Self-led Fieldwork

A substantial portion of the program involves getting students outside to connect with nature. Some of that is work performed directly in the field and some involves doing your own research to ensure you are aware of the public resources (both human and natural) in your area. Guidance is available to help you complete these units.

Please note that, per the inherent nature of distance learning, a parent or guardian must assume the ultimate responsibility for the safety of students enrolled in youth courses. The good news is that none of the required activities are strenuous and a good time should be had by all when working on these activities.

As part of the fieldwork, students are required to complete a minimum of three hours of volunteering at an environmentally-oriented nonprofit, educational, or government institution of their choice to qualify for certification. Once completed, students must submit the name of the organization and the contact information for the person who supervised their hours. This can be done by simply sending the information to us at hivemind@herpcollective.org

Instruction for Field Assignments

F-1.01

Create an account on inaturalist.org for the purpose of uploading voucher photos of the species you encounter in the field. (NOTE: The requirement to upload to HerpMapper has been REMOVED. You are only required to upload to iNaturalist.)

F-1.02

Upload at least 25 records to the iNat database. Species uploaded should be either reptiles or amphibians. Location data should be obscured for any uncommon species.

F-2.01

I am working on a lesson about wildlife journalling. Be on the lookout for that.

F-2.02

Look over the field observation record in the appendix of the Primer. Practice filling out this form with as much detail as you can, but you don't need to get hung up on any fields that you don't know (e.g., surface temp if you don't have a temp gun). You are NOT required to fill out every field on the form.

F-2.03

Record at least ten field observations in your journal. You may use the Field Observation Record form found in the appendix of the Primer or you may use your own notebook, journal, computer file, etc.

F-3.01

Find and photograph at least five reptiles and/or amphibians living in your area that occupy upland (dry) habitat.

F-3.02

Find and photograph at least five reptiles and/or amphibians living in your area that occupy lowland (wet) habitat. (The idea with these units is that people tend to connect with the animals in their own backyard (or other familiar nearby places) and we want to increase people's awareness that wildlife is not something you only see in undisturbed areas.)

F-4.01

Compile a list of all of the species in your area contained in any one taxonomic order of your choice (lizards, snakes, turtles, frogs, salamanders). You may use a field guide, state website, or any resource you like to do this. The idea here is to get you familiar with comparing names to field guides so that you are able to quickly include or rule out species by location when seeking an identification in the future.

F-5.01

Utilize agency and other databases information to compile a list of imperiled species in your state. In other words, look on your state website for a list of wildlife (sometimes called wildlife and fisheries, department of natural resources, or something similar) that is considered at-risk. This is meant to both strengthen your research skill and make you aware of what species in your state need special attention. If you come across any of these species, you should make sure that concerned scientists and conservation organizations are aware of the record in the future.

F-5.02

Pick one of the species from the list above and dive down researching its habitat and natural history. The hope is that you may decide to home in on finding these species in the future in order to broaden our understanding of their specific range. Finding out all you can about them (where they live, where they have been seen before, what times of day you are more likely to see them, etc.) will help to increase your chances of success in such an endeavor.

F-6.01

Find out who in your state needs to know about any special records you come across. In other words, if you see an endangered reptile or amphibian, who should you call? There may likely be several people that fit this bill. Start by inquiring with your state wildlife agency and the biology department of colleges and universities in your area.

F-7.01

Look for and identify public lands that you can access to look for herps. This can be anything from public parks to national forests or anything in between. Reptiles and amphibians live all around us, and public land is a valuable resource that you should know about. Starting points for this could be your city or county website, state website, national parks and forest websites, Google Maps, etc.

F-7.02

Pick two of the places you found in the previous assignment and research more about the rules there. Do you need any specific license to look for reptiles and amphibians? May you touch the animals you come across? Is it legal to collect specimens for scientific voucher records? The Herpetology Collective puts a great deal of importance on our members and students complying with all applicable laws in their area. There is a lesson in the Primer on how to research these topics.

F-8.01

Similar to F-7.02, find out what laws apply statewide to observing and interacting with reptiles and amphibians in the field. Feel free to reach out for assistance on our Facebook group to ensure you find the correct information.

F-9.01

Ask around to find places that focus on educating people about and preserving our natural history. This could be nature parks, wildlife refuges, nonprofit organizations, etc. If there is a Master Naturalist program in your area, they should be a tremendous help with this assignment, as they will probably already have such a list compiled.

F-9.02

Choose one of the organizations identified in the previous assignment and volunteer there. You are required to log at least three hours. This can be all at one place or event or spread across multiple places.