Joey Thompson is a vegetation ecologist with the Virginia Department of Conservation and Recreation Natural Heritage Program which oversees 67 Natural Area Preserves totaling approximately 70,000 acres. In this role, he serves as a regional expert on the diversity and current condition of vegetation communities throughout the Commonwealth. He conducts field work to inventory and update data on rare and high-quality communities, and works with public land holding agencies, private landowners and land developers to protect areas with significant natural heritage resources. Joey has degrees in Biology from the College of William and Mary and Virginia Commonwealth University, and serves on the Board of Directors for Virginia Botanical Associates (VBA) and the Flora of Virginia Project (FOVA). While doing his field work, he collects seeds from many species to propagate in his yard in Richmond – where he was born, raised and currently lives with his wife (who is expecting a girl this Halloween), son and beagle.