#1 I’m guessing that for many people the line between nature blog and science blog can be quite fuzzy. There are some blogs on the Nature Blog network which fall into the pretty pictures, poetry, praise and celebration of the more emotional or even “religious” aspects of biophilia.

But there are so many others which are often focused to the science and trying to communicate the science in an understandable way but also just provide a beautiful way to find out “just a little bit more” about something out there we already find beautiful. Then it’s just one step from there to the even more focused sci blogs which the report science at a more specialized target audience often.

It’s a continuum that has no clear boundaries, and even no clear end points. Is Eclectic Echoes not a nature blog because I don’t blog so much on nature there (less than 40% of recent posts). The number of nature oriented posts that’s left is primarily birding and reporting on science that doesn’t fit the TO95 mission so my extended family “gets” what I’m studying and interested in though few of them have a background in science. Larval Images was supposed to be a nature blog – just pictures I took or found online of larvae along with an ID of the common and scientific name and maybe a bit more…but then I started adding the cool science bites to it as well. So is it science blog? No, but it it a nature blog? No, not really.

#2 Another continuum – if I had to make up a definition I would say then that “nature” blogs are about inspiration through the aesthetics of nature, while science blogs are about the inspiration through information and understanding. So then the goal of nature writing would be to inspire others view of nature through your writing/photography/art.

#3 As for carnivals, at TO95 we have waxed and waned in our participation (our readership waxes and wanes too but is it correlation?) as our work loads at other blogs/school/family/etc have shifted and changed. I don’t think the carnivals are necessary but they are fun and do help bring in new readers and explore new blogs/other writers.

#4 I like the collaborative sites in theory but have not had much time to use any. I have contributed photographs to Flickr ID groups and to conservation groups that operate similar type of sites and enjoy the limited participation I have had.

#5 The magic question. Is it a build it and they will come via the almighty Google? (That and the other geeks will find it through the interweb tentacles)

#6 As much as you can. None. Both are correct.

#7 Actually the best nature essay that stands out as a nature one was one by The Natural Patriot about his backyard efforts. Of course his writing is tops with me anyways… but there you are…a decidedly scientific blogger who writes both science and nature posts (with some personal and academia posts thrown in for good measure). What is his blog?

Now where’s the all natural osedax porn ?? Crickets? NURSE!!!!