Naturalist Field Notes

I was a part of a team who taught a Master Naturalist class on "Collecting, Preserving and Sharing". It is a 4 hours core class and required for certification. Most classes are 3 hours but because of it's importance it is given 4 hours.  The majority of the class room time was spent on Field Notes and Nature Journaling where we went over the various styles and our own experiences and development.  Then wouldn't you know it about a month later I learned about a new book that had just come out called "Field Notes on Science and Nature" edited by Michael R. Canfield with a forward by E. O. Wilson.  I wish I had read this book before hand because it is so informative and inspiring.

It sounds like a dry subject but contributors like Bernd Heinrich, Kenn Kaufman and Anna K. Behrensmeyer giving me their tips, it is anything but.  Each of the 12 contributors told their own story of finding the "right" format for themselves and how that developed.  They told a little about what they study but most importantly to me as a naturalist they told me "how".  Each one discussed the new technology and how the had written word fit in with those aides. The book even has photos of pages from their own journals.

I have been reading just a chapter at a time to savor each one and think about how I can use some of their techniques. 

When we taught the class I brought in my own current method to share which is using the Rite in the Rail Journal No. 390NF. This one has the numbered pages but you can get the less expensive one and number them yourself.  I have leaved that those numbers can come in vary handy when writing up an index in the back for future reference.   They also make a plastic covered one but it is stiff and just not comfortable to write in.  I found a tab to hold my pen from Staples that I attached to the inside back and this has been very handy.  Rite in the Rains books are expensive but they are brightly colored and easy to find and will last in all kinds of weather.  As I told the class maybe your notes won't be published after your death but they will become valuable to you and you are worth the expense.

Inside I taped half of a small envelope to become a holder of business cards of people I have met in the field. I also started a section in the back for contacts.  Another section in the back is devoted to locations with the full name, directions and coordinates along with my abbreviation. That way I don't have to write it all out each time I return to a new location and can just use my abbreviation.

This year I started a phenology notebook (Rite in the Rain field No. 353N) for the places I visit on a regular basis.  You can see the first page on wildflowers.  To the right I have the month with the day below. Then in the columns opposite the flower I have entries such as "SS" "B" which  means "Shannondale Springs" "Blooming".  Of course there a key at the beginning of this book as well.

Here is an example of an entry in an earlier book that is not weather proof and part of it is falling apart but it had a good drawing and the format I currently use. It try to leave a margin on the side for, well, side notes.  These come in handy when thumbing through the journal.

One thing that all the contributors to "Field Notes on Science and Nature" had in common was their recognition of the value of a personal narrative in their journal. Time and again they said that was what tied everything together and helped in making new discoveries as well as writing articles and books later on in their career.  I know I have certainly enjoyed reading back through my notes and often they have inspired me to go back to the same place and take a more studied look and something that I had only remarked on in passing the first time.  As my own experience and knowledge grow it is good to revisit with new insight and skills.  I also reread my own blog as a reminder of where and when I observed things and while I love the blog as a way of sharing I treasure my notes even more because the blog is written from the field notes.

Please feel free to comment and share your experiences, I would love to hear you. I also read some of your blogs and have enjoyed them and your own journeys and observations.

Field Guide Tips

The first thing I do with my field guide is put my name and address in it so if I leave it behind, some kind soul will know where to mail it to.

Then I start to look at the photos and eventually read the introduction and other helpful information. Although I will admit it may take me a long time to get around to reading that helpful information and I am always shocked at how helpful it really is and wonder why I had never read it before.

That bottom page is taped into the book and normally foldded up. It was extra information I copied from another field guide.

I like to add information to my guides. If I have several guides on one subject I will pick my favorite and use that one as the “master” guide. If I am on a trip with an expert I will often write into the margins those little gems of information that they provide. Or as I glean information from articles and other books I will add notes to my field guide. Margins are also good for writing lecture notes. If I write them down on a piece of note paper it almost always gets misplaced and is useless but if I write in my guide then I have it for life. One tip: if you are like me you will want to use a pencil instead of a pen just incase you get it wrong and have to correct what you wrote.

Besides writing in the margins I have also found it useful to tape cheat sheets into my guides. For instance I have a reduced version of bird song calls taped to the inside of my birding book. That way I can instantly look up a call and know who made it. My butterfly book has a list of host plants taped over the acknowledgements page.

I find measuring a useful tool in identification, so I try to tape an inch and millimeter ruler into the inside cover of my guides if they don’t already have one. The Peterson field guides almost always have them and you can copy it and tape or glue it into other guides.

I added a copy of more information on insects to this small guide and then used the outside pages to write on. The copied information is on the inside. I taped the edge on both sides so that I have 4 loose pages.

Two years ago I went on a spider field trip and took the recommended Golden Guide Spider book along. It is a small book and really doesn’t have much room to write marginal notes so I tipped in 4 blank pages. Take a blank piece of paper, fold it in half and then trim it down slightly smaller than your guide. Next tape the folded edge into your book. Tape on both sides of the new pages to secure it in place. Vola! 4 more blank pages for notes.

Another good thing to add to your guide is a pocket. I just take a #10 envelope, seal the flap shut and cut off one end to fit onto the inside cover of my guide. Tape it down on three sides and then you can slip in a map or what ever else you think you might need. OR you can leave the flap to the envelope open and cut it on one side to make it fit the page, and tape it leaving the flap open at the top. This may be handy for seeds or something you don’t want to fall out. I haven’t ever tried it but it may work.

Sticky notes are also good to have in your guide to use as a book mark. I try to keep at least one or two in each guide. That way when I am looking up something and have to flip back and forth from page to page I can use the sticky to keep track of where I am in the book. The sticky notes don't fall to the ground while hiking like book marks do.

These are the books that I currently have in my car. I keep them there all the time to read at the end of a field trip or while eating.   When I return home and want further study I can just take the book inside with me and learn more in the comfort of home.

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