加入於:2019 7 月 18 最近活躍:2024 8 月 31 iNaturalist
I watch whatever I can find, and whatever I see is what I came for.
Our family had all kinds of pets. A frog & a chicken lived in the dining room, other birds in the living room, and small animal cages were stacked in our bedrooms. The basement held aquariums, rabbit cages, and a large rehab cage (another stood in the backyard). Our Siamese cat, naturally, went where she pleased (indoors only). My sister & I explored the woods and creek behind our street with friends and with parental 'encouragement'. (If we sat in front of the TV, Mom would say 'get out of the house!' ) We were in the Cincinnati Zoo's ZOTs and JZs, through which we raised small wild animals for release (with help from our folks and the Siamese) and housed a pair of the zoo's 'overflow' squirrel monkeys. Neighbors brought their kids over as if we were a zoo.
When I studied engineering I thought of helping nature. Then 'life happened', as they say. My work made contributions, just not focused on nature.
A trip to Alaska in 2009 reawakened my interest in wildlife. Digital cameras and the internet make watching nature outright addictive. It's opened my eyes to how shockingly many non-native species are firmly established here. In our ever-changing world, I seek to contribute to the record of what is here now.