I have long sought after images of beauty, and have always carried a camera on my adventures into the outdoors. Wild gardens of Eden are all over out there, and I have thoroughly enjoyed exploring bits and pieces of them, immersing myself in paradise, watching the light change and the "nature show" go by. As a youngster, my parents took me on backpacking trips in some of the crown jewels of our National Parks. As a parent, I took my own boys on similar journeys. When they had grown, although I had more free time, I did not have more vacation time, so I found a close-to-home Eden where I could do what I enjoyed most--capturing images of beauty and being outdoors. I found Nahant Marsh, a superfund cleanup site restored to a nature preserve and Education Center. Not only did I find abundant beauty--which I photographed extensively, but I learned a great deal about the animals, the plants, and their complex relationships in this very rich environment. I began to volunteer with Friends of Nahant Marsh to show my appreciation and to help in their mission. I help with their weekly bird counts, assist in the Education Center, and make my photos available for teaching the public about Nahant Marsh. This is how I came to be involved with iNaturalist, participating in species counts there.