February Theme
Hi all,
following up on Laura's question in our last group email, I'd like to suggest "boards, logs and rocks turning" as a potential February theme.
Laura and I have been turning over all sorts of objects in the last few days and explored the life forms we found: snails, slugs, spiders, woodlice, bugs, centipedes, earwigs, ants...
Laura recommended to turn up a log or board while standing behind it, just in case one uncovers an aggressive specimen, like a snake, to have some protection and to be able to quickly put the log or board back down. It might also be a good idea to put on gloves.
It's a fascinating way to explore nature, a bit like shining a light into a pitch black tunnel. You never know if you even uncover anything, and when you do, you have to be quick since many critters scatter or crawl into holes.
After I had posted a bunch of observations from January 31st, I was contacted by a college student who runs a related project for her senior thesis, called BLISS (Biodiversity and Landscaping – Influence on Isopods and Snails and Slugs)
https://www.inaturalist.org/projects/isopods-snails-and-slugs-surveys?tab=about
Laura and I will contribute to this project during one of our next outings.
Happy iNatting!!
