ECOLOGY ▪ EDUCATION ▪ ADVOCACY
ECOLOGY ▪ EDUCATION ▪ ADVOCACY
The administrators of the IN Nature Facebook group have always encouraged diverse content and spirited debate, provided that it relates to the focus and mission of the group. While they believe that free speech should be encouraged and infrequently limited, this approach has not always succeeded in creating an atmosphere that is productive and non-contentious. These standards will guide and strengthen the community and create a better overall experience for the members.
The IN Nature Facebook Group was founded in April 2016 with a mission to promote environmental education by providing a comfortable and friendly forum where Hoosiers can share and discuss topics about nature and ecology. The administrators strive to maintain an atmosphere conducive to learning and teaching and provide a broader focus and tolerance than in similar forums.
The IN Nature mission: “IN Nature is a community for people with an appreciation of nature, conservation ecology, and the natural sciences to come together to share knowledge, inform, and inspire others in and around the Hoosier State.”
The IN Nature Facebook Group members are diverse with varying expertise, interests, political affiliations, religions, cultures, and lifestyles. Members also span many ages and include teenage children as young as thirteen and families that utilize the group’s knowledge and content for educational purposes.
The group focuses on nature-related topics that are relevant to the Midwest, in particular, Indiana. Most IN Nature members are native to or reside in Indiana or neighboring states, which promotes an atmosphere of regional commonality, community, and focus. Much of the group’s success results from members inviting their friends, which the group administrators appreciate and encourage. When inviting others to join the group, members should consider whether or not their friends will benefit or contribute to an Indiana-based forum.
The general expectations for social norms of civilized discourse (as interpreted by the forum moderators) also apply to the IN Nature Group. The administrators expect group members to treat others with politeness and respect. Examples of conduct that is inappropriate for the forum include, but are not limited to:
Due to the diverse background of the members, the administrators of the Facebook Group strive to maintain language standards that are acceptable to a general audience of teens or older. The administrators politely request members consider that there are varying levels of sensitivity in the group, and the conduct of each member reflects on the entire community. One of the group’s goals is to engage as many people as possible. The use of offensive language can, and often does, alienate people from that goal.
Many matters of conservation and ecology are political in nature. Provided they are relevant to the stated mission statement, political posts and discussions are allowed in the group. The administrators recognize that group members represent the spectrum of the political scale and that politics are often contentious, tribal, and passionately defended. Political discussions must stay relevant to the stated mission, connect to Hoosier ecology, inform, be fact-based, and be civil.
As a community founded and based on facts and scientific data, the administrators reject the premise that human-created climate change is a belief or notion. Therefore, the administrators will not tolerate content containing unscientific opinions and baseless innuendos intended to discredit or politicize climate science.
Many of Indiana’s plants and fungi are considered edible, and historically, indigenous people and settlers used them for medicinal purposes. Indiana is also home to some of the planet’s most toxic species. Always exercise extreme caution and never consume something based upon the identification or recommendation of another individual.
Occasionally, group members have solicited the opinions of others regarding various bites, rashes, and other nature-related maladies. The administrators stress that the advice of others should never replace medical care from licensed professionals.
Threads soliciting advice on discouraging or controlling native wildlife that is causing or believed to be causing property damage have become problematic in the Facebook Group. Examples include:
The administrators remind members that the mission of IN Nature does not include advising the harm, relocation, or destruction of native wildlife. Advice involving non-lethal methods of discouragement is acceptable. However, group administrators will remove all posts, comments, and references advocating for the trapping, killing, poisoning, or use of domestic animals against native wildlife, whether in jest or otherwise.
Domestic cats, both feral and pets allowed to roam outdoors, are non-natural predators that cause massive amounts of ecological damage by preying on native birds, mammals, insects, reptiles, and amphibians. According to one report, in the United States alone, an estimated 2.5 billion birds are killed by domestic cats every year. IN nature’s policy is that there is no situation where free-ranging cats are acceptable. However, repeated attempts at a civil debate on the subject have always resulted in catastrophic failure. Therefore, threads about domestic cats and other free-ranging domestic animals are strongly discouraged. The IN Nature Group will not tolerate nor allow any encouragement or condonation of free-ranging domestic animals, including, but not limited to, cats and dogs. Conversely, the administrators will promptly remove all posts and comments suggesting or implying lethal means of controlling domestic animals.
This topic encompasses a wide range of material outside the group’s scope and mission. On occasion, group members have shared nature-related material beyond the group’s regional geographical range but contained content that they felt pertinent. Other times, members have solicited advice about non-native plants and shared jokes, cartoons, memes, gifs, and other items that are not always relevant. The group administrators assess these situations on a case-by-case basis and reserve the right to remove content that strays from the stated mission.
The IN Nature Facebook group adheres to the official Facebook policy regarding criminal activity. Numerous federal, state, county, and municipal laws oversee the possession, collection, and disturbance of plants, animals, fungi, and artifacts. Knowing and following these laws is the responsibility of the individual. Group members who witness conversations related to illegal activity, whether intentional or otherwise, are welcomed and encouraged to help educate others. The administrators reserve the right to remove posts that demonstrate blatant contempt for the law, but it is beyond the group’s scope to police every interaction.
The Indiana Nature Facebook Group is a “closed group.” As per Facebook guidelines, content within closed groups is only available to members of that group. Members wishing to share content from the group should ask permission from the original poster before sharing. The administrators will occasionally make select content available for publicly sharing on the IN Nature Facebook Page.
Group members wishing to share photographs of dead, injured, or mutilated wildlife or other potentially controversial subjects should consider including a “content warning” message in their post before placing the image in the comments. This step protects other group members from potentially disturbing images while still sharing information or helping with identification questions.
Provided that they are relevant to the group’s mission, members are welcome to share events, fundraisers, and other information from government entities and not-for-profit organizations. All others should ask permission from the administrators before posting.
Questions and answers by and from group members are at the core of the group’s educational objectives. Group members should remember that questions and answers benefit more than just the original poster, as potentially thousands of members may follow the threads. When members suggest resources outside of the group, it often stifles discussion, invalidates identifications provided by group members, and unintentionally signals that IN Nature is not the appropriate group for the stated question or future posts on the subject. Therefore, the administrators ask that group members refrain from suggesting apps, search engines, or other groups until the IN Nature group is allowed, out of courtesy, the opportunity (24 hours) to resolve the question internally.
The IN Nature Group administrators will review infractions on a case-by-case basis. They reserve the right to delete posts/comments and remove members without notice for egregious violations of the guidelines for conduct.
The administrators reserve the right to amend the policy at any time.
May 31, 2022
January 18, 2020
It depends on the species of bird feather or nest, the answer is usually NO. The North American Migratory Bird Treaty Act of 1918 (MBTA) was passed to protect birds and made the possession of birds, their nests, feathers, and eggs illegal without a federal permit. The passage of the MBTA saved many species of birds from exploitation and came at the height of the millinery (hat) trade and unregulated over-hunting which was partially responsible for the decimation of several bird species. Sadly, it came too late for a few birds that became extinct around this time including the Passenger Pigeon and Carolina Parakeet, which were found in Indiana.
Birds molt their feathers at least once a year, but these discarded feathers are protected by the MBTA because it is impossible for law enforcement like Conservation Officers, to regulate or prove if the feathers were collected in way that harmed the bird. The MBTA protects all native, nongame birds. Game birds are protected under state law and have restrictions and seasons. It is legal to possess the feathers of some game birds as well as non-native birds like House Sparrows, Rock Pigeons, European Starlings, Mute Swans, and Ring-necked Pheasants. The nests of birds protected under the MBTA can not be touched, tampered with, or destroyed while there are eggs or chicks inside. You can remove inactive nests, but collection of those nests is prohibited under the law.
Understanding the laws and what circumstances predicated them is important for wildlife protection, ethical practices, and lawful enjoyment.
Coyotes are a common urban/suburban animal. We can coexist with Coyotes by better understanding them and controlling the factors that could increase negative encounters. Coyotes are a naturally occuring predator that have been a part of the ecosystem in Indiana for hundreds of years, and they eat large numbers of animals that can be seen as nuisance wildlife like rabbits, mice, and squirrels. They are highly adaptable and lead secretive lives most of the year, making them more common than many people realize. Winter time seems to be when their presence is most noticeable because there isn’t as much cover and food resources start to diminish. They are also quite vocal in the winter during their mating from December to February. These steps will help to create the needed buffer between people and coyotes:
For more information about Coyotes, please visit Project Coyote.
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