hello, Im Jake

My name is Jake Blackstone, I am born and raised in Washington state and am currently 22 years old.  I chose to take this class because I would like to know more about this region that I have bonded to, as well as learn how different organisms interact with each other to make a whole.  When I am not at school I am either doing various kinds of yard work, building, crafting, researching and exploring.  Exploring is probably my favorite activity, as different areas have their own uniqueness and distinct (yet similar) microcosm.  Changes can be dramatic whether a few steps away or an hours car drive distance, which has always impressed me.  I like to do art when I can, and most of my work is inspired by the natural world I'll post a couple picture below.

How's it going, I'm Josh

I'm 20 years old and originally from Illinois. I used to not like nature, I never really got how everyone thought it was so pretty. I've always liked big cities, and would much rather go to the arcade than the Grand Canyon. I took this class because it sounded fun, and I was right about that. I said that I used to not like nature because I think I've developed an appreciation for how the world works. I still think that Seattle is much prettier than anything I've seen in nature though.  I haven't exactly decided what I want to do with my life, but I love science and math. I also love games, any type of game really. I have a collection of board games and I play them all the time with my friends. I also love learning, exploring and meeting new people.

Here's some stuff in the wild that I think is cool

Here's the M33 galaxy. I just think it looks cool

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Hey, I'm Ryan

Hello everyone! My name is Ryan Crace, I'm 24 and currently live in Edmonds where I live with 3 of my friends, their dog, my cat, 2 chickens, and 7 Giant Flemmish rabbits (p.s. if anyone wants a rabbit let me know, I have 2 1/2 month old females that need a home!).

I was born and raised in Seattle until I was 8 and then move to the Olympic Peninsula where my family bought a victorian house built in 1885 that ran as a Bed & Breakfast in Port Townsend. Moved back to Seattle after I graduated to attend Seattle Central for an AA with an Emphasis in Sustainable Agriculture. During that degree I got to be a summer intern working with the grounds crew at the Arboretum, where I developed my love for plants. I am going to Edmonds for Landscape & Restoration and am working for a landscaping company but want to end up doing restoration work. This class is not a required class for my degree but I am substituting it for another class that is rarely offered, but I feel like ecology is essential part of restoration and should be a required class.

I am most interested in plants but I want learn more about how plants function with in an ecosystem and how different organisms interact with those plants within a given environment. I am also interested in learning more about fungi, and how they play major roles in the process of decomposition.

In my spare time I play music with my friends. I have been playing the bass since I was 13 and am currently in a band called Cold Comfort. I have been playing music with two of the members for 10 years in various bands, and have been playing in our current band for 4-5 years. We just released our first full length this last spring. coldcomfortnorthwest.bandcamp.com

 I also am a hobby photographer/videographer and nature photography is my favorite subject. Ansel Adams is my inspiration and my favorite director is Wes Anderson. I enjoy being outside, going on hikes and backpacking. The Pacific Northwest is such an amazing place, I wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

Why, hello there. I'm Steven

Thank you for taking the time to view this blog to get to know a little bit more about me.

So that's not actually my dog; he belonged to the homeowner of an Airbnb I stayed at down in Texas earlier this year -awesome state by the way. I've been living in Washington my whole life and don't have much planned for moving elsewhere any time soon. This will be my final quarter at Edmonds before I continue on towards a Bachelors in Criminal Justice so I can become a Fish & Wildlife Officer. As my intended career may suggest, I love the outdoors and don't have much of a hard time roughin' it on hikes or camping trips.

See?...   Wait, what's light exposure?

I'm looking forward to this class and getting to know a bit more about the intricate details of the lands I'll be protecting. I love the diverse nature this state has to offer so this class will be right up my alley.

Hey, I'm Logan!

It's nice to meet everyone finally!

My name is Logan, and I've lived in Washington my whole life thus far. I just finished up high school at Edmonds Woodway last June, so this is my first "official" quarter at EdCC. But between a haphazard mix of Running Start, College in the High School, and International Baccalaureate classes, I've already become fairly acquainted with school here.

I plan to continue past Edmonds once I get my AA to the University of Washington. There I plan to join the College of Built Environments and get my BA in Community, Regional, and Urban Planning. In a nutshell, Urban Planners work hand in hand with architects, engineers, businesses, and communities to plan and build everything that goes into a city. The wonderful view of the Puget Sound you can get from almost any hill in Edmonds? That wouldn't be possible without the careful, diplomatic work of planners restricting building height. Even storefront signs need to be regulated so that business' aren't hindering each other.


I currently work as a Server's Assistant at The Hook Seafood and Broiler in Perrinville, but my passion above anything else is photography. I live by my motto "Do it for the shot" everyday, and I love that photography teaches me so many new things and brings me to unimaginable places.

          

          

Of course, if you're interested in seeing more of my work, check out my Instagram at @lhopkinsphotography, or email me at lhopkinsphotography@gmail.com for any other inquiries.


Always pushing me and supporting me for almost a year now is my girlfriend Kiyoko. Besides making me look like a 3rd grader in terms of intelligence daily, she is curious, artistic, hilarious, and my best friend.

          

The PNW is without a doubt my favorite place on earth. Not only calling it my home makes it special, but also the people, sports teams, culture, parks, forests, beaches, water, weather (yes, ESPECIALLY the rain). Just the overall incredible natural landscape around us will forever amaze and stun me. Anything that can help me discover and appreciate more of this little piece of the world is always welcome to me, which is largely my reasoning for taking this class. I largely just want to explore new places through the opportunity to have field trips, as well as simply learn more about the nature I already appreciate the most.

Hello, I'm Samantha.

Hello, I'm Samantha. I am 20 years old, and I currently live in Everett. I graduated from Mariner High School in 2014, and I am just now starting college. I worked as a dental assistant for almost a year at UW dental urgent care clinic, and decided that It's not what I really wanted to do. I took this class because I thought that it would be fun, and I wanted to learn more about the nature surrounding me. I want to become a pediatrician, specifically dealing with babies. I'm looking to volunteer at Seattle children's hospital, and to shadow doctors.

 I love the ocean, and I don't think I can live far from it. I love watching documentaries about nature around the world, especially ones about oceans and aquatic life. I haven't gone on too many adventures, but my favorite one was when I went to the Philippines to visit family, and celebrate my 18th birthday. I am planning to explore the coast of the UK, and to see castles.

These are some photos taken in the Philippines that I've chosen:

Hello, I am Alexandra

Hello everyone! My name is Alexandra and I am very excited for a fun quarter of learning and exploring this beautiful place we call home! I am spent many years living in Florida, by way of Texas, and I was definitely shocked with all of the differences when I moved here; I had never seen so many trees in my life! While there are many things I will still never be used to (the water here is always so cold!) this area is by far the most beautiful place I have ever lived. I feel very lucky to live somewhere where mountains, beaches, abundant wildlife and a metropolitan city are all within reach. The people here are so friendly and I love watching the seasonal changes that happen here.

I live in Mill Creek which is a very small little town so I attempt to get out and explore as much as humanly possible! I love spending time in and around Seattle as there is just so much to see. I enjoy spending time at Alki Beach (cliche, I know!), love all the restaurants and the vibe of Capitol Hill, and am always searching for the perfect cup of coffee and the perfect bookstore to enjoy it in.

I currently work full-time as a manager at AMC Southcenter 16 while attending school full time. After I finished high school I had no idea what exactly I wanted to do with my life and took some time to explore myself and figure out my interests. I have thoroughly enjoyed everything I have learned from my job as I have gained a lot of experience from being the head of HR, ordering all product for the theatre, handling all auditing for our theatre and, most importantly, learning how to be a better leader every day! I love math and would love a career as an auditer. Another great perk of my job: Seahawks come to see movies all the time! Meeting Kam Chancellor was my highlight as he one of my favorite players!

In my spare time I love to watch and obsess over football, read anything I can get my hands on, paint (although not well!), and hang out with my friends or my adorable cat! I am not a very exciting person and spend most of my time working, driving to work, and doing homework. My guiltiest pleasure is sleep and I love nothing more than the rare days that I get to lay in bed until noon!

Hello Everyone, my name is Jamie Hennessy.

I am 25 and currently working on my Transfer Degree in hopes to getting into Western for a K-8 Education Certificate. I am mostly interested in teaching Kindergarten where I hope to instill my creativity and energy into progressing their education. (I'm also a perfectionist, and I am not really sure as to if it is a good thing or not, but I do know it makes for extra attention to detail.)

I just turned in a study abroad application for next quarter to be in Australia and New Zealand, so fingers crossed, next week I shall be notified if I have been approved. *positive thoughts*
I have never been out of the country before, so it will definitely be an experience of a lifetime.

I currently work a full time job as a Assistant Manager/Merchandiser. On my days off I enjoy seeking out new experiences, hiking, art expression, or catching up with friends and family. Learning or experiencing something new is always exciting to me, I would rather know/experience a little of everything than to have mastered and focused on a few things.