I am a lifelong area resident who enjoys being outdoors gardening in my yard or boating on our local waterways. My interest in the outdoors led me to pursue a horticulture degree from Virginia Tech in 1977 and more recently to being a member of the third class of trainees in the Anne Arundel County Watershed Stewards Academy. Through my writing and speaking I hope to help raise our awareness of how our actions and life styles impact the health of our watersheds and for each of us to do whatever we can to help improve our environment.