My formal training was in Botany with experience in plant identification, field ecology, and statistical analysis of ecological communities. My graduate studies examined the vegetation of saline seeps, springs, and soils of Western Manitoba. This work provided baseline information for the Lake Winnipegosis Salt Flats Ecological Reserve. I continue to do volunteer work related to environmental awareness and also provide some support for the University of Manitoba Herbarium (with a particular interest in mosses and lichens).