Exploring Marine Ecosystems and Native Plants: Insights from Coral Reefs to Backyard Gardens
This small collection of drawings of fish from the Snapper Family marks the first installation of my fish coloring book. I chose yellowtail snapper and Schoolmaster to start my fish coloring book project because I wanted to make this a collection of fish that my niece would be most likely to see when snorkeling (or fish that would be fun to color). I don't think I've ever been out diving or snorkeling in the Keys without seeing a Yellow tail snapper or a Schoolmaster.
My six-year-old niece is coming to visit and we are going snorkeling! I'm very excited! Not only because she's a fun kid to hang out with, but also because she shares my love of fish and learning about the ocean. So, I've been thinking about all the things we could do together and how I might need to adapt them a bit for a tiny person.
Last February, I wrote about CRF's Citizen Science program and now, almost a year later I had the chance to try out some citizen science and help monitor the coral out-planted by CRF. Our last dive over Christmas was to Pickles Reef - the southernmost location in the north cluster of sites listed on the… Continue reading Citizen Science with CRF
Five years after I first learned about CRF and their volunteer & dive programs, I was finally able to join them for a dive! The morning session was great - we learned about the economic and environmental cost of losing coral reefs as well as CRF restoration methods and techniques. There was a good deal… Continue reading Diving with The Coral Restoration Foundation (CRF)
I was admiring another new butterfly that showed up in my backyard last week when this stunning creature landed on a flower right in front of me. I took several pictures and then ran inside to look it up. So now I know this is a Polka Dot Wasp Moth - and it is actually a moth. You can see the feather-like shape of its antennae in this photo. It also has the characteristic spread out resting wing shape where a butterfly would fold its wings up over its back. Although most moths are nocturnal, the Polka dot wasp moth is diurnal (active during the daytime).
Erica Lauer Vose 