Learning Species
7/10/16
By David Brown
I was never taught about local birds in school. I was also never taught to identify local trees, flowers, or butterflies. The fact is that the average student graduating high school has very little knowledge of the plants and animals that they see everyday. To counter this, I believe that nature organizations such as the Lycoming Audubon Society have an obligation to help to teach people and that education aimed at the general public is one of the most effective ways that we can meet our conservation goals.
If you want to realize just how many parts of nature there are to learn go to a bookstore and look at the field guides. You could spend a lifetime learning to identify every moth, moss, mammal, lichen, and fern. Although a few people will become specialists in each of these fields, the average person has no need for such in depth knowledge. Plus, it is intimidating to feel like you must be able to identify every species.
However, you don't need to learn to identify hundreds of bird species. Start by becoming familiar with the 30 most common species. It takes little effort and you'll enjoy being able to recognize those as you see and hear them throughout the day. Beyond the common species, simply know how to use a field guide to identify any unknown birds you come across and overtime you'll learn those too.
How do you know which to learn? Learn what you see. There is no need to memorize every tree in the field guide if you don't even know if the tree in your backyard is an oak or a maple. Simply begin observing and you'll realize that you are seeing some species again and again. Use resources like field guides, websites, and Facebook groups to identify them.
Field sketching in a nature journal is a great way to practice observing nature. It doesn't matter if you are not able to draw well, because the process of slowing down and observing is more important than the finished drawing. Names are just labels we use to communicate. Observing and studying a species is when you learn the actual details.
A parallel can be made between studying nature and learning languages. If you feel like the only worthy goal is to become fluent, which can seem like an impossible task, then you may never get started. Instead if you spend a few weeks learning the basics of a language, you'll enjoy being able to understand small bits you come across.
The most bang for the buck is in the beginning stages. If you learn the most common birds, trees, flowers, and butterflies then you will be well on your way to understanding how different parts of nature relate to one another as well as the conservation challenges that each group faces. Whether it be nature, languages, or other skills in life, focus on learning the basics to get the most benefit. After that you can decide which are worth becoming more proficient in.
