Why subscribe to Sort Of Funny Field Guides?
Did you know some lightning bugs are cannibals that use their lights to lure other fireflies to their doom? Or that a buffalo’s long, hairy beard carries material from one flower to another in a way that basically means buffalo are pollinators, just like bees and butterflies? Or that if you shave a manatee’s whiskers, it loses its super-sensory powers? Or that on the coast of California and Baja, there’s a sea slug that’s ink-black and can stretch more than three feet long and weigh over 30 pounds?!
Look, I like animals. You like animals. Everyone likes animals! But most people don’t have time to read academic papers or interview scientists about animals. That’s where I come in. So hit that subscribe button and I’ll send you quick, fun entries on everything from woodchucks and waterfowl to wasps and great white sharks. For free. What’s not to like, right?
Did I mention it’s FREE?
That’s right, no paywalls. No logins. Just super awesome animal fun, every week, in your inbox, 100% free. Gratis. Don’t cost nothin’.
Bonuses—There could be some.
Do I have this newsletter fully figured out? Definitely not. But here’s what I do know. I somehow get to write about animals for a living. But a lot of times, I learn cool stuff that I don’t have room for in an article or book chapter. And rather than let that knowledge go to waste, I’d like to share it with you! Together, we’ll learn about the natural world in a way that inspires awe and ignites wonder. And along the way, you might even get to see some cool stuff from my reporting trips and backyard safaris.
The Book
Finally, obviously, I’d love for you to consider buying my book! The working title is Sort Of Funny Field Guides: North American Wildlife, and it’s going to be published by National Geographic in the spring of 2024. It’s going to be brilliantly illustrated (not by me). It’s going to be stuffed with animal goodness. And it’s going to be written for everyone! That means it will be fun, easy to read, and bursting with wonder. And it’s going to teach you all kinds of silliness you didn’t know you didn’t know, from porcupine spines to hellbender slime.
