Saturday, January 24, 2009

TOP 10 NATURE POSTS OF 2008

Tai at Earth, Wind and Water and the organisers of the Nature Blog Network are encouraging their members to list their top ten nature posts of 2008. Are they kidding? I don't think I can narrow it down to ten! I had so much fun last year, trying to pick only ten is a tough task! So I have gone for the top ten nature moments of 2008, some of them are a single post, and some are not.

10. Discovering that that leaf wasn't a leaf at all!


I had never seen a Maple Spanworm Moth before and this one was a beauty!

9. The Tussock Moth Story unfolding


This was a great series of sightings over the summer during which I learned all about another new invertebrate.

8. Supper with the Snakes


This is where the top ten nature posts goes a little awry! I didn't actually do a post for this event! My excuse was that I was suffering (unbeknown at the time) from appendicitis and would actually end up in hospital the next day so I wasn't feeling up to photographing the event or posting about it. However it was an event that I thought of and put together, at the Museum. Children of all ages (!) came for supper the night after Halloween and shared their evening with all the snakes in my care plus a few extras! It was great hit and is now going to an annual event.

7. Our annual Biology Department Field Trip.


This is always a fun event because we are a diverse group all with different areas of expertise so the number of interesting things we see in a relatively short period of time is massive.

6. Finally getting to see Giant Tortoises, up close and personal.


Nothing can really prepare you for seeing these behemoths for the first time. They are so huge and there is something incredibly powerful, emotionally about the fact that some of the largest have been wandering around for hundreds of years, truly humbling.

5. Overcoming my fear of water enough to go snorkeling.


This was an awesome experience and now that I have my terribly geeky, bright yellow, buoyancy device there will be no stopping me! Provided we are somewhere were the water is warm!!

4. Possibly discovering a species in a previously unrecorded area.


This was a weekend designed just for 'getting away from it all' but as it turned out, it is possible that one of the species I photographed and posted is a new species recording for that area so when I go back this year I have been charged with recording the GPS co-ordinates and collecting a couple of specimens.


3. My First Bioblitz



Some would call us crazy but I loved this event. Hopefully it will be the first of many.

2. Getting my Blanding's Turtle Project off the ground.


Its been a long time coming but this project is fascinating, hugely rewarding and one of which I am quite proud.

1. The trip of a lifetime.


The Galapagos! How could anyone with an interest in the natural world not be totally inspired by these truly incredible islands?

Quite a year. Who knows what 2009 will hold? Although somehow I doubt that I will be doing anything to top the number 1. listing!

Photo Credits -
10, 9, 8, 7, 4 - CJT
6, 5, 1 - Dominick V
2, 3 - Jamie Stubis.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Celeste,
Amazing-incredble-unusual- talented!

Greatly looking forward to your photographic documentation of 2009.

Anonymous said...

That is quite a collection...I didn't remember that you had done a bio-blitz. That must have been so much fun...

Rising Rainbow said...

Looks like you had some interesting posts. I wouldn't want to be picking my ten best posts for the year either.

Anonymous said...

Fantastic photographs

Celeste said...

Gel - Wow! Thanks, you are very kind. We will have to wait and see what adventures 2009 leads us on. Right now it is so damn cold I don't have much enthusiasm to do anything!

Ramblingwoods - Thanks Michelle. The Bioblitz was great fun and quite fascinating.

Rising Rainbow - It is really hard trying to decide what to include. I guess that is a good complaint to have though :)

Anonymous - Thanks, glad you liked them.

Steffi said...

Very interesting post,Celeste!Great choice of pics!

Doug Taron said...

Celeste- A great selection. I'm glad that the department field trip made your list. You may not get to go to the Galapagos again, but you will have the opportunity for another bioblitz this year.

gtyyup said...

Excellent collection...well, 'cept for the snakes...ewwww ;~) LOL

Celeste said...

Steffi - Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

Doug - The Department trip is always fun. It will be great to get the chance to do more Bioblitzes.

Gtyyup - The snakes are not so bad! They are really very peaceful creatures if you don't threaten them - just like us! :)