More than One Million!
More than one million verifiable observations in Massachusetts have been posted to iNaturalist! I think that's worth celebrating! (Break out the ice cream! Or the gin and tonics! Or both - go wild!)
Almost 14,000 species! Getting close to 40,000 observers! Almost 14,000 identifiers!
These are numbers to admire. I didn't grow up in Massachusetts; I moved here around 25 years ago. But it warms my heart to see how much Massachusetts citizens value their environment. This state has strong wetland and rare species protection laws. It has a very strong and active land trust movement, which has done extraordinary work in protecting so much of the Commonwealth, along with municipalities, the state conservation agencies, and the federal National Park Service and Us Fish & Wildlife Service. The Native Plant Trust, Mass Audubon, the Trustees of Reservations, and other groups do so much to educate interested naturalists about the natural world. It's all just great.
I've been spending many of my days recently, whenever it's not pouring rain or thundering, traipsing over hills and bogs with like-minded friends, finding cool plants and bugs and little waterfalls and beautiful views. It's been wonderful - thank you to Dave and Karro and Maryanne and Michael and Nancy and Ted and Tom and Tony and all my naturalist friends I haven't seen yet this summer - so much fun! If there's a moral to this journal post, it's that I recommend you neglect the housework, the lawn, the paperwork, all the trivia of being an adult, and get out there, everywhere, anywhere, in Massachusetts and enjoy this beautiful summer!
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Amen, Lynn!
Another thing that I think that we're really lucky for in Massachusetts are the high grade people that we have working for and have worked for our state agencies. We have some talented people in their respected specializations and great people to boot, and I'm grateful for the various ways, shapes, and forms I've corresponded with several of you over the past several years.
I miss you, Lynn!
I miss you, too, Mr. Chancey, and congrats on the baby and the new job!!! (speaking of state agency people who work hard and are very talented....)
Well said, Lynn! Thanks for this post.
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