How to See More

As iNaturalists, we are in the business of experiencing nature and sharing those experiences with our iNaturalist communities. How do we conduct ourselves during our time in the field? And how might our behaviors affect the quality of our experiences and observations? They might depend on the total context of our outing. The locations we select, the time we commit, the degree to which we are specialists or generalists in our interests, our level of relaxation, and so on all contribute to the overall quality of our experiences.

Let’s take a minute to explore a few methods of engaging with the natural world, through which, perhaps, we can increase our odds of being in the right place at the right time.

Control for external dynamics

Groups have properties that can effect our observations. Generally, as groups increase in numbers, group dynamics such as volume and movement increase as well. These increases might limit the types and frequency of high-quality observations. The sources of these dynamics vary. Age can provide challenging dynamics. Hungry or sleepy children will likely let everyone know that they are hungry and sleepy, despite the once in a life time shot of the Chupacabra now in front of us. Pets also introduce challenges to high quality interactions. Off-leash dogs will keep most organisms on alert. And even on leash they will likely pull us this way and that way, perhaps erratically. If we prefer group outings, we might consider maintaining smaller group sizes and agreeing on group dynamics behaviors.

Let go of internal dialogue

Interestingly, the human brain can be a barrier to wildlife observation. We often move through the world running our personal stories on loop. As we move through our selected habitat, we might have a conversation about not seeing enough. We might also have a conversation about making the correct identifications. We might simply be thinking about our jobs, housework, or daughter’s next soccer game. Internal conversations can not only block our perception of what is there, but they can lead to physical behaviors that telegraph our presence and set critters on alert. An internal conversation is not essential to observing. Just as we might control for external noise, such as that made by a group, we might consider quietening our internal chatter.

Allow the body to do its job

The human body is an observation expert. That is, if it is given the opportunity. Turning down the volume on the language can create space for the body’s senses and mind to tune in to one another and work cooperatively. Vision can improve. This does not necessarily mean that we will be any closer to reading the fine print on a contract. However, it might mean that we increase our perception of events we often miss, like a white tail deer’s flicking tail across a meadow at tree line. It might mean that we become aware of the difference in songs of similar bird species. It might mean that odors can now clue us in to the nearby location of a species.

Understand that you are the observer being observed

Many organisms are looking for other organisms. We look for eating, and for not being eaten. We also look so that we can avoid being accidentally smashed. We look for mates. Regardless of the context, other organisms are likely to know of our presence before we know that they know. But we can practice ways to avoid blowing our cover.

Smell like nature
The fibers in our clothing, our bodies and our hair, the products we use to wash these things, the soles of our shoes…each emits numerous odors that stand out to the sensitive. Perfumes, colognes and detergents are loud and announce our presence. We choose to use these products specifically for this reason. Perhaps we would go to a party to stand out, and one way we could do this is with intoxicating aromas that differ from other aromas in the room. But in a natural setting we want to stand in, and one way to do this is to smell as close as possible to our chosen natural area. The first consideration would be to leave the perfume products at home. Keeping a specific outing attire is common, and we can wash this outfit in perfume free detergents. In addition, our body announces our presence. We also don’t want to douse our bodies in perfume heavy soaps. But we do have the option of using nature-approved perfumes. We can cover our dedicated outfit with a commercial scent mask, such as those used by hunters. If the irony of going to Cabelas to blend into nature is too thick, then we can make homemade masks from natural materials, such as pine needles, which we gather from the areas we visit.

Sound like nature
Our daily activities, clothing, modes of transportation and so forth produce sound patterns which stand out in natural areas. Many of us wear synthetic fabrics into natural areas. But these products can interfere with our goals. Many fabrics made of these fibers produce characteristic swishing sounds as we walk. This sound likely stands out against the typical sounds of a natural area and can quickly alert forest creatures to our presence. We might consider deliberately blending into the typical range of sounds in our chosen natural area and a great beginning is our choice of fabrics. We might choose to wear natural fabrics such as cotton and wool which typically do not produce the swish. We might further our practice by committing to other behaviors, such as whispers, very deliberate movements, which tend to produce less sound, and turning off unnecessary devices or turning off their volume settings.

Be invisible
We typically do not worry about our visibility. We move through the world with the assumption that there are few negative consequences to being seen, and that there are numerous positive consequences. One positive to being seen occurs when wearing hunter orange in a forest during hunting seasons. But in context of nature observation, being seen can have liabilities. Objects are visible by many properties, such as edge, orientation, scale, and motion. Natural habitats are rich in these. We sense edges where one object is distinct from another. We distinguish scale and orientation of objects relative to one another: small or big, vertical or horizontal. Scale indicates relative size and relates to orientation. We sense motion when objects with edges and scale and orientation are displaced relative to other objects. We might consider using these properties to our advantage. Solidly colored clothing renders us a large (scale) vertical (orientation) moving (motion) object which certainly announces our presence. Numerous small edges provide hiding places and form the logic of camouflage. Camouflage clothing provides many small edges, mimicking natural edges, and can reduce an organism’s ability to perceive us, even when moving. Slow, deliberate motion also enhances our camouflage effect, as we produce less disturbances, such as moving vegetation and snapping twigs. Verticality affords our species some advantages, but it also has costs other than back pain. Sitting brings several advantages, one of which is to decrease our size. We might consider sitting for hours in one location, perhaps against a nice tree. The tree is camouflage and it is a natural blind. It will obscure our location and will also disguise our size.

Understand the observed

Organisms both use and are habitat, forming relationships with each other. Birds frequent trees and trees frequent bird droppings. Both require water to survive. These relationships exist in different contexts throughout a day, a week, a month, a year. Depending upon this factor, behavior might change. Different calls, at different times of day, might announce different activities in different locations. Bringing this knowledge with us on our outings can help us hone our senses to where we are. It can help us to locate where we want to be. Put simply we might consider Nanci Pelosi’s advice: “organize, don't agonize.”

These are just a few ways to increase the value of the time we spend on our outings. There certainly are many more. If you have any tips and tricks, let us know.

And thanks for reading!

Jeffrey
jeffrey.teague@usda.gov

Posted on September 9, 2019 04:39 PM by weedwatcher