Nature News

There’s always something happening outdoors on the Pajarito Plateau!

New Mexico, Meet the Northern Azure

With winter receding in our rearview mirrors, it is past time to lay out some fun projects and goals for the 2024 season. In doing so, I want to draw attention to our state’s northwest quadrant, where new things turn up regularly and many questions remain to be answered because few of us spend any time there. If you have your own 2024 goals and objectives, that is terrific and more power to you. But if you’re scratching your head about what to do this year, please consider Northern Azure and Julia Orangetip…

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New Mexico Butterfly Highlights for 2023

A lot of good butterfly stuff happened in 2023, thanks in large part to your efforts. Last month we celebrated Jeff Glassberg’s discovery of White-tufted Sootywing (Pholisora albicirrus), which is a new member of New Mexico’s butterfly fauna. Other naturalists generated two additional New Mexico state record butterflies in 2023. Observations for each were made public via iNaturalist and each provoked a substantial online conversation about the correct identity and the significance of the observation. Read on for details.

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Trees are Cool and so are Our Teachers

How did I come to illustrating and journaling? When my daughter’s son was about 5, she had written a story for him. She asked me one day if I would illustrate it. “I can’t do that. I don’t have the skill!” was my reply. She had responded “Yes you can!” With great misgivings I did it!  She was the one that pushed me to do what I believed was unthinkable. We all need someone like that!

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The Magic of Merlin Sound ID

Enter technology in the form of a free app…Merlin ID.  The purpose is to help answer the question “What’s that bird?” through visual sightings(2014, photos you take (2017), and now audio sounds (2021).  Designed by the folks at the Cornell Institute of Ornithology, along with some help from Caltech, its accuracy continues to improve through observational data input from over 5000 users using artificial intelligence to refine the entries.

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