To Chris and Jill and everyone else
I think the number of visiting birdwatchers is underestimated in many
places, largely because many make their own arrangements, and don't go on
set tours.
It is disheartening Jill but it happens in other areas too. A few years
ago I met an ex-chef at the Dept of Tourism and Hospital, NTU. He was
lecturing in cultural tourism with absolutely no background. He asked me
to help him out by sending him copies of my published papers on this
topic. A couple of years later a lecturer teaching students ecotourism
and Aboriginal tourism at the same institution told them he knew nothing
about the topics and to either do a literary search or phone me, which
some 18 of them did (I understand that his work experience consisted of a
long stint with QANTAS). I protested to the Head of Dept. saying that
perhaps they ought to employ me. Obviously that was too radical.
No wonder tour operators up here think birdwatching is of no importance.
However things are changing. Several in the Darwin area have asked me to
run a specialist guiding course which I'm presently putting together and
operators of homestays are requesting bird lists. Such change it seems
must come from the bottom.
And talking about teaching people all about birds in two hours - I was
once asked by a Govt. Dept to teach a group of longterm unemployed, only
the topic was bush medicine and bush tucker. I was given three hours.
None had any environmental background and only one, if I remember had any
tertiary training. He had been a fitter and turner. I complained and
with the next group I was allowed a full day.
Then walking through monsoon forest near Darwin some weeks later, with my
next batch of students I came upon one of the three hour wonders leading
a group of perhaps twenty people. Seeing us he rushed up waving a little
book on plants put out by Parks and Wildlife. 'Guess what!" he shouted
joyfully, "I've got a fulltime job! I'm training tour guides." And yes,
you've guessed it. He was teaching that group "all about plants".
Denise
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