We're All in This Together!

I meet the nicest people when I'm out and about. My nature activities give me the opportunity to interact with the public, both as a participant in a group and also as a leader. Sometimes I get to pass on my collected wisdom, such as when I lead wildflower walks or make classroom presentations, or in this blog. And sometimes I'm on the receiving end. And in many situations it goes both ways. I might have something important to add when I'm participating in a group, or someone in a group I'm leading might give me new or corrected information. In general, I've found that nature lovers are a friendly lot, eager to learn and to share what they know. Sometimes someone notices an error, and for the most part, I've found that people will mention the correction in a gentle, non-agressive way, in order to protect the dignity and the enthusiasm of the person who was in error. It happens to me all the time. I have said over and over that I am not an expert, but I am a nature lover with a growing base of knowledge. I post a lot of photos, either in this blog or on my photo website or Facebook. Sometimes I will misidentify an animal or plant and I have a group of friends who will let me know that I was mistaken. But they will usually take the time to tell me what key points to look for in making the correct ID. They are teaching me, and they're doing it in a way that does not make me feel foolish or inadequate and leaves me with the confidence to go out and try again. I love that about my friends and acquaintances in the nature community.

After I posted this photo on a previous blog, I learned that this is not a Stinkpot Turtle. It is a Striped Mud Turtle. Now I know!

Last year, you may remember, I traveled to Argentina. When we got home I did my best to identify what I saw on that trip, and I entered all of the birds I had photos of on eBird. A few months later I was very surprised to get an email from an eBird representative in Argentina asking for specifics about a Tiger Heron that I'd listed in Iguazu falls. I got nervous and looked over my photo and compared it to the information I could see online and thought I could still be correct, but I sent them my photo anyway. The ebird person wrote right back and thanked me for my photo and said that it was a difficult call, since it was an immature bird, but that she would have the experts look at it and see. The next day, the experts all agreed that I was incorrect. It was a Tiger Heron, but not the species that I had thought. That was ok! I enjoyed the exchange and learned along the way. The person who contacted me made me feel like I was contributing to the science, and could understand how I might make the mistake I did. And my posted photo will now help add to the collective wisdom.

A Rufescent Tiger Heron in Iguazu Falls, Argentina. Not to be confused with the Fasciated Tiger Heron. 

I love the way that nature lovers are so eager to share their new discoveries with each other. Social media has made this very easy, and it is one of the few good reasons that I stay on Facebook. Alachua County Birding recently started a Facebook page that has been bustling with activity as the fall migrants move in and out. Local birders post the location of special and rare birds for everyone to come enjoy. In Gainesville, we also have Rex Rowan's email newsletter that tells us all that and more, with links to photos on a shared Flickr page as well! Wildflower lovers can share photos of "What's In Bloom" from all over the state on the Florida Wildflower Foundation website. I can follow the progress of the Whooping Cranes and the Monarch Butterflies on migration blogs and I get tips about creating good habitat for Native Bees on the Native Bee Nest Site Project Facebook page. Everyone is sharing!

White Topped Aster (Sericocarpus tortifolius) photo that I shared on the Florida Wildflower website. I was contacted by the Broward County chapter of the Florida Native Plant Society for permission to use it in an educational presentation.

I have learned so much by taking informal classes and going on field trips led by knowledgable people. Not all of the people are professional experts or academics, although many are. There are many serious amateur naturalists who are experts in their particular areas and are more than willing to pass along what they know. Birders, botanists, entomologists and naturalists of all types are out there and they have a passion that they love to share. It is a joyful thing indeed to learn from someone who loves something so much. In fact, I have found my own niche by exploring my passion. I love taking photos sharing them with my friends and family. Over the years this has turned into a website and blog, and as a result I've had requests for permission to use some of my photos for articles, websites, advertisements and even seed packages!  It feels good to be contributing to the love and appreciation of nature.

A Tiger Swallowtail Butterfly photo that the City used for an advertisement spotlighting Gainesville's Natural Beauty!

Yes, there are some people who want to keep the good stuff to themselves. There are people who don't have patience for novices. But they are rare (and lonely!). Most people like to share.  Most of us don't have the tools to learn these things on our own. You need the insider scoop to really understand. It really helps to have people there to guide you along the way, to point out the good spots and field marks, and it's also nice to be able to guide someone else! It's a lot more fun being in a community. There are lots of books and classes and resources and the people "in the know" will let you know which ones are best. Basically, we're all in this together, and working together is a great thing. You can see it in the smiling faces of the people who participate in these groups, loaded down with field guides, binoculars and cameras, chattering with the excitement of discovery and sharing.

Happy Birders

Life-long Learning

When I was a kid I missed the message that science could be fun. Somehow I came to believe that science was only for nerdy brainiacs, but not for the rest of us. I thought that scientists were born smarter than everyone else. (Meanwhile, I collected butterflies, loved wildflowers and being outside, and had a great time at the Natural History Museum. Those things were fun and I never associated them with science.) My uneasiness with science was reinforced in middle school where I earned my first "C" in a class taught by a grim woman, known for being tough. I remember studying blood types and being unable to poke my own finger with a razor blade. She grabbed my finger, jabbed it hard and sent me away. In high school, our biology class was taught by the football coaches. The class focused on memorizing long lists of terms for multiple choice quizzes and tests and dissecting fetal pigs, frogs, earthworms and grasshoppers. I don't remember anything that I learned from either teacher, except that I hated science. After those two experiences, I spent most of my time in school avoiding anything that looked like a science class and tried instead to fill requirements with the classes that sounded like something that I, as a "non brainiac" could handle. In college, I was able to get by with science classes that were more historical or philosophical than "scientific". I majored in English. I'm glad I did, because I love to read and write, and I love the language. I can still recite the first 18 lines of the Canterbury Tales from memory! But it never felt like the perfect fit.

Along the way, I met and married my husband, who is a really smart and creative person, but is very far from being a "nerdy brainiac". He was not a scientist when we met, but after the first few years we were married, he went back to college and developed an interest in chemistry. He went on to get a Ph.D and is now a professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. I realized from observing him over the years that 1) science is really interesting and cool, and 2) that you don't have to be a brainiac to do it, but you do have to work hard to learn it well, and 3) that I wish I'd figured this out before, because I should have studied entomology or wildlife ecology.

I observe and photograph flowers and butterflies in our Butterfly Garden

Of course, it's not too late. I could go back to college in my 50's, and I may still consider it.  But meanwhile, I've discovered numerous other ways to study. First, there is Informal Education. The Cooperative Extension offers a Master Gardener program that I got involved with when we first moved to Florida. Later, I learned about the Master Naturalist program and have completed the three main courses for that. I attend nature walks, lectures and workshops whenever I can and get my education outside of the formal class setting. As I've learned more, I've gotten the confidence and mastery to able to share my knowledge with others. I volunteer with several organizations where I get to be a naturalist interpreter or teach lessons about nature. I also take photographs of what I see and this has turned into a passion. I spend many hours searching out the perfect photo of a migrating bird, special butterfly or unusual native plant, and follow that up by researching what I've seen. I love just going out and taking the photos, but I've also been able to share my work with parks, nature organizations, friends and family. Some of my photos are even in a nature viewing app! I have a couple of children's books in progress, using my photos and knowledge of local flora and fauna and I hope some day to be able to share them with local organizations.

Insect Trap in our yard--part of the Wildlife Survey

Then, there is Citizen Science! Over the years, I have gotten involved in numerous projects where I can make observations and report my findings to help scientists with their research. I've observed birds, flowers and butterflies. I've offered our yard to scientists studying Zebra Long-wing Butterfly clustering behavior, Mockingbird Nests, and currently, a 3-year Survey of Wildlife in yards with Native Plants. Research dollars are very tight these days and scientists need help from the Citizen Scientists to get out in the field and observe and collect. (Basically, they need people to do the fun stuff while they have to spend their time writing grants and papers!) Next on my list: Native Bee Nest Habitat Project!

Bee Housing (Some of the apartments are already rented!)

What I'm getting at here is that it's not too late to follow your heart and do what you love. If you missed the first chance, follow the next. There are many paths to happiness and fulfillment. You just need to find yours. Or if you can't find a path, make a new one.

Here are some links to Citizen Science and Self Directed Study:

Project Feeder Watch

Mapping the Brain at Eyewire.org

NPR Story about Creating your own education path