A long backtrack and a year in review

Well it is done; I have officially put in all previous trek photos into the iNaturalist databank. I am now closer to 2000 than ever before. I am currently at 1962 and with that I only need 38 more to go before I finish this year with my short term goal. I am so happy with the catch that I have collected over the years. I have posted a bunch mainly from my primary birding days. I may be a big time bug hunter now but when I was getting my start I was a birder till I went to the bugs. I still love birds though so it is all good; I am kind of like an every thing in nature kind of guy. If it moves I will photograph it; that is the way I am. I have found quite a few cool things including a Forster's Tern and a Franklin's Gull which I didn't know I had until tonight. Today was pretty rainy and I couldn't get out since my brother has been under the weather. I thought it would be good on my part to get all of the past photos put on the site before they got more and more over due. I am now for the first part of my iNaturalist career caught up. For many months now I have gone back in time (file wise) and have been trying to get all of the observations from past adventures on the iNat site. It took me a while I had quite a few cool adventures to go back. As I went through I couldn't help but think of all the fun I had on those treks and I was also thinking of where the rest of my travels will take me. Heaven only knows what is to be in my life. I have to say it has been a good start. You can say I am addicted to this site. I love it a lot and I just can't stress it enough. It is the coolest program I have ever used to date. Nothing else I use gets as much attention as my beloved iNaturalist APP. I am so glad @sambiology and @brentano taught us how to use the site at the meetings and during the Master Naturalist classes. I have met so many cool people who use this site. @kimberlietx is just one of many who I had the pleasure of meeting this year. It all happened when I was helping out at Oliver Nature Park. We were helping recruit volunteers for the City Nature Challenge. We had a great time doing our bug hunt she is very knowledgeable and quite the person to hang out with. I love her style and I am hoping we will go to Crystal Canyon next year and do another bug hunt. Then there is @briang I had the pleasure of meeting him at the Southwest Nature Preserve during the Nature Challenge. He is the guy to go to for anything Dragonfly. I liked hanging out with him spending time looking at dragons and damsels. We also spent time together on another bioblitz out at LLELA not too long ago. Sam, Brent, @mchlfx and a few others were on that excursion looking for that hybrid damselfly. Michael Fox was one of the other people that I found very knowledgeable and interesting. He was the first person I met out at LLELA after I got a little lost. We soon became acquainted and we spent a little time looking at insects and stuff while looking for the group. It was a real pleasure meeting him. I have had a lot of fun meeting and spending time with people that use the app which brings me to @lulubelle. Lulu is one of the the Master Naturalist class of 2016. She has been a real big help keeping me in the birding loop and has told me some very cool things. We got to spend some time at Stovall Park in Arlington during the Nature Challenge. We spend the morning looking for some good insects when the wildflowers were still flourishing. We found some pretty amazing stuff. We did stop to talk about a few birding matters but most of that hike was for the insects. I never meet anyone dull that uses the iNaturalist app. Each person I have met always brought something new and exciting to the table. I am glad to call all of the people I have met in the iNaturalist and Master Naturalist circle my friends. Never before have I felt so accepted in a group. Sure I felt this way in FFA but more so in this group. I feel like I have been able to nurture my love for wildlife in ways I have never felt possible when I worked for Six Flags. After my kidney surgery I had to quit that job and I spent my time recovering by birding when I felt up to it. I spent a lot of time with the birds and then I found the Master Naturalist group in 2015 the same year I became a volunteer for the Southwest Nature Preserve. I didn't even think a group like this existed but I am so glad I have found it. It is like an extended family to spend time with. This group has also helped me find stress relieve from my Grandmother's situation with the cancer she has been fighting. It has been a very stressful year but in the long run it has been a year of discovery and a year of friendship and adventure. I am so glad to be a part of inat and the Master Naturalist group. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. Here's to many more wonderful iNaturalist filled years. Live Long and Prosper one and all! I will see you on the trail.

Julkaistu joulukuu 20, 2017 07:37 AP. käyttäjältä galactic_bug_man