Re: blackface

Thanks David, yes you are on a downer and I too have also had very cynical days, especially when I see people trashing the area I live in without any thought to the eventual impacts of their actions i.e. washing plastics down storm water drains, cutting corners on walking trails, letting their dogs off leads in National Parks.

BUT

The other night I showed a friend in Manly a Little Penguin sitting on the rocks very close to where a lot of people walk their dogs off leads.  I was a bit nervous at how easy it was to spot one there as I honestly hadn't expected to find any.  I highlighted the plight of this last remaining mainland colony in New South Wales and he said he would mention it to friends (he is quite well connected in the Manly area).  So a little knowledge can go a long way in some circles.

The key for birders is to get the information out beyond birding circles.  Which can sometimes be a tad difficult given that birding can be very singular minded :-), but I speak in jest.

I have been involved on lots of projects for weeding as I feel that if I get enjoyment out of bushwalking so much, it is my job to help contribute to the upkeep of these beautiful places.  Weeding alone has taken me to some of Sydney Harbour's islands, National Parks, headlands, islands etc and has been in the name of ridding areas of noxious weeds like Asparagus, Agaves, Mother-of-Millions, Lantana, Sea Spurge etc.  I have also helped to clear out land of wrecked cars, old fridges etc in the name of recreating a habitat for koalas, developing understorey for them to regain their usual paths in bushland.  I have also done track maintenance on the Great North Walk as it runs behind where I live and has been eroded from too much activity in areas and not enough care.  From these projects, I have met all sorts of people from all walks of life who hold the same strong interest in nature as I do.  They are definitely not the same faces each time.

Just when I get cynical about these things, it only takes one project like that for me to change my mind.

If you become constantly down about what we are NOT doing to help out, and I find it easy to do also, then noone will get anywhere.  It is up to the public to become educated in what is around them, start to walk around with their eyes open and, realise they can take action if they become passionate about it.

Every little bit counts wether the contribution comes from educating people about birds, the re-engineering of our landscape, the use or misuse of our water resources or the control of noxious pests.

Let's try to remain a little bit positive?

Cheers,

Inger

Sent by: 06/07/2005 11:37 AM

To:                 cc:                 bcc:        Inger Vandyke/AUNOR01/Power/ALSTOM         Subject:        [BIRDING-AUS] Re: blackface

"The responsibility should lie squarely on the shoulders of all of you.  If we all devote even a couple of hours a year to doing a talk to the public or something similar, then we hopefully will leave a legacy of beautiful birds for our children to look at long after we have gone." 

Wonderful sentiments.  The problem is that those of us that regularly do get out and talk to the public start seeing the same faces over and over.  The rest of public are at home watching Big Brother and really couldn't give a xxxx. 

Again, sad but true. 

I'm trying hard to think of something positive to say but you only have to read the papers, watch the evening news or even spend a bit of time looking at how people live nowadays to see that for the vast majority of people nature is well down the priority list.  Now, people may say "the environment" is important to them but I'm convinced that most would have no idea what they mean by that. 

It could be that I have a different slant on this than many, having been raised a country boy and, except for two very very long years I spent in Melbourne, have always lived in the country.  I'm surrounded by people that do have a real "connection to nature".  It's clear that everyone on this list also has the same connection and have a network of like-minded people.  Step out of that circle for a while and look at the people in the next suburb to you and what do you see.  How many of those people in the endless stretch of roof tiles really care about whether the last family group of Fairy-wrens in the suburb have just been decimated by someone's pet cat? 

I'm really on a downer today, aren't I? 

David Geering
Regent Honeyeater Recovery Coordinator
Department of Environment & Conservation
P.O. Box 2111
Dubbo  NSW  2830
Ph: 02 6883 5335 or Freecall 1800 621 056
Fax: 02 6884 9382



This email is intended for the addressee(s) named and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. 

If you are not the intended recipient, please notify the sender and then delete it immediately. Any views expressed in this email are those of the individual sender except where the sender expressly and with authority states them to be the views of the Department of Environment and Conservation (NSW).



CONFIDENTIALITY: This e-mail and any attachments are confidential and may be privileged. If you are not a named recipient, please notify the sender immediately and do not disclose the contents to another person, use it for any purpose or store or copy the information in any medium.