Dave O’Hara

@davoh

Professor of Philosophy, Religion, Classics, and Environmental Studies. I study fish and forests, and the cultural ideas that connect them. Current home: South Dakota. Former homes: NY, VT, NM, PA, España. Canon for Creation Care, Episcopal Diocese of SD.

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Bluesky

Ist das dein Profil?Übernimm es — dann gehört dir davoh.dirty.social.Profil übernehmen

Dave O’Hara@davoh· 21d

Holdfasts: https://davoh.org/2026/07/22/holdfasts.html

A sketch of a piece of kelp anchored to a rock on Olsen Island is surrounded by handwritten reflections and a quote about connection to the land and nature, along with details about the location and date.

A book titled Holdfast: At Home in the Natural World by Kathleen Dean Moore, featuring an underwater scene with seaweed on its cover, rests on a wooden surface alongside a pen and an electronic device.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· 22d

Two hummingbirds on one of my garden trellises. I made the trellises from 16’ cattle panels, and use them to grow beans, pumpkins, and grapes. And of course some clematis and morning glories.

Two small birds are perched on a metal garden trellis in front of a wooden fence with greenery in the background.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· 23d

The Beauty of Ticks: https://davoh.org/2026/07/19/the-beauty-of-ticks.html

A detailed hand-drawn illustration and notes about the American dog tick, Dermacentor variabilis, including observations about its legs, chelicerae, and the presence of ticks after a run on the prairie.

A detailed anatomical sketch of an American dog tick's claw is shown with annotations and notes describing its structure, including mentions of hinged claws, joints, and textured legs to aid in gripping animal fur.

A detailed watercolor and ink sketch of an American Dog Tick's capitulum from a ventral view, accompanied by handwritten notes explaining its anatomical features and behavior.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· 24d

Rapid City, South Dakota.

An alleyway is decorated with beautiful art with a star quilt theme on one side and a dumpster on the other. A fire escape climbs the building on the right.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· 24d

Holding a pine cone with one hand while sketching it with the other. Nature is full of delights.

A hand holding a pine cone with a closeup of a portion of the cone below and a handwritten note dated 17 July 2026.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· 24d

When life gives you ticks, that means you have a new species to sketch!

A detailed sketch of an American dog tick (Dermacentor variabilis) with handwritten notes about its microscopic features, a personal account of finding ticks on a dog, and the date 18 July 2026.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· 27d

Pocket notebooks. “Have you pen and ink, Master Doctor?” “A scholar is never without them, your Majesty,” answered Doctor Cornelius. – C.S. Lewis, Prince Caspian, ch. 13

Two notebooks, one black with a silver pen and one brownish with a bronze pen, are placed on a wooden surface.

Two brown leather notebooks are placed on a black surface, each with a pen resting on top.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· 27d

Dreaming with Friends: https://davoh.org/2026/07/16/dreaming-with-friends.html

Five men are standing close together in a room with wood-paneled walls, smiling at the camera. Behind them is a geological map of the Paha Sapa or Black Hills, South Dakota.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· 28d

Morning sketch: yellow-bellied marmot in the Paha Sapa (Black Hills) of South Dakota.

A yellow-bellied marmot with the scientific name Marmota flaviventris is depicted sitting behind a wooden surface, with the note indicating it was observed on 15 July 2026 at Thunderhead Episcopal Camp, Paha Sapa.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· 29d

Attention and Care: https://davoh.org/2026/07/13/attention-and-care.html

A watercolor painting of a squirrel on a branch is accompanied by a small paint palette, a water brush, and handwritten notes on the paper.

A sketch features three labeled flowers—cinquefoil, salsify, and daisy—along with two insects on and near the flowers.

A detailed sketch of a Least Chipmunk (Neotamias minimus) dated 13 July 2026, with the location noted as Paha Sapa.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jul 13

Morning breakfast at M. B. Haskett in Sioux Falls with @dswanson. Hopefully the first of many more conversations and shared meals.

Three people are sitting around a wooden table in a casual dining setting, smiling at the camera with food and drinks in front of them.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jul 11

Cobber Gobblers: https://davoh.org/2026/07/11/cobber-gobblers.html

Several quick sketches of turkeys, including adults and chicks, are drawn on a sketchpad with handwritten notes about their characteristics.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jul 10

Visual evidence of having been on the Concordia College campus in Moorhead, MN this week.

A turkey feather on pavement with a blue parking lot line painted under it. Concordia College is known for the turkeys that roam the campus.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jul 10

Snapping Turtle in Minnesota: https://davoh.org/2026/07/10/snapping-turtle-in-minnesota.html

A detailed sketch of a snapping turtle floating near the shore with accompanying handwritten notes about the sighting and observations.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jul 10

Moonrise Cafe, Fargo, ND. Handmade blueberry coconut poptart. Is this health food? Maybe not the kind a medical professional would prescribe but it sure feels good to eat it.

A toasted sandwich topped with a dollop of purple spread and sprinkled with crushed nuts sits on a piece of parchment paper.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jul 8

Serendipitous Discovery: https://davoh.org/2026/07/08/serendipitous-discovery.html

A wooden bookshelf filled with various books is situated indoors in front of large windows revealing lush green foliage outside. I took this photo in Puntarenas, Costa Rica. The shelves are full of discoveries of others; the forest beyond is full of potential for those who would discover more for themselves.

A spacious, well-lit library features wooden beams, multiple bookshelves, comfortable seating areas, and study tables arranged in an organized and inviting manner. St John’s College Meem Library in Santa Fe, New Mexico. This was the site of many of my serendipitous discoveries as a graduate student, and it continues to be the place I most want to return to on each return visit to my alma mater.

A small squid with a mottled brown and green body is resting on the ocean floor amidst sandy and rocky terrain. This Caribbean reef squid floated beside me while I was teaching ecology on one of the barrier islands in Belize a few years ago. We both held nearly motionless, eyeing one another. I was struck with wonder at what its changing colors might mean. Was it communicating with me? Warning other squid about me? Camouflaging itself? Do the chromatophores act as sensory organs, allowing it to use its skin to better perceive the world? &10;&10;I also wonder what it thought of me.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jul 5

You Can Do This: https://davoh.org/2026/07/04/you-can-do-this.html

Two rustic buildings labeled The Frisky Mermaid and Lazy Otter Charters stand side by side in a small, quiet town with picnic tables and distant mountains in the background.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jul 4

Rite In The Rain: https://davoh.org/2026/07/04/rite-in-the-rain.html

A bright yellow Rite-in-the-Rain field notebook splayed open so front and back covers are visible. On the front in bold black sharpie is the name “O’HARA” accompanied by a NOLS Alaska sticker and a sticker of a sea kayak and paddle that are both artistically decorated. The back cover has a sticker from Lazy Otter Charters, Prince William Sound, Whittier, Alaska. That sticker also has an indigenous-inspired (or indigenous-created?) line-art print of a sea otter.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jul 4

Sea Kayaking with NOLS in Alaska: https://davoh.org/2026/07/04/sea-kayaking-with-nols-in.html

Several kayaks are resting on grassy terrain near a calm body of water with a glacier and snow-capped mountains in the background under a cloudy sky.

Several tents are set up on grassy terrain near a lake with a glacier and snow-capped mountains in the background under a cloudy sky.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jun 25

Yesterday’s commute.

Snow-covered mountain peaks and glaciers are partially obscured by surrounding clouds.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jun 25

Somebody made a ruckus I guess.

A wooden fence displays the word RUCKUS spelled out using sticks or branches against a background of trees, a red building, and a partly cloudy sky.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jun 19

Black Swallowtail: https://davoh.org/2026/06/18/black-swallowtail.html

A detailed, hand-drawn sketch of a Black Swallowtail butterfly and its wing structure, annotated with notes on its features and dated June 19, 2026.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jun 16

Bug on plant. Black swallowtail (Papilio polyxenes) on phlox in my garden today. Sioux Falls, South Dakota.

A black butterfly with blue and orange markings is perched on green leaves in a grassy area.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jun 15

EV charging station at a small trailhead in Maine. Amazing the places you can find these. (Also amazing how many places you cannot find these.) Buck’s Ledge Trail near Woodstock, Maine. Chargepoint.

An electric vehicle charging station is situated outdoors surrounded by greenery and trees.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jun 14

Another of my two-color watercolor attempts from last summer when I was just getting started with the technique.

Two abstract figures are depicted seated on the ground in watercolor, one with a distinct blue and orange hue.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jun 14

Sunrise with monarch caterpillar on Asclepias.

A caterpillar with black, white, and yellow stripes is resting beneath a sunlit green leaf.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jun 14

Experiment with two colors.

A watercolor painting features a blue bird's nest with two eggs, using shades of burnt sienna and cerulean blue, accompanied by handwritten notes.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jun 13

Adding to pages as I travel. We are back home, and with the tiring parts of travel behind us I’m looking back over the sketches I made in Vermont and Maine. So good to see old friends, our old home state, our alma mater, and the familiar landscapes of forests, lakes, and mountains.

Two sketches depict a common loon and a mountain landscape with handwritten text describing the scenes and dates.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jun 13

Another small scene from this week’s trip to Vermont and Maine.

A bee is perched on a blooming blackberry flower with green leaves, accompanied by a handwritten note detailing the location and date.

Dave O’Hara@davoh· Jun 13

Sketching daily, capturing the small scenes before me.