Hollie spoke to Giselle Clarkson about her gorgeous book The Observologist. A highly illustrated and creative scientific guide to the small creatures and natural wonders we find when we take time to open our eyes to the world around us—and ode to the power of quiet observation.
Tell us about yourself.
Hello! I’m an author and an illustrator and a cartoonist. Some of the things I like are gardening, sea swims, hot chips after a long walk, and crosswords. The best flavour of ice cream is a tie between chocolate and boysenberry.
Where did the idea for The Observologist come from?
I’ve been fascinated by tiny things in nature all my life and I really love invertebrates. I like getting really close and watching them go about their lives so it seemed like a logical thing for me to make a book about. Once I started making a list of all the interesting things I knew about worms and flies and spiders and lichen I couldn’t stop!
What is one thing all young observologists need to pack for expeditions?
Nothing! That’s the very best thing about observology: all you need is curiosity and your senses. Sometimes it’s fun to have a pencil and paper with you though, because drawing is a good way to practise focussing on tiny details and you end up with a neat record of what you’ve seen too.
What are some of your favourite tiny creatures?
Praying mantises always feel special to me, and it’s pretty exciting to watch one hunting. I love having them in the garden because during their wingless nymph stages they don’t move around very much and it’s possible to visit the same individual day after day and watch it develop. I also have a real soft spot for jumping spiders. They’re so fluffy! With such big eyes!
What was one of the best scientific adventures you’ve been on?
A favourite moment was when I was helping with some tawaki penguin field work in Piopiotahi/Milford Sound. We had to stay up into the wee hours of the morning, silently watching and waiting for the tawaki we were monitoring to return to their burrows. The Sound was moonlit and completely still and one of the most magical places I have ever been.
If you could be half human and half bug, what bug and what half
would you be?
There are very few ways to blend humans and bugs without creating something horrifying! Perhaps I could be selectively 50% dragonfly. I’ll take their eyesight, their incredible wings, and a couple of extra legs would definitely come in handy.
What is your desert island book?
I really like remote islands, even better if I’m alone to fossick in the undergrowth or comb the shoreline. A guide to all the flora and fauna of that particular island would keep me entertained for years, and maybe provide me with something to eat too. I mean in terms of foraging, not eating the pages of the book (unless the foraging prospects really are that bad).
What is your favourite snack to enjoy while writing or drawing?
I don’t tend to snack while I’m focussed, but every so often I’ll emerge from my room to breathe some fresh air, straighten out my hunched back and eat a piece of toast. It must be very dry and crispy, with a savoury topping.