MY YEAR OF DARWIN (#YEAROFDARWIN)

11 Jan 2014: "Henslow used to take his pupils, including several of the older members of the university, field excursions, on foot or in coaches, to distant places, or in a barge down the river, and lectured on the rarer plants and animals which were observed. These excursions were delightful."  Darwin autobiography

Now at Cambridge, Darwin found academics as boring as those at Edinburgh but he loved being out in the field. He also joined a campus hunting club that met after hunts for drinks and gambling. 

Having a field component to courses is an incredibly important aspect. Seeing organisms in their habitat gives lectures context. Plus being in the forest beats being in the classroom. I'm not sure how on-line courses accomplish this type of inspiration and I worry about a student that has never gone to the field.  

At home, temperatures above freezing. Black-capped Chickadees and Song Sparrows were singing. Classes start in two days and I'll be working on lectures most of the day. 

MY YEAR OF DARWIN (#YEAROFDARWIN)

5 Jan 2014: ""In my simplicity I remember wondering why every gentleman did not become an ornithologist" Darwin autobiography

At 44 years old, I still wonder the same thing. Darwin was reading natural history books during his childhood and his interests were broadening to include insects, minerals, and birds. Darwin was spending time in the beautiful countryside of Wales. Being outside inspires - do it. I also spent my days wondering the woods near my home and the Pohatcong Creek was my playground. I do many programs with local schools and none of the schools take students out in the field - ever. I don't have any data on hand but I suspect there are fewer children headed into the woods both in absolute numbers and proportionally across the population. The result might be an increasing intellectual and emotional disconnect between us and nature (recently coined Nature Deficit Disorder). So hopefully, catching birds with WEBS (Women Empowered By Science) can address some of that in my little bubble.  

Just over 0 today and the bird feeders are draining quickly. Had a male Cooper's Hawk swing by the house and miss getting one of the 50-some House Sparrows. Working on a National Science Foundation proposal today.