It doesn't have to be January 1st to set goals for the year - Now is a great time to set a target for the CNC.

I recently posted a link to an article published in the Chronicle Herald (January 2019) titled ‘THE ENDANGERED PERSPECTIVE: Can you name 150?’. This article written by Zack Metcalfe (zack.metcalfe@gmail.com) opens with the following sentence ‘Your average North American can recognize 150 corporate logos without practice or effort, a statistic made especially sad when you consider this same person can’t name most of the trees or birds or insects which make up their world’.

Zack's article is very interesting, and I recommend that people (re-)read it in its entirety.

I am bringing this article to light once again with the hope that it will spark a desire in others to set a goal for themselves for this coming year. As COVID and travel restrictions are likely to be part of our lives for the near future this is a great opportunity to get outdoors and explore areas close to home. Perhaps setting a goal to try and find a specific number of birds or trees or wildflowers or seashells would be a great ‘Bubble’ activity.

In order for the quest to be successful a bit of planning is required. Now is a great time to EXPLORE existing content in iNat for your favourite area and identify places to visit. What species do you recognize and know are common in your area? iNaturalist is a great way to learn their names.

Perhaps a related goal could be to share 50 observations per day during the City Nature Challenge… Is this number too high? Should it be higher? Could a target such as this be achievable with a little planning? Would a list of common species to start with be helpful?

Maybe the CNC could be treated as a scavenger hunt to find the following species – this quest might require visiting a number of different locations/habitats or maybe you will find many in your backyard.

Keep your eyes open for:

• Dandelion, coltsfoot, daisy, buttercup, clover, strawberry
• Blue flag iris, cranberry, mayflower, bunchberry
• Ferns, moss, pitcher plants, lichen
• Pine, spruce, tamarack, hemlock, maple, birch, oak, beech, ash, aspen, alders
• Apple trees and pussy willows
• Japanese knotweed, Himalayan balsam
• Irish moss, rockweed, kelp, eelgrass
• Mussels, razor clams, clams, scallops, periwinkles, moon shells, whelks
• Crabs, lobsters
• Centipedes, millipedes, slugs, earthworms, night crawlers
• Mayflies, mosquitoes, bees, spiders
• Ticks
• Spring peepers and salamanders
• Squirrels, mice, rabbits, beaver, porcupines, deer
• Raccoons
• Mallards, robins, blue jays, starlings, pigeons
• Eagle, osprey, sandpiper, seagull
• Canada geese
• And of course fish!

Winter is a great time to dream and to plan for the spring. Why not set a few goals? Start today.

Posted on February 12, 2021 11:52 AM by mkkennedy