Sunday, January 20, 2013

Making A Small Contribution

It's an interesting thing to want to leave a mark on the world, to want to make contribution, to say I was here. In a country with over 314 million people and on a planet with more than 7 billion, it is also challenging to figure out how to add something that is worthwhile.

I would like to have a stronger voice about so many things. I am quiet, but I have deeply held opinions about guns and climate change, about animal rights and acts of kindness to living things. There are just so many voices in the cacophony of opinion and strongly held beliefs. But I still want to add something to the knowledge base of the world.

And, luckily for me, I have.

How weird to think that a few random photos of a moth, a lizard, a cloud are now part of a online resources that help identify such entities. I can't tell you how much I love adding to world database of knowledge.

The Butterflies and Moths of North America website has three of my photos of a Ctenucha Rubroscapus. I particularly like this one.
And, the California Herps website has this interesting photo of a juvenile Sierra Alligator Lizard that I photographed last year. It was that blue head and those blue legs that intrigued the site manager.
And just last week The Cloud Appreciation Society published one of my iridescent cloud photographs. That really thrilled me to no end! They have photos from cloud lovers around the world. Unfortunately, there isn't a permanent link to the photo. So I did a screen grab of it. It's still on their site, but the address of each pic changes daily. Quirky bit of programming.


How would you like to be remembered? What contributions would you like to make? I would like to make the world just a little bit more accessible for its fantastic living beauty.
Posted by at
Labels:

17 comments:

  1. TaradharmaJanuary 20, 2013 at 2:47 PM

    I didn't know about the other websites...you are a humble woman.

    Love all the photos!

    ReplyDelete
  2. amJanuary 20, 2013 at 2:52 PM

    Wonderful that your photos will be helping people identify a moth, a lizard and a cloud!

    Good questions. The questions have a koan-like quality to them for me. My mind became very quiet. Thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. JohnJanuary 20, 2013 at 5:14 PM

    Impressive stuff, Robin! You are, indeed, leaving your mark on the world. As for me...my contributions to this world are, I hope, yet to be determined.

    ReplyDelete
  4. HaroldJanuary 20, 2013 at 5:23 PM

    Sometimes I think it comes down to a simple choice between saying something and saying nothing, and not wanting to remain silent. Still, the affirmation of having your work recognized and incorporated into reference material is noteworthy That and I enjoy your posts!

    ReplyDelete
  5. kathy a.January 20, 2013 at 6:06 PM

    gorgeous photos! alligator lizard? i love that you are able to link in, and help others discover what you have seen -- even and especially scientists.

    i don't know, about the being remembered thing. mostly i think that small efforts count, and that big changes take a lot of "eye on the prize."

    ReplyDelete
  6. jskJanuary 20, 2013 at 6:19 PM

    You are now a recognized photographer/researcher of lovely and interesting things. We knew it and now everyone gets to. This is so wonderful.





    ReplyDelete
  7. kenjuJanuary 20, 2013 at 9:11 PM

    I love all your nature photos, Robin, and I applaud you for being recognized in that manner!

    ReplyDelete
  8. SkyJanuary 20, 2013 at 11:45 PM

    adding to the resources for those who are hungry to learn and experience is so valuable! great contributions, robin.

    ReplyDelete
  9. PabloJanuary 21, 2013 at 3:37 AM

    Congrats! (It's funny how no one has asked to use that photo of the blue-tailed skink I have on my blog.)

    ReplyDelete
  10. Arkansas PattiJanuary 21, 2013 at 5:06 AM

    Wow, how wonderful to have your work appreciated--other than by us of course.Congratulations.
    I often think the contributions we make are unknown by us as we unintentionally have affected someone along the path by our actions. One can hope anyway.

    ReplyDelete
  11. NCmountainwomanJanuary 22, 2013 at 7:39 AM

    Great post. And questions we need to ask ourselves every single day.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Mark and Leah PJanuary 22, 2013 at 10:29 AM

    How great that some of your pictures have been used like that. That inspires us to try harder, especially with the cloud pictures.
    Mark and Leah

    ReplyDelete
  13. AnonymousJanuary 22, 2013 at 12:16 PM

    Hi - as a visitor to your site I am always grateful for your truly wonderful images; I often go to see what you you have seen lately!
    I live up the coast in Vancouver BC.

    thank you for your offerings -seen and very appreciated! Sue

    ReplyDelete
  14. LilyJanuary 22, 2013 at 11:26 PM

    Congrats! Having a pics in such spaces - wow!

    What to leave behind after a wonderful life - good question!

    ReplyDelete
  15. AnneJanuary 25, 2013 at 8:50 AM

    What to leave behind? I separate that into 2 -- perhaps 3 categories. In my small personal world I leave my blog and paintings. I do my best to live gently in the world -- save water, compost waste. I am not sure the larger world will notice any particular thing I have done (although Wikipedia used my blog in it's entry on my father's life). And I have one linoleum cut in a small museum in the south. But I've spread my genes (3rd category). Just acquired a 4th great grandchild.

    I love your blog and photos.

    ReplyDelete
  16. amJanuary 26, 2013 at 6:36 PM

    Thank you so much for mentioning iridescence.
    Now i've started noticing it up here in Bellingham

    (-:

    ReplyDelete
  17. Maryanne StahlFebruary 17, 2013 at 5:31 PM

    I never noticed iridescent clouds--at least, I didn't know to identify them--until seeing your photos. so lovely.

    ReplyDelete

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)