Hi Andrew and Susan,
Nicely said. And of course Andrew is right and I got my years wrong. I
should have remembered the right year, as I was then a member of the ACF.
Isn't time running, when you are having fun. It all seemed like yesterday
so long ago!
And you are both right, I start thinking that with living on an island for
4 1/2 years and just meeting staff and paying guests I didn't get the right
mix of people. It was the impression of attitude and knowledge of people at
that time I based my judgement on.
Also, I shouldn't have talked about Europe that much, because there are
huge differences between countries. Look at the Italiens shooting
sparrow-size birds, while in other, more northern countries, conservation
is so much stronger. And then the French...
I should have just talked about Germany, as I know that country best (of
course), but I dislike doing so. You would get the impression I am homesick
or that I think Germany is so much better than Australia.(I got naturalised
in 1984).
You know, Susan, as an example, it shocked me to have well-off and well-
educated australian paying guests on Dunk Island telling me, that they saw
Lyrebirds in the resort. That happened not just once, but surprisingly
often, and they were talking about peafowls! I thought every child would
know, what a peacock looks like.
Still, I am very pleased about your responses to prove me wrong.
Thank you and have a great (birding) weekend, Klaus
At 17:20 19/03/98 +1100, you wrote:
>On Thu, 19 Mar 1998, Kirrama Wildlife Tours wrote:
>> I think the 'green movement / awareness started around 1985 with the
>> Franklin Dam issue.
>
>I feel some compulsion to defend native-born Australians even from
>Klaus's gentle criticism.
>
>The Franklin protests were at their peak in late 1982 and early 1983. I
>and probably many other birding-aus readers were among the hundreds of
>thousands of Australians (native-born or otherwise) who took part. The
>issue was very important in the March 1983 federal election. This was
>pretty much an international first with an environment issue playing a
>major role in toppling a national government.
>
>This didn't and couldn't have happened overnight, its origins were
>early less prominent, successful and unsuccessful, battles such as
>Myall Lakes in the 1970s, Lake Pedder in 1960s and Myles Dunphy and
>co around Sydney in the 1930s.
>
>I'm happy to concede that overseas-born birdwatchers are more
>numerous and more skillful but I believe the love Australians have for
>their natural environment is as strong as occurs anywhere.
>
>Andrew Taylor
>
>
Kirrama Wildlife Tours Klaus & Brenda Uhlenhut
PO Box 133 SILKWOOD QLD Australia
http://www.gspeak.com.au/kirrama
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