Hi, I’m Flown! (she/they)

I’m a freelance naturalist who was born and raised in Northwest Georgia/Northeast Alabama—and currently lives in Northeast Alabama. I don’t easily make friends with humans, but am quick to get chummy with moths, frogs, and just about any other creature (or plant or fungus) I meet in the field.

I am nonbinary, neurodivergent, and I live with complex chronic illness and chronic pain. Nature has always been a compass to my inner calm, so living a partially disabled life means that I have to constantly find creative ways to do the things which are so essential to my well-being.

Over the years, the process of hiking, observing, photographing, and cataloguing has become a sort of secondary therapy for me. I have a strong interest in fungi, plants, and insects—but I honestly love learning about anything and everything! I cannot say that I am a specialist or expert in any field—as I definitely have a tendency to jump from one hyperfocus to the next. I started this blog in order to highlight some of my favorite findings or just give a glimpse into my current obsessions.

In terms of my personal life—my partner (of 24 years), two dogs, and I are currently camping out in an RV in Alabama whilst slowly working on our first house build. We previously lived for 4 years off grid in the Appalachian foothills of North Georgia followed by 1 year on the road between New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Despite being expert forest hermits, we do have a very difficult time settling down in any one place. Who knows when we will get the itch to explore some other quiet corner of the US?

Feel free to contact me HERE if you would like to use my photos for anything!

My photos have been featured or used as reference in the following:

-National Audubon Society Mushrooms of North America (National Audubon Society Complete Guides)

-Fly Agaric: A Compendium of History, Pharmacology, Mythology, & Exploration by Kevin M Feeney

-Trees, Shrubs, and Woody Vines of Arkansas by Jennifer Ogle

-Bryan Pfeiffer's Taming the Tigers (Eastern Tiger Swallowtail butterfly Guide):

-The Social Wasps of North America by Chris Alice Kratzer

-gallformers webpage/reference guide