Scott was born and raised in the mountains of southern Appalachia, specifically the coalfields of West Virginia and southwestern Virginia.

Western North Carolina has been his home since 1992. After retiring from the military, he attended UNC-Asheville, earning a degree in biology, with a focus on the flora, fauna and geology of the southern Appalachians.

He was a walk leader and featured speaker for the UNC-Asheville Wildflower Pilgrimage from 1995 until 2015. Scott has led wildlife and wildflower walks at the Western North Carolina Nature Center, where he worked for a year building the cougar and bobcat habitats, and has served as First Vice President of the Friends of the Nature Center as well as serving on the Town of Weaverville Tree Board. He developed curricula, and teaches field classes for the Blue Ridge Naturalist program now offered at the N. C. Arboretum.

With his photography he was a featured speaker at the Great Smoky Mountains Spring Wildflower Pilgrimage in 2011.

He lives in the Hazelwood district of Waynesville, NC and in Balsam, NC with his wife Laurey-Faye, Loretta, the new wonder dog, and Zeb, the 2nd wonder dog. When not leading natural history programs in the region, he enjoys gardening, hiking, backpacking, and playing around with various stringed, wind, and percussion instruments.

Goldenrod

Blackberry

Common Milkweed

Male Elk

Cedar Waxing

Red-shouldered Hawk

Swans

Hobblebush Leave

Columbine

Blue Ridge Parkway

Jack Ollis grew up in the mountains of NC.  His interest in photography and hiking began at an early age.  After completing undergraduate studies at Appalachian State University and graduate work at Duke, he taught Chemistry and Physics in high school and Danville Community College in Danville, Virginia. After spending several summers working with a Christian outdoor leadership program, he and his family moved to Asia where they lived in India, Thailand, and Singapore.
Retirement has given him the opportunity to continue to develop his interest in nature photography.  The hiking trails within driving distance of his home in Black Mountain provide a variety of interesting plants, animals and vistas which inspire him to continue exploring new places.  He often hears from others who can no longer hike long distances but enjoy seeing pictures of natural beauty via Facebook (Jack Cathy Ollis) and Instagram (Jack.Ollis).

Garter Snake

Male Mandarin Duck, Montreat, NC

Northern Cardinal

Great Blue Heron Eating Catfish

Great Blue Heron

Yellow-Fronted Bumble Bee

Honey Bee

Swallowtail Butterfly