The Church of LAMP Ten Commandments
- Thou shalt not use broad-spectrum insecticides, for they bring ruination.
- Science is for everyone, and anyone, anywhere, can be a scientist; just get outside, observe, and record your what you find. Join iNaturalist or another community science organization and join the fun.
- To participate, you only need your eyes, some field guides, and a notebook. But a phone camera and a clip-on macro lens make things all the better.
- If anyone disagrees with the Second Commandment or tries to ostracize, mock, or otherwise make someone feel uncomfortable in the outdoors/nature, do something about it. Racism and sexism and homophobia, in particular, are backwards concepts from a more-primitive time. The same goes for elitism.
- It is OK to get things wrong in life, or in moth or insect identification. Just try again, or better, or both. Life, and insect identification, is hard. Don’t be too hard on yourself.
- Be kind and be decent and be generous. But avoid coming into direct contact with beehives, which is often problematic.
- Look closer at the world around you; it’s wild what you can find.
- Your yard is a habitat, whether you recognize it or not; make it a welcoming one, not a desert (i.e. grass). Find native plants and make your yard a bit wilder. (Your new visitors will be thankful.)
- Pay attention to the small things; the colors and patterns you’ll find are truly transcendent.
- This entity is called a church, but mostly to make better puns possible. Don’t mock anyone’s religion, or lack thereof. The world is a hard enough place already.