To piggy-back on Donna's recent post: I have been interested in nature as far back as 4th grade - no idea why - my mother never took a high school science course and my father failed high school bio twice.... But while being a Boy Scout, a Biology major, or a CT teacher certified in bio, chem, physics, earth/space sci, and general sci- I have been interested in nature whether it was tree/plant id, mineral/rock/fossil collecting, photographing plants/animals, birding, etc. As I tell my students, Science is my hobby and I am a Science nerd/geek. Marty in Woodbury

I was picking up snakes and bugs as soon as I could walk and forget playing "House" and with Barbie dolls... loved my dinosaurs at age 5 and on... I deeply blame Godzilla for sparking my interest in biology and as a child I wanted to be a paleontologist - I started photographing natural things with an old Kodak instamatic camera - and I was in hog heaven when I got my first SLR... I keep hearing folks call themselves 'naturalists' and wondered how one garners such a title... hence my question... so, do I qualify as a 'naturalist' with all the background I do have and ever adding to? but ok, back to birds... Donna ----- Original Message ----- From: "martin swanhall" <mswanhall@earthlink.net> To: "CT Birds" <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2010 1:34 PM Subject: [CT Birds] A Naturalist > To piggy-back on Donna's recent post: > > I have been interested in nature as far back as 4th grade - no idea why - > my mother never took a high school science course and my father failed > high school bio twice.... > > But while being a Boy Scout, a Biology major, or a CT teacher certified in > bio, chem, physics, earth/space sci, and general sci- I have been > interested in nature whether it was tree/plant id, mineral/rock/fossil > collecting, photographing plants/animals, birding, etc. > > As I tell my students, Science is my hobby and I am a Science nerd/geek. > > Marty in Woodbury > > > > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) > for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. > For subscription information visit > http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org

Donna et al,   A couple decades ago, New Haven Bird Club generously sent me to that famous week-long residency naturalist course at National Audubon (Quaker Ridge) Greenwich.  There were nature center managers from all over the country.  I found out that an "interpretive naturalist" was anyone at a nature center who had a non-violent felony or midemeanor, and had to do community service!   By the way, it was one of the most enjoyable weeks of my life.     Steve Mayo Bethany --- On Sun, 1/10/10, Donna <sunny19682@comcast.net> wrote: From: Donna <sunny19682@comcast.net> Subject: Re: [CT Birds] A Naturalist To: ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org Date: Sunday, January 10, 2010, 1:59 PM I was picking up snakes and bugs as soon as I could walk and forget playing "House" and with Barbie dolls... loved my dinosaurs at age 5 and on... I deeply blame Godzilla for sparking my interest in biology and as a child I wanted to be a paleontologist - I started photographing natural things with an old Kodak instamatic camera - and I was in hog heaven when I got my first SLR... I keep hearing folks call themselves 'naturalists' and wondered how one garners such a title... hence my question... so, do I qualify as a 'naturalist' with all the background I do have and ever adding to? but ok, back to birds... Donna ----- Original Message ----- From: "martin swanhall" <mswanhall@earthlink.net> To: "CT Birds" <ctbirds@lists.ctbirding.org> Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2010 1:34 PM Subject: [CT Birds] A Naturalist > To piggy-back on Donna's recent post: > > I have been interested in nature as far back as 4th grade - no idea why - my mother never took a high school science course and my father failed high school bio twice.... > > But while being a Boy Scout, a Biology major, or a CT teacher certified in bio, chem, physics, earth/space sci, and general sci- I have  been interested in nature whether it was tree/plant id, mineral/rock/fossil collecting, photographing plants/animals, birding, etc. > > As I tell my students, Science is my hobby and I am a Science nerd/geek. > > Marty in Woodbury > > > > _______________________________________________ > This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. > For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org _______________________________________________ This list is provided by the Connecticut Ornithological Association (COA) for the discussion of birds and birding in Connecticut. For subscription information visit http://lists.ctbirding.org/mailman/listinfo/ctbirds_lists.ctbirding.org