The Church of LAMP Ten Commandments

  1. Thou shalt not use broad-spectrum insecticides, for they bring ruination. 
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. 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. 
  5. 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.
  6. Be kind and be decent and be generous. But avoid coming into direct contact with beehives, which is often problematic.
  7. Look closer at the world around you; it’s wild what you can find.
  8. 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.)
  9. Pay attention to the small things; the colors and patterns you’ll find are truly transcendent.
  10. 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.