What a lovely conversation.
- Yes, I do. I walk the yard daily (about 1 acre) for 15 minutes, sometimes twice. In good weather, I sit outside, always with camera & binos. For what I’ve found, you can check out my Yard Survey project here:
https://www.inaturalist.org/observations?place_id=any&project_id=my-yard-survey&verifiable=any - I don’t actively promote monitoring diversity, although I do spread a message related to the future of the earth’s ecosystem. (please DM me if interested).
In my rural area, people live surrounded by nature. Many of the older ones know it intimately. Use search for “becksnyc” for my comments on the kind of expertise that matters to me here:
https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/what-does-it-mean-to-be-an-expert/19521/48
I’ve always been interested in the natural world, though I’ve lived in cities for much of my adult life. The pandemic lockdown & personal circumstances have made it possible for me to “go deep” into my surroundings. It’s been a memorable few years, a gift to me & my family.