Blogging about field adventures, interesting species, and wildlife ecology and conservation.
Blog post by Christopher E. Smith (FieldEcology.com). Subscribe via e-mail, RSS, or follow on Twitter.
Each spring and fall, visitors from around the world -- literally -- seeking amphibian and reptile encounters descend on southern Illinois to partake in a twice annual migratory phenomenon. The destination, Snake Road, is nestled within the U.S. Forest Service administered Shawnee National Forest - LaRue-Pine Hills-Otter Pond Research Natural Area, and is home to just over 20 species of snake (Palis 2016).
Read MoreAnother example of how social media and citizen science can add to our knowledge of the natural world... Below is a video that was recorded by Dana and Elaine Hilmer while out kayaking in Wisconsin. The video was subsequently posted to the Wisconsin Naturalists Facebook Group where Dr. Gary Casper and I were first made aware of the observation.
Read MoreHerping Georgia with The Orianne Society
Read MoreOne of the most basic needs in ecological conservation and research is access to quality species occurrence data. Fortunately technology has made it easier than ever for the lay-public, nature enthusiasts, naturalists, and professionals to identify and document their observations, and then seamlessly share these observations with natural resource agencies and other conservation and research organizations.
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