How to become a naturalist

There are so many different animals, plants and stuff out there that it can seem overwhelming. Many of us wish we could recognise and put a name to the trees and birds we see, but only experts are any good at that. We don’t have the time, the luxury to learn that kind of thing. Or so we think.

You don’t have to be an expert or a full time naturalist to be able to recognise the plants and animals around us. After all, you don’t need to learn the entire natural history of the world to be able to name the twenty most common birds and ten most common trees in your area. Birds and trees are easier to learn about than e.g. wildflowers or mammals because they are both pretty easy to spot once you start looking for them.

Can you name this bird (if you’re from Europe)? (photo: CC licence)

I don’t claim to be any kind of nature expert, but that’s kind of my point; nature appreciation is open to anyone at any level. So here’s my take on how to get you started on your path to becoming the next David Attenborough.

The kit

We all love kit. It’s in human nature to use tools to solve problems. So it’s natural to think you must need a lot of expensive equipment and shelves full of books to start learning about nature. But all this equipment is often just a safety net to stop us feeling helpless before a seemingly insurmountable task. As I point out below the most important things we need come free…