Species

What is it? Oh it is a thingy. What is it exactly?





Does precise nomenclature knowledge matter? Can't we just say it is a red barked plant or do we need to know that it is a Cornus sericea subsp. sericea or Red Osier Dogwood? Without Linnaeus, the original persnickety namer-of-things we would not have enough understanding of what things are to understand how they are related and where they came from and where they are going. It isn't just about biological systematists counting stamens but the sexier epiphanies such as the Wallace line and evolution are built upon precise naming of things. Darwin didn't know his famous finches of Galapagos were even finches until a taxonomist told him so. They didn't look like finches, knowing precisely what something is called tells you so much more than a name. So you see precise knowledge about what something is called isn't about dividing it from everything else but about connecting it to its related plants and its place in the big picture --a connection not a separation, inclusion and belonging, evolution. Yes the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature (ICZN) can be stodgy and tedious but imaging going back to the murky imprecise days when barnacles were thought to be the same creatures as geese? Or am I loosing some sort of magic or creativity by being a stickler for precise names? Should I lighten up and enjoy things as individuals whatever they are?



It is not just a thingy. It is a gorgeous hunk of ruby bark. It’s where our eyes stopped against the bleakness of the grey white snow. That day while walking on the ice, over an untended gap of earth that exists for the service of space that’s needed to hold six lanes of rail track and a broken metal fence. Do you remember the smell of the Jewish bakery when the wind blew east? Didn’t the smell of the yeasted bagel infiltrate our nostrils and create a want of food that was previously not there? Or am I only imagining those smells that we may have smelt four months ago?

It is not from laziness or lack of dedication. Sometimes it’s not about finding the right place but for getting a little lost in space. A playful shift in alchemy can become a tool of understanding. I am more a hands on person. But my picture is as big as any scientist. I like looking at the negative space. For me this brings meaning, belonging. I like reminding myself of something that reminds me of something that reminds me of something else. I need that. Peripatetic movement is the nutrient that my mind grows best. I like run-on sentences. For some people, a controlled vocabulary is necessary to help make sense of the world in a physical realm. However I don’t want to be decisive here: Making and reading a detailed map is an important skill. I am not denying this. However I am much more interested in getting off the road for a while. There are many ways back to town, sometimes longer but more interesting. Perhaps along the way we might stop and decide to stay put. I like to live with the option.

There are different ways to understand the world in which we live. There is a place for everybody.