Going through some rapids
25-11-2007 22:01
While sometimes things
just proceed slowly and steadily, this weekend felt
like steering a canoe through the rapids. But in a
pleasant way...
I submitted my publication to Zootaxa, only some minor technicalities need to be fixed before the review process will start. That is an exciting feeling, after so many years of not being able to publish!
One of the things I decided to give priority, was to revise and edit the Orthalicoidea from Francisco Borrero's checklist for Colombia. Many minor mistakes were corrected, but it is certainly a great advantage to have such a solid basis to work on, instead of having to collect all the data one by one. I made good progress and showed some pages to Francisco, who approved the idea for a joint paper.
He also mentioned that he has contacts with Fundación Jocotoco, an organisation that manages eight nature reserves in Ecuador. Plans are being made to set up a cooperation with the Cincinnati Museum and to start joint field work in the reserves. This could open up exciting new prospects...
Finally, out of the blue, I received today an email from someone in Perú, seeking identification of some Bulimulidae. I was able to quickly give him my opinion on the species figured (he had made excellent pictures!) and within short I received photos of some other unidentified species. As such people with an apparent keen interest in land snails are quite rare, I offered him help with literature since many old books and journals are difficult to consult in South America. And this way the contact network with like-minded people grows, slowly but steadily...
I submitted my publication to Zootaxa, only some minor technicalities need to be fixed before the review process will start. That is an exciting feeling, after so many years of not being able to publish!
One of the things I decided to give priority, was to revise and edit the Orthalicoidea from Francisco Borrero's checklist for Colombia. Many minor mistakes were corrected, but it is certainly a great advantage to have such a solid basis to work on, instead of having to collect all the data one by one. I made good progress and showed some pages to Francisco, who approved the idea for a joint paper.
He also mentioned that he has contacts with Fundación Jocotoco, an organisation that manages eight nature reserves in Ecuador. Plans are being made to set up a cooperation with the Cincinnati Museum and to start joint field work in the reserves. This could open up exciting new prospects...
Finally, out of the blue, I received today an email from someone in Perú, seeking identification of some Bulimulidae. I was able to quickly give him my opinion on the species figured (he had made excellent pictures!) and within short I received photos of some other unidentified species. As such people with an apparent keen interest in land snails are quite rare, I offered him help with literature since many old books and journals are difficult to consult in South America. And this way the contact network with like-minded people grows, slowly but steadily...