Dr. Robert Niese is a lifelong nature nut. He has been collecting and identifying plants, animals, fungi, rocks, and fossils ever since he was a child, exploring California's diverse habitats. As an undergraduate at the University of Puget Sound in Tacoma, Washington, his hobbies became invaluable skills; he was hired by the Slater Museum of Natural History to write and implement science curricula for hundreds of elementary school classrooms throughout western Washington. In 2013, Robert took his enthusiasm and expertise for Pacific Northwest flora and fauna to Montana, where he received his Ph.D. in comparative vertebrate anatomy. In his free time, he wrote nature journal entries for his blog, NorthwestNaturalist, which has thousands of followers. Today, Robert continues to teach college students about mammals, plants, birds, and bones, both in the Pacific Northwest and in Costa Rica, where he is an instructor for study-abroad courses.