megn_martin's Journal

For SCIED 118, the class I TA for, we spent our time outside at the Hintz Alumni Garden. This was a unique assignment because we have been giving them apps to us to identify nature, like the Seek app. This time, we had groups of five and they each had to figure out how to use their app. The four apps were iNaturalist, PictureThis, PlantNet, and PlantSnap. Lucy and I reviewed the Seek app. Without any instruction, we asked the students to download the app and use it. The point of this was for them to figure out what was easy and challenging to use in each app. After they used or attempted to use their app, we discussed if there was a website associated with the app that had more information. They discussed whether their app is used for citizen science or if it is used as an identification tool only; was it easy to use in 15 minutes or less? How could you visualize using this resource in a classroom (or not)? They also rated each app on a scale of 1 (worst) to 10 (best). What was most interesting was that iNaturalist was by far the hardest app for them to use. It definitely has a steep learning curve as I learned myself. I figured out that I had to use other apps and the internet to identify the organism first before posting it into the app. The community can help you ID it, but you need to have an idea of phylum or class first. The app doesn't ID plants for you, you have to ID it or get suggestions from the community. The students rated the app a 5.5/10 and said it could be used with high schoolers on a field trip or students with specific interests in these things. I agree with their analysis. The app was hard to understand at first. It isn't obvious that it is NOT an ID tool. I had to go to the website and read a bunch of articles and how-to instructions to feel remotely confident about what I was doing. Although, one of the things I love most about this app now is that I see something new and am curious to know what things are! I use other apps to try to ID it and then post these organisms like the black-staining polypore to iNaturalist.

The app encourages you to try not to post cultivated plants or post repeat species. This keeps me looking for new native species. It keeps things "fresh".

This weekend I was in Michigan to visit my nephew and did not spend any time outside. I wasn't able to add a new species and I felt a little bad about it. Getting a little fresh air is so nice, even if it's just for 10 minutes. I think I will spend a little bit of time outside today when I get home if I can.

We spent 30 minutes in the class I TA for using the Seek app, which is associated with iNaturalist. The app was quite frustrating to use. I tried to identify insects to complete an arthropod challenge in the app. I found enough insects to complete the challenge. However, the app couldn't focus on the insects and was misidentifying the flower or plant the insect was on. This was quite frustrating. I got very few good pictures from the app as well, compared to just using my phone camera. The in-app camera had trouble focusing on the insects.

I found an eastern yellowjacket, a yellow-striped armyworm caterpillar, some kind of diptera that seemed common, common eastern bumble bee, large milkweed bug, and some kind of leaf-footed bug. We needed five to complete the challenge, which I technically found. We discussed how you could use this app with children and the challenges we (the students and TA/prof) faced in using the app.

Seek is a great tool and starting point for those who are curious about what they are looking at whether an insect, fungi, plant, etc. The app does pair nicely with iNaturalist. It allows you to post your finding to iNaturalist. However, to get research-grade observations, the photos are not really clear enough. To test if one photo of "okay enough" quality would get identity verification all the way to research-grade, I posted two my Seek app findings. I found the time in the Arboretum garden really soothing. I completely forgot about time and was even late for our regroup. At first glance, the pollinator garden appears fairly docile. However, upon close examination, the variety of insects abounds. It felt like a scavenger hunt. How many could I find? Where had I not looked or noticed that was potentially housing a new insect? I looked at the ground and the edges of the garden. Then, moving into rock cracks, leaf clusters, and flower petals. I found a tiny spider on a sign that I never would have otherwise noticed.

Part of me just wanted to observe the insects and take pictures of them for my own sake. I prefer identifying things in the field and would love to have a super in-depth guidebook, but I don't. Therefore, I used my phone. This sometimes feels like a distraction. Especially when the app doesn't work correctly or you close your app in between insects you find. I was unable to capture the fly because it flew away before the app could open.

One thing I've noticed is that I actually notice less. I rely more on the app to compare the insect with an ID. Only upon this reflection did I realize that I couldn't remember the color patterns on a bug I looked at for over 5 minutes. I've relied heavily on google and insect of Pennsylvania online guides to ID things, comparing my photos to ones online.

I don't like how this app doesn't allow me/want me to ID caterpillars. The transformation of these creatures is truly amazing to me. When I came home on Thursday (9/29), I checked on my black-staining polypore mushrooms. I noticed a large caterpillar actively munching on a leaf. It was probably about 4 inches long. I even took a video of it. I googled what that was today and it is a beautiful giant leopard moth, a moth that is white with many black spots. Right here in PA. Hopefully, I'll see the moth one day in PA. The yellow-striped armyworm moth has one pair of mottled brown wings and another pair that are a soft white.

Being a geologist, I've spent many hours in nature, IDing things ... here, rocks, minerals, geomorphology, and biogenic rocks and signatures, for example. The skills I've learned in the field are directly applicable here. I never used my phone though. I always took physical rocks with me and composed written and image descriptions of rememberable/prominent features. These skills mirror how I would like to experience IDing things in nature (without taking anything with me or destroying/disturbing nature, just observing). The app acts as a filter between myself and nature. It's like a film. At concerts, I often don't take many pictures because I want to "see" the artist through my own eyes. This is the same for nature. This app is a great tool, but having to spend regimented times in nature has been hard and I have had to greatly adjust my schedule and expectations. I spend the time I can out in nature each week and jot down what I notice.

An observation I previously confirmed for someone else ended up being incorrect and more people IDed the insect as a similar insect, but different species. I had to "withdraw" my ID. This was interesting. I felt like I had done something wrong or almost felt embarrassed that I had misidentified something. I know these feelings are not logical, but they are true. The only reason I even knew to withdraw my ID was because one other person had incorrectly IDed it as well. It literally crosses out your ID, without removing it from the page completely (as if you never commented/IDed anything). I feel a little guilty for not having the time to ID more things this week or spend more time in nature because of my personal life events. Having specific goals for observations feels more like a chore than something peaceful and fun.

My initial goals were ambitious. 30 minutes, three times each work week. 1 hour each weekend. Spend this time being mindful, observing, documenting, and investigating nature. I spent about five hours that Thursday (9/22) with my undergraduates, observing an environmental education program put on by Shaver's Creek for 3rd graders. Initially, I didn't think this time would count toward being in nature and observing, because I wasn't identifying species as I had originally listed as a goal. However, 3 hours in, I realized that I was focused on the kids and their enjoyment of nature. I had forgotten about the tasks I had to accomplish that day and the next and the next. I was "at peace", even if only for a short while. Watching the students find leaves on the ground to journal about gave me pause. I took this time to also journal about a leaf I had found on the ground. After reflection, I have decided that it is ok I missed this first journal post. I'm doing it now and I'm ok with that. The days are still fresh in my mind.

On Saturday (9/24), I decided I would garden for a few hours, which turned into weeding for over 5 hours and getting a nice blister on the center of my right hand from using the ... Hold on a moment, while I look at what the actual name for the tool I've used since I was a kid is called. Oh wow, it is called a weeder tool. How appropriate. I didn't listen to music. I just focused on clearing english ivy and other ivy off a path we want to put gravel down on. We have been trying to remove as much english ivy as possible, but with the amount in our yard, it seems impossible. I enjoyed my time. It was harder to focus on enjoying my time compared to the field trip. I felt very aware of the passage of time and it made me anxious. After about 3 hours, I noticed a teeny tiny mushroom. I got excited and immediately thought about how I should document it and try to ID it. Even if it was wrong, I was hoping to rely on the iNaturalist community to tell me what it actually was. A milky conecap is what I found (so I think). I learned it is toxic (likely), and can sometimes grow in mulch woodchips after a hard rain. This was exactly the case. This delicate mushroom caught my attention and for 10 minutes I observed it, and noticed things about it. I took pictures of it and even showed my spouse. I got excited by this one non-cultivated find in my yard and looked for more things to document. And I found more! The giant black-staining polypores in the middle of our front yard cropped up in the same places last year at this same time of year. We pulled them up last year because they were killing our grass and part of the manicured ground cover. None of which we planted. We prefer to let nature be. We still mow, but not often. This year, I decided to let them be, except for the two I tripped over walking to take a picture of the largest ones.

I spent 30 minutes today logging all these species and putting them into the app. I also used other apps like a mushroom finder app to help with those. The Seek app struggled with IDing my mushrooms for some reason. I went on here to check if any of my observations had been verified once or twice (bringing them to research grade quality). They hadn't but I don't mind. I really enjoy documenting things even if it's just for me. It transports me back to a place and time when I was excited about something small on this planet. As I was looking through a few other people's observations to verify them, I saw someone posted a dragonfly and their location was the east coast of Russia. It gave me pause. All I hear on the news and in the media is about the war. To think, there is someone who was still looking for insects in this chaotic world, made me feel... it made me feel alright. There is always chaos around you, and sometimes there is chaos in your own life, your own mind, but for this community, focusing on something specific is where you can really find peace.

I have assignments that are late, but I am taking the time to write this post. Getting into a different headspace is healthy and sometimes you need to put yourself and your mental health before things like a grade. I'm getting better at accepting this. It only makes me feel better. I'm glad I will never run out of things to explore in the natural world.