#nature nerd

[rebeccathenaturalist]

I mean, yeah. There's a reason my degrees are in the humanities. (Didn't stop me from being a total nature nerd, though.)

[ilikeloons]

AMERICAN COOT

[jenfoundabug]

Yet again, it’s that special time of year - tarantula mating season in California 🎉! Tarantulas are normally nocturnal, but in autumn, males emerge during the day to look for a mate. It’s not uncommon to see them crossing the trail while hiking.

Despite their large size and appearance, tarantulas are actually very docile and would rather flee than attack. They’re also fragile, so picking them up is not recommended (except that one time I rescued one from the road and then it climbed up my arm lol…). You sometimes can get them to walk across your hand, which is a much safer option for the tarantula.

Pro tip if you’re in the Bay Area: a recent rainstorm and cool weather seem to vastly increase the chance of finding one. Grassy foothills with sparse trees and not a lot of people are the best.

Desert tarantula (Aphonopelma iodius)

Northern California, US

[korva-the-raven]

Went out looking for mushrooms and some fresh dirt for Maximillian the millipede and found this smol friend...

A California slender salamander: Batrachoseps attenuatus

Yes, I was very very tempted to take smol friend home with me, but finding the right food for them is tricky. They eat tiny bugs like ants and such.

Also found this super smol friend

Super smol did come home with me...

You'd be amazed what you can find underneath logs and pieces of wood or bark. Just remenber to be gentle and turn them back over. We wouldn't want Mother Nature thinking we are mannerless heathens now would we?

[chimichanga-jones]

[goldwerewolf]

My desk is starting to give off a forest witch aesthetic vibe.

[thejournalofawanderer]

Summit Lake Cleanup #4 (The final cleanup for the season):

This was probably the best cleanup out of the 4 cleanups. It was such a successfully rewarding experience. I am forever thankful to everyone that came out. I am so privileged to be a part of the Green Girl Gang, and to represent them at their Akron ambassador. It meant a lot to me to see some of the same faces, and some new ones. We acquired 15 bags of trash and 2 bicycles. It was a record amount of trash on this cleanup. There is still an incredible amount of trash floating around Summit Lake, so we may sneak in one more cleanup for good measure before the weather gets too terribly bad. Again, I couldn’t have done any of this without my wonderful volunteers. My heart is so full, and I am beyond thankful. We did our part to help keep Akron beautiful, have you?

[lenaandcalliope]

You Don't Understand How Much I Love Bats 🦇