I am not trespassing, (3) I have permission to collect. 

The most obvious place that meets all three condition are State Parks. While Nature and Forest Preserves are often open to the public, it is illegal to take anything from the area, except your memories. However, in my research I find that I want to rekindle my old love of Nature, and share my passion with my kids. I want to become familiar with the local environmental and its ecology. I want to be able to look at a plant or tree and tell you exactly want it is!

I have awoken the nerd in me.

I want to explore. 

And this is where it starts...