Keeping a Field Notebook

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- [Instructor] For many people keeping a field notebook is a great way to dive deeper into your outdoor experiences.

After this video, you'll know what a field notebook is, how to keep a field notebook of your own, and what you can do with the information and observations you collect.

First things first, what is a field notebook?

A field notebook is simply your record of what you see.

This may include data and observations, as well as sketches, photos, and any other information you decide to record.

The goal of a field notebook is to dive deeper than just noting what you see and creating a learning experience.

As we talk about objectives two and three, we're going to use a birding notebook as an example but these objectives can be applied to any type of notebook you decide to keep.

There are several parts that go into keeping a good field notebook.

They include the background information, a species tally, personal observations and then any extra information that is important to your excursion.

The background information is the first thing you should record when you start an entry in your field notebook.

The date and time, location, weather, and any other relevant information, such as, the size of your party and the route you traveled should always be recorded.

These are important pieces of information that may inform all the other observations you make.

Keeping a species tally will provide you with a quick summary of all the birds you've seen during a birding excursion.

As you count birds, keep in mind the difference between a bird's presence and a count.

For example, if you've seen a bird species but you don't know how many were there, you can still mark that species in your field notebook just as an x, signifying that you know the species was there but you just don't know a number.

If you can count out how many of the species you've seen, be sure to record that number.

Try to be accurate when you're keeping a tally.

For example, if you're walking a look of trail and you see a Carolina Wren at the beginning and the end of your work that could likely be the same bird so there may not be a good reason to add another tally for that species.

Personal observations are what distinguish a field notebook from a simple checklist.

As you observe a bird, try to identify it.

If you can't identify it, be sure to describe it.

Make sketches in your notebook and be sure to note anything you could use to identify or learn about the bird.

For example, note where the bird is in the landscape.

Is it flying overhead, or is it in the canopy?

Where is it at in the canopy?

This is good practice in learning the behavior of birds, which is a learning experience of its own and this attention to detail is the whole point of keeping a field notebook.

Be sure to add in any other relevant information that you think is necessary to inform what you're seeing.

Make note of any unique events or sightings, add in sketches and pictures, and personalize your notebook to make it your own.

Now that we've covered what a field notebook is, and the parts that are important to keeping a field notebook, what can you do with it?

The observations you've collected can be saved for the future to use and view.

Or, once you've collected enough data in your interest area you can even start to look at trends and patterns in the data.

It is always recommend to be a part of citizen science by uploading your observations online to compile that data with others from around the world into databases that can be used for research and analysis.

Some of the popular places to upload observations are sites like Cornell's eBird, the Pennsylvania Herps website, and iNaturalist.

Now that we've covered what a field notebook is, how to keep a field notebook, and what you can do with your data, you're ready to get started.

If you decide to start a field notebook of your own, you may find that it can enhance your outdoor outings and be a rewarding and enjoyable experience.