amateur naturalist
Casual wildlife observer
An amateur naturalist is someone who studies plants, animals, and natural phenomena as a hobby rather than a profession.
The term carries no condescension—many significant discoveries in botany, ornithology, and entomology have come from dedicated amateurs.
She's been an amateur naturalist since childhood, keeping detailed journals of local bird species.
- birdwatcherOne who observes avians
- bird watchingObserving wild avians recreationally
- field guidePortable species identification manual
- binocularsHandheld dual-lens magnifier
- specimenIndividual for examination
butterfly net · wildflower · foraging · hiking · notebook · field notes · sketch · pond · tide pool · meadow · magnifying glass · collecting · citizen science · pressed flowers · leaf collection · bird feeder · backyard · observation
- Hobbyist Naturalistscitizen scientist, birdwatcher, birder, wildlife photographer, rock hound
- Mad Scientistsmad scientist, Dr. Frankenstein, Dr. Jekyll, Dr. Moreau, Frankenstein
- Natural PhilosophersIsaac Newton, Francis Bacon, Joseph Priestley, Michael Faraday, Carl Linnaeus
amateur naturalistfield scientist
Researcher working outdoors
museum curator · wildlife biologist · tenured professor · university professor
amateur naturalistpoacher
Unlawful wildlife taker
trophy hunter · industrialist · land developer · logger · polluter
amateur, naturalist, amateurs, amateurish, amateurism, nature, natural, naturalism, naturalistic