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Behavior is contagious amongst organisms, often referred to as “social contagion” by animal behaviorists. We can see that living things with or without voices are constantly signaling group events with wings, growls, bursting seeds, the release of pheromones, and other means.

Whether we are conscious or not, we are triggered. We go to task with a reaction. Even between species, there is undoubtedly an interconnection to all things.

If we are prone to notice the naturalist in our midst, we are guided to understand signals that broaden our sense of world and universe.

Today, scientists have superior technology and abilities to observe more than ever. Enthusiasm  expands. When reading a modern academic abstract or science news report, one gets the sense that scientists are becoming animists, perhaps even poets in their description of ecological and planetary occurrences.

“Wise old mother trees feed their saplings with liquid sugar and warn the neighbors when danger approaches,” says Peter Wohlleben, a German forester. These type of human metaphors to explain the dynamic reality of nature, is creating familiar relationships with what was once unknown. And access to information has changed. A lay person can now easily explain how the world works.

Our teachers come from unexpected situations, places and unexpected people.

My first monarch butterfly experience came from my literacy teacher in elementary school. Mrs.  Brandon. Learning English was daunting for the only bilingual child in class. Success was borne of a curious inroad to my learning. Mrs. Brandon had a monarch caterpillar nursery in her  classroom; I couldn’t wait to be excused from Ms. Arnolds’ class so that I could join hers for English tutoring. With every visit, something new happened with the caterpillars. It happened quickly. Here was the impetus for my own transformation as a student, and a foreshadowing of  a later urgent role to become a conservationist.

Back on the ranch, a cow was on her side. She bellowed in pain. Ahh, I thought, she was about to give birth. Something was not right, it seemed. Do cows give birth on their side? Panicking, I ran to the house to explain. My father knew exactly what was happening. He asked me to fetch an arrow from the archery set. He removed the dart head, and feathered ends, pulled out a buck knife and went straight to work. Staring in horror, I wasn’t sure what he was about to do. “Cows have more than one stomach — one is about to rupture.”

He made a confident incision with his knife, then put the arrow-tube in the slit. Lots of air was audibly released. The cow deflated. She was not pregnant; she was filling with air to the point of rupturing, a reaction to eating clover or alfalfa. My father was truly experienced. The cow lived. I learned.

Over the years I have had to unlearn many myths. Certain animals and insects are villainized and  harmed, yet we wonder why there are mysterious diseases and biological imbalances. We have  trained many animal species to fear us which has lead to both fleeing and confrontation.

Once, in a locally hosted webinar, I had learned that mountain lions are particularly put off by the human voice. A study from the Czech Republic, noted contagious fear among gregarious birds of Europe was more pronounced the bigger the flock. It can be surmised that those species with greater sociality would have greater protection in large groups, than species that were less social. This might apply to humans too.

There is not much formal training on how to conduct oneself with various species. From my experience, skunks are charming if I am still, and birds will land on my head because I am a useful perch. Our presence is its own contagious climate.

At home, our library grows with reference books. Botany, birds, bugs. In the yard, the spindle of  the weather station is taking a reading. We bicker, “Is it really going to rain?” We look at the  weather station, and yes it is.

A set of binoculars are by the back door and a camera too. The  latest gadget is a bat detector, which works to make the bats audible through a handheld device. Looking for bats with a cup of tea at dusk is relaxing. Tools!

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Thanks to my many teachers and readers who  continually inspire my contributions.

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