Nature Blog Network

Meet Doug Taron, the blogger behind Gossamer Tapestry. Doug is a biochemist turned conservation biologist in Chicago, where he works for the Peggy Notebaert Nature Museum and is director of the Illinois Butterfly Monitoring Network. He is working on the conservation of Illinois’ imperiled wetland and prairie butterflies. Doug has been blogging since 2006 about his work, travels, home life, and passion for making his own cheese.

Doug, why do you blog?

I’ve read and enjoyed blogs for years- mostly the bigger national blogs like Andrew Sullivan and The Panda’s Thumb. About three years ago, my friend Michael started blogging. He’s not a nature blogger- his is more of a social networking type of blog. I had enjoyed blogs as a marketplace of ideas, but now felt very drawn to the sense of community that I saw among the various bloggers.

I began commenting regularly, and eventually started Gossamer Tapestry. Right from the outset, I knew that I wanted to blog about my work and my passion for the natural world. I feel extraordinarily fortunate to be able to make my living doing something that I love so much.

Swamp Metalmark

What’s unique or different about your blog?

I hope that my enthusiasm for my work is infectious, because I hope that more folks might care about the natural world. There are a few folks in England blogging about butterfly conservation (the Brits always seem to be in the vanguard regarding butterfly studies), far fewer here in the States. I know most of the other folks around the country who are very actively working on developing insect husbandry and conservation techniques. Everyone seems fascinated by that work, so I thought that it might make an interesting topic for blogging. I also think that blogging represents yet another way to approach the all-important issue of conservation of biological diversity. Plus, I get to go to some pretty cool places, and enjoy blogging about my trips.

twelve-spotted tiger beetle (Cicindela duodecimguttata)

How do you promote your blog and attract readers?

I’ve really struggled with trying to do more to promote my blog. Some of what I do is pretty straightforward. I read and comment on other blogs that I like. I leave links to my blog on some of the comments that I leave, though I try not to do this all the time nor to be too shameless about it. I try to keep expanding the circle of blogs, particularly nature and science blogs, that I drop in on. Joining both Technorati and the Nature Blog Network also did a lot to increase my readership. I also maintain some activity on BugGuide.net, which is a great resource for insect identification. The possibility of commenting gives the site a blog-like quality, and I know that some readers have found my blog through that site.

Baytele suturalis

What do you like about being part of the nature blogger community?

Becoming part of the nature blogging community has been the single most rewarding aspect of blogging. My initial contacts were the circle of mostly gay men that I had gotten to know through the person who first interested me in blogging. One day I did a Google blog search on ecological restoration and discovered somebody in Florida who wrote the Taming of the Band Aid (now called Due for a Turnover) under the name Thingfish23. He writes about doing restoration work on his small parcel of land. Plus he works with forensic entomology- how could I not be fascinated? I started checking out all the sites on his blogroll, and began encountering lots of folks doing nature blogging. Since most of my writing was already about the natural world, it was a good fit. I have been very moved by how mutually supportive the network of nature bloggers is, and how readily I was welcomed into this circle. I feel fortunate to have met some of my fellow bloggers in person. Ironically, there is a pretty good chance that Thingfish23 and I will meet in person for the first time on the very day that this interview is scheduled to be posted.

Nachusa grasslands

Has blogging changed how you think about nature?

I have found myself increasingly thinking that certain events would make for a good blog post. This has occasionally proven to be a great coping strategy- something really stressful happens while I’m traveling and I think, “well, at least that will make a good blog post.” My partner, who shares this relationship to the natural world but is not a blogger, has been remarkably patient with this. I have made a conscious effort to write for an audience that does not have a formal technical or science background, while also continuing to enjoy the company of fellow bloggers who are scientists.

Blogging has also forced me to become a more careful photographer. Prior to blogging, my photography was all about preserving images for my own memories. I now get to share these images with people who may never have the opportunity to see the subject material in person.

Any words of wisdom for new nature bloggers?

Make sure that you encounter nature in person, and not just via your computer. Visit places. Take photos. Volunteer for river cleanup days or ecological restoration groups. You’ll meet a great community of like-minded people. Then get on line and write about it and post your pictures. You’ll meet another great group of like-minded people. Expect a fabulous adventure, because you’ll get one.

Trail to Horse Thief Creek

Thank you, Doug.

If you’d like to sample more of Doug’s writings and photos, here are some of his favorite posts:

• Exxtreme Entomology
• Nocturne
• Butterfly Yurts
• Why is this important?

And as always, I’m interested in which blogs you’d like to see featured here.