About this blog

I started this blog during December 2010 with a couple of goals in mind. First of all, I felt that not enough information was out there about biology in southeastern Ohio. The information that I was finding was either focused elsewhere, or not very recent. There was also a lack of information on natural history and insects, which I wanted to fix. Since I was in my third year of undergraduate study at that time and was learning about it first hand, I saw it as my responsibility to remedy that dearth of knowledge and share what I was learning myself.

Secondly, I wanted this information to be understandable to a wider audience than those that might read a scientific article. Not only that, I wanted it to be enjoyable to read. Don't get me wrong, I have read scholarly articles that have sent me into a raving furor because of how amazing they were. However, most people don't read those articles for fun. I see this blog as being a place where I can write about scientific subjects, but in a fun way that can be enjoyed by both scientists and other people not in a scientific field.

Thirdly, I wanted a place to improve my writing and knowledge, and to organize my ideas. I would read scientific articles and learn a lot from them, but I would eventually forget a good portion of what I read. I needed a way to remember what I was learning, and work on my writing skills. On top of that, I needed a way to organize it all: thus, this blog was born.

For the future, I expect to expand this blog: adding new entries, pages, and other relevant information as it comes along. I would like to add videos of what I do and find in the field, and also add more of the pictures I have taken. My number one goal will remain the dissemination of scientific information to the general public, and it will stay the driving force of this blog.

6 comments:

  1. Hey Derek! our mutual friend Chelsea told me about your blog and I have been pouring over it for the past few days! I love how easy it is to read (like you said was one of your goals)-- also the pictures are amazing! I'd love to know what kind of camera you use for your photos because I am an artist that paints pictures of insects. Have you ever thought about writing a children's anthology to insects? Anyways check out my FB art page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amanda-North-Art/249360751768693
    and let me know if you want to chat more about bugs with me.

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    1. Hi Amanda, thanks for your comment. I'm glad I've at least fulfilled one of my goals for this blog! For the past year or so I've been using a Canon Powershot SX150 IS, while my previous camera was a Canon Powershot A560 I believe. I'll upgrade to a DSLR someday. I checked out some of your art and it's wonderful--if you need new subjects, just let me know and I'll send you some photos.

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  2. Hello, you're living the life I've always dreamed of! Your blog is really epic and I'm sorry I didn't find it sooner. I'm a high school senior right now, and I was wondering how much knowledge on arthropods you had before going to college. I feel so inferior to the typical undergrad ento student, even though I've studied insects on my own time. Thanks, sorry for my social awkwardness!

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    1. I didn't have much knowledge at all when I arrived at college. I originally majored in biology because I wanted to go into marine biology (the deep sea is fascinating), but my interests changed. I was a general biology major, and picked up entomology along the way. A couple of my professors were entomologists, and they were really helpful in teaching me and guiding me along the way. So don't feel inferior--you can learn on your own! If you've already started studying, you're probably ahead of the game.

      Good luck in college, and have fun! Also make sure to set goals for yourself, it helps you stay on task. And if you know you definitely want to go into Entomology, talk to your biology professors about it--they'll know about helpful resources and can point you in the right direction.

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  3. Dear Millipeder,
    Please always include your location. When you go out at a season a location helps us know what conditons may be like. In southern Michigan (Macomb Co.) I collected a millipede yesterday under a log with the log still frozen and ground mostly frozen around it. It was moving! I had no idea they were this cold-active. Thanks, DKF

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  4. OK. Southern OHIO. Got it.

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