Re: blackface

Hello Fellow Birders,

From time to time I look at these emails and am amazed by the collective knowledge and credentials of some of the people who contribute to this.

It was with some coincidence that I was up in the Blue Mountains on Sunday photographing birds when I was approached by a member of the public asking why I was photographing those "Redbills" - a name that he had given to Purple Swamphens.  I do agree with Tim that some birds should be given simpler names in order for the general public to remember them, but education, wether through the use of simple or scientific classification for birds, is really the key to solving the problem of ignorance.

As a part time photojournalist for birds, I work with some dynamic people who actively go out into the community and visit schools, Lions Clubs, Rotary Clubs and Volunteer Organisations where they talk about the birds in their surroundings.  It is the reason I love photographing birds - if people see how beautiful they are, then they might be moved enough to protect them.  I work for a large engineering firm with a significant number of intellectuals who often ask about where I might have been recently  to work.  I am proud to admit that I have converted some of them from people who were clueless into people who now realise that the Southern Ocean is not a watery desert, it is home to my favourite birds - the albatrosses.  The feats of albatrosses alone have prompted some of them to read further, find out where they breed and even stop by Kaikoura in New Zealand when they've been down there on holiday when they norm! ally woul

I feel it is up to birders to put it out there.  Share the knowledge they have of birds whenever they have the opportunity to do so.  You would be surprised at the amount of people who have stopped and asked me what I've been doing when I've been sitting under a tree photographing Lewins Honeyeaters.  The 'Grey Nomads' are also a very new and emerging group of birders as many of them take the time to learn more about birds as they get around when they may not have done beforehand.  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.

Regards,

Inger Vandyke

Sent by: 06/07/2005 10:27 AM

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

I've been away from the computer for a few days and find this thread still running.  Tim makes the point "I give a monkeys' because I see a world that is being destroyed by people who have lost connection with nature. How to create that connection is my motivation. "

There's no doubt about this.  The problem, however, is much deeper than a few "user friendly" bird names could possibly fix.  Today's society is much more urbanised than it ever was.  People, and I'm talking about the vast majority of people in our societies, are much more interested in settling into their McMansions in the suburb.  They don't give a rat's xxxx about what birds are in the suburbs, letting alone what they are called.  They sure as hell aren't going to go out looking for them.

Next time you are in Royal National Park, for example, have a look at what the people are doing (and bear in mind this is the small subset that have actually taken the time to "connect with nature").  They have no idea what birds are there (other than perhaps the ducks they are stuffing with bread), and really don't care.  As societies become increasingly urbanised the connection to nature will be lost.  Sad but true.

I can only say that we should thank our lucky stars that there is still a small minority that do value the environment.

Cheers

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



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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.