I recently remembered how much I loved being out in nature as a kid - I was almost always getting about with a butterfly net and bugcatcher, and was fascinated by animals both large and small. Last year I rediscovered this fascination and I’ve found iNaturalist to be even better than the bug catcher to record my finds!
I joined a conservation team on the Osa Peninsula in Costa Rica for a couple of weeks in January 2020 where I struck up a great conversation with this scarlet macaw, along with helping track the big cats and engage in turtle rescue. Talk about life changing! I’m still building my knowledge base and skills, but am loving being a member of this community of fellow nature enthusiasts :)