Meet Amanda Schreiber

Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Schreiber.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Amanda. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I moved from Wisconsin to Tucson in 2012 and have been completely captivated by the landscape of Arizona and the Sonoran Desert. So much so that in 2015 I completed the Pima County Master Gardening course, and became a member of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson. My professional background is in marketing, design, and social media. In the winter of 2019 I was cleaning out some photos on my phone and I realized how many photos I had stored of flowers. Whenever I travel I make it a point to visit botanical gardens in each city (thanks to an idea from my friend, Alexis) and I end up taking tons of photos. I also take many photos from my hikes and camping trips all across Arizona and love learning about the vast and varied plant life here. It’s endlessly fascinating to me. It occurred to me that the weather we were having this past winter was going to be perfect for a truly spectacular wildflower bloom and after giving it some thought I realized I wanted to be able to connect and share some of my photos while creating a community centered around highlighting all of the different areas of Arizona and the people here who love doing what I do: just being outside and seeing something new and beautiful. Wildflower Watch Arizona was created in February 2019, just in time for the 2019 Superbloom. I have since learned that Arizona gets a Superbloom of wildflowers approximately once every 10 years. I had so much fun this spring sharing as many photos as I could from photographers all over the state, and I even got to go out several times over the months to take photos of my own. Some of my favorite spots to photograph included Catalina State Park, Tonto National Forest, Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum, and Boyce Thompson Arboretum near Superior.

Wildflower Watch Arizona is just a fun hobby for me. I enjoy sharing other’s photos to showcase (from professional photographers to casual hikers and backyard gardeners), and I also enjoy sharing relevant nature events that are taking place all over the state. I try to give a platform to small landscaping businesses & non-profit organizations selling native plants, such as Native Seeds/SEARCH, AZ Native Plant Society PHX, and others by sharing their community events, plant sales, and information. I also follow as many Arizona-based florists and flower farms as I can find and am happy to share events and specials. I would love to see Wildflower Watch Arizona be more than “eye candy” and be a valuable community resource for those interested in supporting local plant-related businesses and looking to learn more about our truly amazing Arizona ecosystems.

Has it been a smooth road?
The creation of Wildflower Watch Arizona has been extremely fun. It is fun to see other people participate in the fun of taking photos of flowers (everyone has such a different eye for beauty and composition!). It always makes me so happy to receive photo submissions from people who are looking to be a part of the fun of sharing, and I am enjoying being a part of this community of nature-lovers in Arizona. It is satisfying and exciting to know that there are so many of us who love being out and about and seeing everything this marvelous state has to offer.

Tell us more about the business.
Wildflower Watch Arizona is a hobby Instagram account. Our focus is to share beautiful content, specifically from Arizona. It is very important to me when I share photos that:

 – Accurate and specific location information is included whenever possible so that others can go out and see the beauty for themselves. I think this sets Wildflower Watch Arizona apart from other nature/travel accounts because I hope to let everyone know that I am sharing these photos from regular people who have been to a place and have seen what is being shared. I also want my account to reflect the seasonality of what is currently in bloom (for example I won’t share a photo from the spring if it is the winter… I don’t want to mislead anyone into thinking they can go out and see that scene at the wrong time of year).

 – Accurate credit is given to photographers whose work is shared on Wildflower Watch Arizona, and that it is ok with the photographers that their work is shared/featured. I think my high standards for this sets me apart from other accounts who are just sharing for “likes” and can often disregard proper photo credit.

I hope my page is known for these things and for having this sort of integrity as I would love to continue to inspire people to go outside and take a look around at what this beautiful state has to offer.

Contact Info:

• Email: wildflowerwatcharizona@gmail.com
• Instagram: @WildflowerWatchArizona
• Facebook: WildflowerWatchArizona

Image Credit:
David J. Stancil and Amanda Rae Schreiber

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