Welcome! You've finally arrived at the field station after your long journey. Grab your pack and compass. The forest is ready for your careful observation. The research team is here and eager to meet you. Come, see what our work is all about.
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ABOUT FIELD STATION
"Science isn't finished until it's communicated."~Mark Walport
Dear friends,
Welcome to my world of science and stories of the wild!
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by JM Arnold
What is Field Station?
Field Station is a place for science and nature stories to be communicated. I am based in northeast Indiana and am passionate about getting out in nature, being involved in scientific study, and sharing my experiences and ideas with others through artful communication. One of those means is through writing letters. Yes, snail mail- the kind one sticks a stamp on and puts in a mailbox and sends to a friend or pen pal. British scientist, Mark Walport, says "Science isn't finished until it's communicated." I think this statement strikes at the heart of my work's purpose, to share the amazing beauty of our world and communicate the stories of our scientific achievements to further our focus on its importance. These letters represent my reports- dispatches from the wild.
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I create intricately illustrated envelopes and written letters that are about nature and scientists. They are about everything from animals and insects to trees and plants. Some even venture into outer space and into the realm of technology and engineering. My ideas for letters come from my field notes, sketches, photography, and my love of reading about science, history, and art. I also enjoy searching for beautiful new and vintage stamps. Each letter is illustrated using paints or pen and ink and is printed with eco-friendly inks on high-quality recycled paper. Recycled envelopes are often highlighted by hand and are hand-addressed. We are committed to being more environmentally sustainable and support the GREEN ART movement. Even protective sleeves are made of vegetable starch and are compostable. I hope that my love of communicating science through art and writing will allow me to expand my talents in new and exciting ways.
How did you come up with this idea?
Field Station was born from an idea I had about sharing my experiences and letters with others. This story starts when we were all at home during the pandemic and wondering how to connect with one another. My family hiked in our local nature preserves often, like so many people did, and we became aware of how much we loved finding things like wildflowers, frogs, turtles, and even snakes. We were already very much involved in citizen science projects, including FrogWatch USA, where we monitored frog calls in a nearby pond and submitted data about our observations. As a field biologist turned allied health professional, I enjoyed showing my kids my roots in science and told them about my time when I did field work and worked for our zoo as a wildlife educator. I was so inspired by our time rediscovering nature that I decided to get more involved, myself. I became busy volunteering with local wetlands and parks where I shared my enthusiasm with adults and schoolchildren, taking them on hikes through the woods and dipping in ponds.
Though we found a lot to do out in nature during the pandemic, I was afraid about the disconnection that we all faced. Eager to remedy this, I bought a bunch of postcards and stamps and offered them to my kids to send to their friends in hopes that it would help bridge the gap until we could see one another again. They had a lot of fun with that. Some post cards were of frogs and others were of saxophones for my musical child. We even found frog stamps. I wrote letters along with them to my own friends and to our extended family. I've always been an artist and so it was a natural inclination to begin adding artwork and lettering. After researching, I found that there is a whole community of people creating artful snail mail and I was inspired to keep going with my work. I have also enjoyed the creative letters that my friends have sent me in return.
If you are here, you care deeply about our wild places too and probably enjoy getting out on the trail as much as I do. My philosophy is that if you care about it, you will protect it. I hope that my work inspires you to care for our world and that you join our little community of bio-artists. Or is it "art-ologists." I hope that you decide to take a hike or get involved with a citizen science project and write a letter of your own to send to someone you care about. I know that someone would love to hear from you. And don't forget to stop by the Mercantile to see what we will have for sale at one of our upcoming events.
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Happy trails,
Rachel
Hope is a thing with feathers: a letter on April, a month of hope, birds, and an amateur ornithologist.
