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Reaching the Next Level
by Brian J. Armitage, Ph.D.
Ohio Biological Survey
Vol 6, No. 2, May 1998
The Survey interacts with many individuals. Collec-tively,
they represent varying levels of interest and
activity in the areas of natural history and biodiversity.
Some are educated and entertained by topics in these
areas and become active by encouraging others or
writing letters or voting or putting into practice what
they have learned. A few progress to the next level and
become mentors, or cross over into the more academic
zone and produce publishable works. There are many
more mentors / teachers / guides scattered across the
state compared to those, who through individual
initiative, summarize knowledge into publishable form.
What's even more remarkable about any of these
individuals who achieve the next level is that they do it
out of personal conviction verging on altruism. There is
no substantive reward for what they do. They are not
required to perform for promotion or tenure. Instead, I
believe, they are motivated by feelings of self-accomplishment,
and perhaps more importantly, giving
back something of which they have been given over
their lifetime. In this short article, I would like to hold
two individuals up as examples of "reaching the next
level." I emphasize the word "examples" because they
are put forth herein to represent all of the others, of
greater and lesser ability or success, who are similarly
engaged.
Soon after my return to Ohio in the summer of 1992,
after an 18-year sojourn in Alabama, I attended a
gathering of one of the local naturalist groups. The
presenter talked with authority about fungi and vascular
plants and amphibians and birds, with excellent slides to
back up the talk. I was impressed (and also chagrined at
how many common and scientific names I had forgotten
during my time in the South). Then as I became active
in a variety of naturalist groups around central Ohio I
kept hearing the same general messages from this
individual during the announcement period: "If you are
interested in participating in a tour...," "I'm leading a
hike ....," or "I'm taking a group ......" These
introductory phrases were then followed by the
destination and departure details. What a tremendous
and positive impact individuals like this have. In Ohio
we are blessed with a number of such individuals.
Would that we had even more. Jim Davidson of
Columbus exemplifies those who "reach the next level"
and give back, in an unassuming way, more than they
ever received.
We initiated individual memberships in the Survey
during my first year as Director. One of the first
individuals to join works for a Columbus-based
corporation involved in information processing and
management. He would regularly come in to the office
to find out what we were doing, and to tell us about his
upcoming one or two week trip to Maine to take yet
another class at the Eagle Hill Field Station (now the
Humboldt Field Research Institute). I was impressed
with his dedication to learning and his breadth of
interests. What I didn't realize was that he was
"reaching for the next level." All those courses he took
were not terminal points, but rather, way stations
toward tangible products in the form of publications.
He has now published three articles in the last two
years' issues of Northeastern Naturalist, one each on
the crayfish of Maine, the freshwater mussels of Maine,
and, just recently, the freshwater fingernail and pea
clams of Maine. These are not superficial listings of the
taxa in these groups derived from the literature. Each of
these papers involved a tremendous amount of field,
laboratory, and library time. They all encompass
historical, taxonomic, and practical aspects of these
taxonomic groups. Scott Martin of Columbus
exemplifies those who "reach the next level" and
provide the publication resources that others, both
professional and amateur, can use to further our
knowledge and understanding.
As a species, we are accumulators. We accumulate
property, wealth, and information, among other things.
Each of us has one or more talents, gifts, or skills which
came to us naturally or were acquired through practice.
Not all of us can lead groups or publish scientific works.
However, all of us, employing our accumulations and
abilities, can "reach for the next level" in some way. The
challenge is there for each individual, and the credit goes
to each one who tries and to each one who succeeds.
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