That's me, on my motor scooter!
Taxonomic Classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Mammalia
Order: Primates
Family: Hominidae
Genus: Homo
Species: H. sapiens
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Modern human
Who Am I?
I'm Griffin Anderson, an amateur entomologist and naturalist from the Centre Wellington area in southwestern Ontario, Canada. I also have a passion for biology, composing music, shortwave radio, computers/technology, motorcycling, and so much more! It's difficult to define myself as one thing because I have so many interests! However, most people know me for my love of insects.
I can speak a few languages, such as Polish, and French, and am currently learning Brazilian Portuguese. I've had formal music training since I was 6-years-old and played in concert bands throughout my adolescence. In turn, I can play the piano, clarinet, flute, harp, bass guitar, waldhorn, and mallet percussion instruments such as the marimba.
While I don't usually travel far from home, my most frequent trips are to Maceió, Alagoas in Brazil, as that is where the family of my fiancé, Nivia, live. I try to visit as much as possible! Brazilian culture has become a major and important influence on my life due to the prevalence of it in my day-to-day life and new family. Even my friends, coworkers, and neighbours back home are Brazilian!
Within Canada and Brazil, I've been to 2 provinces and states in each:
Canada: Ontario (ON) and Québec (QC).
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Brazil: São Paulo (SP) and Alagoas (AL)
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Professionally, I work in an environmental science laboratory, specifically working with soil and other solid samples to extract and analyze their chemistry. This career often combines many of my interests in unexpected ways. I attended Conestoga College in Waterloo, Ontario to obtain two Bachelors of Science degrees in biotechnology and environmental and public health, respectively. I have experience working in genetics and pharmaceutical research laboratories as well.
Growing up, I had a fascination with wanting to learn how everything worked, especially machines and living organisms--which are practically one and the same. I spent a lot of my leisure time as a child reading books at my school's library, usually avoiding fictional novels in favour of books which taught scientific subjects. Much of what I know and many of the skills I have come from the time I've invested in researching intriguing topics that pique my curiosity.
Why I Love Entomology and Nature
While I find all insects fascinating, I have a particular fondness for the Odonata, dragonflies and damselflies! It wasn't until my teenage years when I fully realized my passion for nature, biology and especially insects, and it's only been an exponential upward trend since then! The personal appeal of these small creatures to me is rooted in their tiny yet unfathomably complex biology and physiology, their insane mystery, and their supreme importance in practically every ecosystem. It's so important to me that we as a species stay connected to nature and involve it in our daily lives, respecting every living organism and the ecological niches each one uniquely serves. We do not possess the power to associate each life with a numerical or 'moral' value based on our own human biases. All life is of equal value, as it all serves a purpose on this planet.
I face some unique challenges when identifying species occasionally, as I am colourblind (in-between deuteranopia and protanopia), and that can sometimes affect how I see certain patterns, colourations on species that would otherwise define them. It's not a big issue, however, since it's easy to utilize external help to alternate ways of identifying species.
I try to live a natural lifestyle. That means eating natural or organic foods of a balanced omnivorous diet and avoiding processed or artificial foods, getting most of my exercise outdoors such as swimming in the ocean or lake, or hiking through the forest. It also entails walking to a local shop instead of driving or riding the motorbike to it, and generally spending much time outside. Many of my hobbies, like motorcycling, are a great way to get outside, but others (such as those involving computers--and as such, developing this site) I try to take outside even if it's as simple as sitting at a bench on a park with my laptop. I'm also an advocate for municipal infrastructure that is friendly to nature, such as replacing the stagnant and ecologically dead zones known as lawns with lush and diverse properties that are welcoming to many species and filled with nature.
Personal Liberty
I'm an advocate for personal freedom and privacy, specifically freedom of speech, freedom of thought, and personal privacy both on and offline. I use and promote free (both in cost and liberty), open-source software (FOSS), and utilize tools in daily life to minimize trackers, telemetry, and personal-data mining as much as possible.
Needless to say, I find that the way I try to live is a good way of obtaining physical fitness, healthy mental wellbeing, privacy, and life satisfaction. Not everyone may agree, and there are many opinions out there, but such is life. That's one of its great qualities: its diversity!
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SYMBOL LEGEND
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invasive species warning
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female
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male
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observation point on satellite map.
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Link to Wikipedia
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CREDITS
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Photographs:
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Griffin Anderson
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Text:
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Griffin Anderson (Windy Windows)
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ARCHIVAL INFO
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Entry creation:
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02 February 2025
22:15 EST
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Last updated:
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9 September 2025
22:35 EST
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