Submit Materials to the Observer

When to Submit Materials for the Next Observer

Anytime!  The Observer is now published quarterly and Field Notes and articles are accepted on a rolling basis all year round. 

Submission Deadlines

  • Spring Issue: Materials due March 1st
  • Summer Issue: Materials due June 1st
  • Fall Issue: Materials due September 1st
  • Winter Issue: Materials due December 1st

Email your materials to editor@mainenaturalhistory.org

Who can Submit Materials to the Observer?

Anyone!  If you’re not a current member of the Observatory, you will receive a link to each issue in which you have a piece published.  If you want to receive all issues of the Observer or read the archives, you will need to subscribe by becoming an Observatory Member.

What’s the difference between Field Notes and Articles?

The difference is length and scope.  You don’t need to know if your submission is an article or a field note before you send it.  The journal staff will decide which section to put it in.

Field Notes:

  • Field Notes should be under 500 words.  Species lists may exceed the 500-word limit.
  • If you wish, Field Notes may consist of photos, drawings, or videos only.
  • Unlike articles, Field Notes may be (but don’t have to be) very limited in scope, e.g. describing a single observation, musings about the natural world, or photos/descriptions of a species you weren’t able to identify. 

Don’t write off your observations because you don’t know what the species is or you’re new to observing the natural world.  Asking questions and recording observations is how science progresses.

Articles:

  • Articles may be over 500 words.
  • Articles should explore a topic, species, group of species, habitat, region, or study in some depth. 
  • Including a “Literature Cited” or “References” section at the end of your article is encouraged.

Formatting

Check out the formatting guide here for information on formatting and accepted file formats for images, videos, and audio recordings.  

Read the Formatting Guide

How to Submit Materials to the Observer

Email your writings, photos, sketches, species lists, videos, and audio recordings to editor@mainenaturalhistory.org

In your email, include:

  • a title for your piece.
  • how you want your name to appear in your byline.
  • let us know if you want us to include your email address with your byline.  Sharing your email allows readers to contact you with questions or suggest collaborations.
  • the date (or date range) of your observation(s).
  • the town in Maine where the observation took place (unless that information is sensitive).

Topics

Any observations you describe don’t need to be recent, they just need to have taken place in Maine.  Topics may include (but are not limited to)…

  • Notable species observations or expansions into new areas.
  • Interactions between humans and nature that illustrate a conservation issue.
  • Species lists or photos from a hike or trip.
  • Descriptions of a rare ecological process, event, or interesting behavior.
  • Findings from a field study (amateur or professional).
  • Natural history musings.
  • Nature journaling notes or art.

Contact Us

Have questions or suggestions?  Contact us at editor@mainenaturalhistory.org

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