I have always been interested in entomology (the study of insects) from a young age. I cannot pinpoint the exact event that spurred this on, but I seem to think that it was either watching a television programme or reading an article in National Geographic as a young boy. I think I saw/read about an entomologist discovering a new insect in some far off remote uncharted jungle somewhere. It’s the outdoor explorer image that stuck in my mind.
Years went by and then I ended up watching the film the Medicine Man. The rugged character played by Sean Connery only re-enforced my deep-embedded image of a tough explorer-entomologist. I was fascinated at the idea that two scientists had discovered the cure for cancer sourced from a rare kind of ant.
It was years after that when my family and I toured north-west Canada and USA on holiday in a motorhome. Seeing and experiencing the RV way-of-life I dreamed that for my retirement I would travel around the world in a Class A (11 metre or 36 feet) motorhome examining insects and writing about them to pay my way. It would be my mobile laboratory.
Since then (about two years ago) I did nothing, not one step towards my dream. I nearly started after reading ‘Climbing Mount Improbable‘ by Richard Dawkins. It was the ‘A Garden Enclosed’ chapter that I read, re-read and re-read again. It was a truly fascinating story on the life of a fig wasp _ no really you must read it, I recommend it.
So now I have started, I have decided to travel down the entomological journey. I know nothing so I will be starting from scratch. I’m using this weblog for my notes and experiences and I will be happy for readers to help.
