What Is a Field Notebook?
A field notebook is an essential record for individuals who are out in the field. Field notebook accounts are based on observations which are useful for future generations. Such descriptive observations are important for new discoveries or understanding current ecosystems. The best part is anyone can start a field notebook!
What do I put in a field notebook?
Field notebooks consist of basic, descriptive observations of any of the following: the weather, plant and animal communities, animal tracks, animal behaviors, sounds, any natural objects, rocks etc. And it's important that you use your sight, smell, touch, or even taste to make your observations more accurate. You may also include drawings of any plant or animal life you've encountered, route layout, topography, or anything of interest!
Field notebook do's and don't's:
It's important that your field notebook has the following before making any observations: field notebook entry number, both arrival and departure time, date, weather, and location/route used. It is also important to write in full sentences and narrative form. When it comes to writing species names, make sure you underline the name. Avoid using abbreviations as in the future you may forget what they meant or other viewers might not understand them. Most importantly, make sure your writing is legible!
Drawing tips & tricks:
Even if you aren't the most talented artist, anyone is capable of drawing! When conducting your drawings, it's important to make sure that you have enough space on your sheet. When drawing a plant/animal, including a scale helps viewers comprehend the proportions. Labeling specific features also helps with identifying species. Adding color to your drawings are highly recommended! If doing so, it's recommended that you take your preferred coloring method (colored pencils, watercolor etc) in small amounts or have it be easily portable and accessible when out in the field.
Why not just take a photo?
Even though photos are a quick and simple way of documenting your object of interest, they aren't always the best. Photos can often be distorted and difficult to attain the perfect angle or lighting. When drawing, you are studying the features of your object of interest in depth. Therefore, you're more likely of identifying it easily in the future. Photos can also be misleading. For example, when relying on images to identify a species of bird, there are a variety from which to view on the internet. All ranging under different lighting, locations, and health conditions of the bird. This ultimately makes it difficult to determine what the actual bird of interest looks like. When relying on drawing accounts, we are viewing the ideal version of the species without any external variables interfering.
Where do I obtain a field notebook?
It's better to use a small and easily portable notebook which can resist harsh weather - such as rain. In that case, many people would recommend Rite in the Rain's spiral notebooks. Their notebooks are weatherproof and include measurement conversions, map scales, and a ruler. But in any other case, I've seen people use ordinary notebooks, composition notebooks, and their phones. At the end of the day it's all up to you!
How can I identify what I see?
It's more than likely that you'll come across a creature that you'll have trouble identifying. In this case there are apps which you can use on your phone such as iNaturalist which is used to identify almost anything from vegetation, fungi, and animals. You can also use the Merlin Bird ID app to identify birds. It's also important to note that both apps are not strictly on phones but can also be accessed on laptops.
Other recommended equipment when out in the field:
The most important thing to take with you when out in the field is your notebook and a pen/pencil. But other equipment can also come in handy such as binoculars, hand lenses, and watercolor/colored pencils.