Street Smart Support

Greetings from Seattle.

Thank you for being an active reader of my Street Smart Naturalist newsletter. Knowing that you are out there keeps me motivated and makes these newsletters enjoyable for me to write!

As my newsletter turns three, I thought I’d let you know who your fellow readers are. Of my 3,037 subscribers, you come from 47 states (if you know anyone in Mississippi, West Virginia, or Wyoming who might be interested in subscribing, now is your opportunity to help me reach all 50 states); 74% of you live in Washington with the rest mostly in the west, followed by Massachusetts, Texas, and New York. Subscribers are around the globe, in 49 countries from Brazil to Zambia; after the US comes Canada, India, and England. Thanks to all.

And, if you are interested in knowing a bit more about the guy who writes these newsletters, here are a few tidbits. I can’t remember a day in the past 30 years that I haven’t had peanut butter and coffee (not together, mind you), though one horrible day it was all decaf. I like old field guides and trail guides. A pal of mine summed up my clothing preferences as “You find something you like and wear it until it’s dead.” I have a favorite mechanical pencil and have been using the same style of field notebook for more than 35 years. I have pretty low brow taste in movies and humor, in case you hadn’t already realized that. I am quite smitten with London, Iceland, and Mt. Dickerman. I like semi-colons though I probably don’t always use them correctly.

I like this shot. How often do you get a good photo of yourself pointing at the tush of an extinct rhinoceros? Plus, note my wonderful vest, made my wife. Photo used courtesy of Stan Matsui.

It’s been two years since I first asked for financial support with my newsletter through one of these twice-yearly requests. Thanks to everyone who has gotten a paid subscription. Your generosity has been, and continues to be, inspiring and important in allowing me to devote my time to writing the Street Smart Naturalist.

If my newsletter is valuable to you, please consider one (or more) of these options:

1. Share one of my previous newsletters with a friend or family member - It will give you something to discuss and perhaps laugh about when you meet or maybe even entice you out in the field with them for an adventure based on what you read. If you are feeling bold, suggest that they could subscribe, too.

2. Get a paid subscription - The two levels are below. The main benefit is simple: you will continue to receive a weekly infusion of nature and history. Basically, your support makes it possible for me to write these newsletters and share them with readers. Other benefits vary with the level of subscription:

   
   Monthly ($5) or Annual ($55) - Additional newsletters throughout the year.

   
   Founding Member ($120) - Additional newsletters, plus one free copy of one of my books. If you renew this annual plan, we can discuss a free copy of one of my other books.
   

   (If you are already a paid subscriber, Substack will send you information about your renewal on the anniversary of when you subscribed. Isn’t that clever of them? Also, their default is auto-renewal; I can deactivate this if want.)

I would be honored if you choose to join me on this journey. I sincerely hope that by getting a paid subscription you’ll feel more incentive to make comments, ask questions, and suggest story ideas. And, of course, my newsletter will always offer a free subscription level.

I look forward to continuing the Street Smart Naturalist newsletter and to hearing and learning from you. If you’ll keep reading — and subscribing in whatever way you can — I’ll keep writing.

Sincerely,
David