So I ran out of printer paper for my kiddo’s lunch letter this morning, but then I realized I had a big ol’ photo archive of my iNat nature pics and printer labels…instant valentines.
I love this, Brett!
You’re teaching biodiversity, you’re making your kid want to protect nature, you’re teaching literacy, you’re teaching taxonomy . . . Your kid is lucky to have you as a father!
Thanks for sharing this on the forum, where it can inspire others, compared to only a few humans who would have seen these things in real life. I think these are so cool that you might want to put them on your mantel, and also share them in other threads, so they can inspire more young naturalists!
Happy Valentine’s Day! 
Thanks. That’s kind of you. My 11yo loved them, but my 13yo thought they were cringe, but that’s how the ages go!
with bugs (and other pals),
b
Oh, those are wonderful! Kudos to you, both for the creativity, and for the lunch letter. 
And don’t worry about the 13yo thinking that they’re cringe. 13-year-olds think that just about everything is cringe, particularly if the something is liked by a younger sibling. I remember, both on the dishing out and the receiving end. Two much younger sisters = puberty in stereo. Adolescent behavior is awkward no matter what species you’re observing. 
You’re not alone – Rosmary Mosco (Bird and Moon) has done all sorts of biology-nerd valentine comics, including “Valentine’s Day for Naturalists”: https://rosemarymosco.com/comics/bird-and-moon/valentines-day-for-naturalists
There could be a little QR code in the corner of the card, that links to the iNat observation
I love that idea!
Truth.
I do not have the design chops to do anything with it, but Edessa rufomarginata are wonderfully attentive to their young, and so a number of my Observations could work as parent to child Valentines, such as this one.
Valentines here is celebrated as a day of love and friendship, as well as romantic love, so small tokens and messages are exchanged with family, friends, everyone. It’s one of my favorite days. :)
Yes!! The best Valentine card ever!
I placed this observation for Saint Valentine
Mosco is the besssst
These are so great
Many of the male Calico Pennant dragonflies (Celithemis elisa) I’ve come across make me think of valentine’s day. Here’s one of my observations in iNat: Calico Pennant (Celithemis elisa) from Oak Ridge, TN, USA on June 09, 2025 at 12:33 PM by smithjg1954 · iNaturalist
What a cool Odonata I likely would never have known about! Thank you for sharing it. :)
I love when two Forum topics intersect. Your Odonata reminded me of this thread about an amazing project in Georgia, which you might enjoy. I am off to see if any of your cool Valentine ones are in it!
