I’m a nature photographer, traveling around the world. One of my goals is to document the flora and fauna that I find during my explorations. However, my photos are useless without accurate identifications. For several years now Sophie LeGuil has regularly and consistently been playing an extremely important role i… Read more

I’m a nature photographer, traveling around the world. One of my goals is to document the flora and fauna that I find during my explorations. However, my photos are useless without accurate identifications. For several years now Sophie LeGuil has regularly and consistently been playing an extremely important role in the time-consuming process of describing and labeling my photos. She has made it possible for me to expand my contribution to the knowledge of plants of Planet Earth in meaningful ways. She has a broad knowledge not only of the plants in general but also of the networks, resources, and references available and how to apply them. She has numerous contacts who are experts in specific families. She is a patient teacher who can explain details in a vocabulary that we amateurs can understand. I’ve learned from her about the details that help in the ID process. She is a careful, thoughtful detective when challenged with a new plant; I trust her judgment. She doesn’t rush to a decision just to show that she knows the answer. Thanks to her, a number of my photos can be found in important online reference websites like ARKive and Missouri Botanical Gardens. She has been an inspiration and a motivator for me. Now if only I could keep up with recording the details that she sends me…… Sincerely, Shirley Sekarajasingham/Hesperia 2007