Mother’s Day Thoughts from a Naturalist

{  a very happy kid me posing with a garter snake  }

I hope everyone had a great Mother’s Day. Miles and I did. I made my mother her favorite dinner and dessert, while Miles relished all of the bits and pieces I dropped in the process.

I am really thankful that I had the kind of mother growing up who let me pursue my love for animals, who didn’t care about t-shirt stains, and who taught me to have respect for the unique needs of other animals. All three things were enormously important in shaping who I am today, and how I go about my love for animals. My mother always emphasized that whether they be scaly or furry, other animals have needs that are very important, even though they may not always be readily apparent, and may not always be easy to understand. She taught me to take the responsibility that comes with caring for another creature very seriously, and to put the needs of any creatures who depend on me before my own wants. I am so grateful for the values she instilled in me. Every mad scientist should be so lucky to have such an understanding and loving mum to keep them balanced!

To the mother who let her daughter roam the woods all day to study the behavior of local wildlife… Thank you for reading Gerald Durrell to me, and for still being able to laugh even when the funny bits hit just a little too close to home. Thank you for never freaking out when I came home covered in pond scum and snake excrement, or when I routinely felt it necessary to catch, inspect, and release every species of wild rodent on our woodland property. Thank you for getting me my first puppy, and when he grew up, for staying up late into the night trying to catch the bastard when he ran away and would bark outside your window (then slip away again, only to repeat the process). Thank you for always listening to my excited rambling about anything and everything nature, science, and animal related. Thank you for always recognizing the value in what was important to me, even when it involved escapee insects turning up in your living space, or having to keep the bathroom door closed for several years to keep in the rabbit that was contentedly snacking on the baseboards. Thank you for everything.

{  me and my puppy Cinnamon outside of obedience class  }