A Moment of Wonder

Encounters with wildlife give us a rush. We hurry to record and share them, and they fill us with an urge to learn more about nature.

In fact, the experiences we have with wildlife are so powerful, we often fail to capture and express the full impact they have on us. When it comes to recording, sharing, and learning, however, social media contain great potential, and the National Wildlife Federation has collaborated with the maker of an app called WildObs to make the most of our meetings with wildlife.

WildObs allows us to put wildlife at the center of our lives. Using the app, we can chronicle the wildlife experiences we've had. In addition, we can connect with others who love interacting with nature, and we can contribute to citizen science through the NWF's Wildlife Watch program. For more information about the app, which can be used on iPhones and Android smart phones and is also available on Flickr, click here.

Each moment of interaction with wildlife provides opportunity and inspiration to connect more with nature. To make the impacts of the moment last, we need an outlet for our experience, and WildObs offers such a tool.

WildObs may not be the beginning of a beautiful friendship with nature, but it's a great next step.

Share and Share a Bird

Yesterday, I blogged about the National Wildlife Federation's Wildlife Watch program, which includes a chance to share wildlife photographs on Flickr. Well, the Cornell Lab of Ornithology has a Flickr site for sharing pictures of birds.

The site is called Birdshare, and you can find it here.

Are You Watching?

Here's another opportunity for citizen science. People of all ages can participate in this one.

The National Wildlife Federation's Wildlife Watch program combines getting out into nature with citizen science and photography. It allows people to report findings and tell stories from their experiences in nature. Also, participants can share nature photos on the program's Flickr page.