Self-led Fieldwork
A substantial portion of the program involves getting students outside to connect with nature. Some of that is work performed directly in the field and some involves doing your own research to ensure you are aware of the public resources (both human and natural) in your area. Guidance is available to help you complete these units.
Please note that, per the inherent nature of distance learning, a parent or guardian must assume the ultimate responsibility for the safety of students enrolled in youth courses. The good news is that none of the required activities are strenuous and a good time should be had by all when working on these activities.
As part of the fieldwork, students are required to complete a minimum of three hours of volunteering at an environmentally-oriented nonprofit, educational, or government institution of their choice to qualify for certification. Once completed, students must submit the name of the organization and the contact information for the supervisor who can verify their hours.
F-1.01
Create a citizen science account on iNaturalist.org. This is a free resource that will become your primary method of logging field observations. This tool is also used by scientists to track biodiversity and population changes. Please use your real name or initials when creating your account so that your records can be attributed to you. (Note: You may alternatively use HerpMapper, eBird, or another similar platform if you prefer.)
F-2.01
I am working on a lesson about wildlife journalling. Be on the lookout for that.
F-2.02
Look over the field observation record in the appendix of the Primer. Practice filling out this form with as much detail as you can, but you don’t need to get hung up on any fields that you don’t know (e.g., surface temp if you don’t have a temp gun). You are NOT required to fill out every field on the form.
F-2.03
Record at least ten field observations in your journal. You may use the Field Observation Record form found in the appendix of the Primer or you may use your own notebook, journal, computer file, etc.
F-3.01
Find and photograph at least five reptiles and/or amphibians living in your area that occupy upland (dry) habitat.
F-3.02
Find and photograph at least five reptiles and/or amphibians living in your area that occupy lowland (wet) habitat. (The idea with these units is that people tend to connect with the species they find most frequently, so widening your scope will help strengthen your knowledge base.)
F-4.01
Use iNaturalist (or your platform of choice) to compile a comprehensive list of the reptiles and amphibians that have been observed in your county. Familiarize yourself with the species in each category. This is meant to help you be able to quickly include or rule out species by location when seeking an identification in the future.
F-5.01
Utilize agency and other databases to compile a list of imperiled species in your state. In other words, look on your state wildlife website (sometimes called wildlife and fisheries, department of natural resources, or something similar) for a list of species that is considered at-risk. This is meant to both strengthen your research skill and make you aware of what species in your state need special attention. If you come across any of these species, you should make sure that concerned scientists and conservation organizations are aware of the record in the future.
F-5.02
Pick one of the species from the list above and dive down researching its habitat and natural history. The hope is that you may decide to home in on finding these species in the future in order to broaden our understanding of their specific range. Finding out all you can about them (where they live, where they nest, what they eat, what time of year and day they are most active) will help you know where and when to look.
F-6.01
Find out what organizations in your area are involved in reptile and amphibian conservation. What work are they doing? What can you do to support them?
F-7.01
Look for and identify public lands that you can access to look for herps. This can be anything from public parks to national forests or anything in between. Reptiles and amphibians live all around us, and public land is a valuable resource that you should know about. Starting points for this could be your city or county website, state website, national parks and forest websites, Google Maps, etc.
F-7.02
Pick two of the places you found in the previous assignment and research more about the rules there. Do you need any specific license to look for reptiles and amphibians? May you touch the animals you come across? Is it legal to collect specimens for scientific voucher records? The Herpetology Collective puts a great deal of importance on our members and students complying with all applicable laws in their area. There is a lesson in the Primer on how to research these topics.
F-8.01
Similar to F-7.02, find out what laws apply statewide to observing and interacting with reptiles and amphibians. Are there any species that have special legal protection? Are any species illegal to keep as pets? Are there any species that are legal for you to collect under certain conditions?
F-9.01
Compile a list of conservation organizations in your area that work with wildlife or wild places. This is a precursor to the volunteering requirement. Possible sources: your state wildlife agency website, local nature centers, wildlife rehabilitators, land trusts, Master Naturalist programs, environmental nonprofits, etc. If there is a Master Naturalist program in your area, they should be a tremendous help with this assignment, as they will probably already have such a list compiled.
F-9.02
Choose one of the organizations identified in the previous assignment and volunteer there. You are required to log at least three hours. This can be all at one place or event or spread across multiple places.
Don’t forget- if you have any questions or if you feel your pupil may be too young for any of the above assignments, you may reach out to us at any time for guidance or a list of substitute activities.
If you need assistance at any time to enroll or complete your course, simply message Micha at m.me/micharpetty or email learnaboutcritters@gmail.com or text us at 318-745-9393. We will be excited to help in any way we can!
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