Anyone who has browsed around our site has probably noticed the bright badges promoting Bird Top 100 and Fatbirder 500. These sites, called toplists or topsites, are designed to rank members based on pageviews or other metrics. The badges themselves record site stats for the toplists while at the same time advertising them to new readers and prospective members. Rather elegant, really.
10,000 Birds does receive readers daily from these toplists, although not very many. Still, I took notice when Bird Top 100 was down for a few weeks and missed the 1 or 2 international visitors that came through every day. Rather than drink myself into a stupor like I usually do when dealing with blog frustration, I wondered if I might be able to construct my own toplist, one that might better serve sites like mine. You see, other birding toplists put blogs together with forums, static resource sites, merchant sites, photography sites, and even pet bird sites. Blogs are special. We deserve our own toplist, don’t we? And ours shouldn’t isolate birding blogs from our natural (pardon the pun) allies exploring topics like invertebrates, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, flora, fungus, and ecosystems of every kind, right? That’s right…
Presenting the Nature Blog Network, the toplist for the nature blog community. A site like this has the potential to be a phenomenal resource for readers and publishers alike in identifying the very best nature blogs on the net. If you write about birds, bugs, plants, herps, hiking, mollusks, mushrooms, ecosystems, or any other natural topic, adding your blog to this toplist is the perfect way to reach new readers interested in exactly what you have to offer. As a bonus, you’ll get to see where your site falls amongst those of your respected peers. And, in true blogging fashion, it’s FREE!
A network is only as good, in terms of both quality and representation, as its members. We already know how superb nature blogs are as a rule so what I’m counting on is an outstanding turnout. Please check out the new Nature Blog Network, browse the other members, heck… click on the ads if you’d like. But if you have a blog that touches on any aspect of nature, don’t leave until you join. Also, be sure to let me know what you think. Oh, one last thing… please tell your friends!
Congrats on the launch!
Wonderful idea Mike ‘et al’. Wish I met the criteria.
Interesting, Clare… I’ve always thought of you as a nature blogger.
Well natural history is a part of my blog, but it isn’t the focus of it. Actually I don’t think there is a focus to it, more of a Generalist blog.
Cool idea, Mike. Now I’ve got a whole load more blogs to add to my reading list.
Thanks, Snail. Glad you like it!
Darn you, now I’m spending all my time checking my position and trying to urge my blog higher up the list.
Hello there Mike
TrudyVan here from South Africa. I really like your site and I am going to get Rudi my husband to join you as well. As you know we have beautiful birds and wildlife here is South Africa. We are both fond of bird watching. We also life near a wet land called “Wakkerstroom” well know under the bird watching community.
Keep up the good work
TrudyVan
I love all nature especially birds. I must thank my wife TrudyVan for introducing me to your wonderful site.
Regards
Rudi
I visited the nature blog network and I found it interesting. I find no place there to ask a question, so I’ll ask here.
I wonder about adding code to our blog in order to be counted and linked. I understand that is how its done, but isn’t that likely to slow down our blog if your servers are slow? Are there instructions about how to include the code? Does it appear on every blog entry or just the default page for the domain?
Why not have an index that includes all of the blogs without ranking as well?
Thanks for the opportunity. I appreciate any time you might have for a reply.
John T.
Good questions, John. The code in question is lightweight and easy to install. I haven’t heard any complaints of the code slowing any blogs down. When you are accepted, you’ll receive an e-mail with code and instructions. Since your ranking is based on page impressions, you’d be wise to install it in your sidebar so it appears on every page.
Why not have an index w/out a ranking? I guess that just isn’t interesting to me! Part of the allure (and agony) of blogging is tracking stats.
There are big changes coming very soon to the Nature Blog Network but I plan to keep the current ranking system. Hope you’ll join.
I love nature and especially birds. Keep those wings flying high
Kindest regards
TrudyVan
i luv nature very much….. selfish humans are destroying it… we need more peoples to follow this campaine…. i would like ur community……all the best.