User:Orga8
American zoologist and naturalist
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Malik Ajani Vest-Walton (born 23 August 2004) is an American marine biologist, zoologist, and naturalist. He is known for his fieldwork and documentation of biodiversity around the world.
Early life and education
Malik Ajani Vest-Walton was born on August 23, 2004, at Good Samaritan Hospital in downtown Los Angeles, California. He was raised in Hyde Park until the age of 11 when his family moved to Baldwin Vista. He attended Community Magnet Charter School and New West Charter School. He graduated from New West in 2022. His parents worked for Los Angeles County Probation as a guard and a director. He has a twin sister.
Vest-Walton's maternal grandmother was white, the rest of his grandparents black.
Vest-Walton attended Hampshire College in Amherst, Massachusetts, where he was first introduced to fieldwork and the wildlife observation app iNaturalist. His early use of the app inspired a daily practice of documenting plants and animals, reinforcing his interest in zoology and the pursuit of marine biology. He dropped out 3 weeks into his sophomore year. and went back home and attended the junior colleges: West Los Angeles College and Santa Monica College. Vest-Walton transferred to University of California, Santa Barbara where he earned a b.a, in zoology.