What Started it All Off?

Susan H said:

Kezmo, I still do get upset. I must be the only person in the world who apologises (out loud) if I accidentally dead-head a flower that isn't dead!

Hi Sparrow, No you are not the only one!  Me thinks we are two birds of a feather!

Thank you all for your replies, I have found them very interesting and a pleasure to read.

Blackbird - I have much respect for anyone who volunteers for environmental causes.  Well done to you.

I myself have been looking into it, but with my working hours I don't know how suitable I could be.

I find it annoying how there are times when other human beings show no regard for birds and wildlife in general - lie when cutting down trees for example.

We have been in this house nearly 13 years and when the neighbours have had their conifers cut it has always been in the springs - which infuriates me no end!  Surely a professional should be aware of when the best time to cut trees down is.

Then again, our local council who manages the walkway do the same trick, and every time I end up sending a letter of complaint, and every time they do it again!

Since most people's interest in birds and all things natural starts when they're young, it always amazes me that there are a lot of people who do not educate their children on the natural world.

When I was telling a colleague about one of my trips to Lake Vyrnwy she seemed interested for the views and how picturesque it is but the nature aspect was wasted on her...and she even passed comment on how her children wouldn't be interested.  That I found to be a terrible shame!

Hi Paul E,

I have tried to post several times on this in great detail & it hasn't worked.

I was taught & brought up to respect wildife by my grandparents & parents. My son is the next generation & has been brought up the same. He cares so much in comparison to other kids his age. (He had a protest & complained to the Head Teacher several times in his Primary school, once when a dinner lady killed a spider on purpose and another when trees were cut down & the roots dug up to make way for a new basketball court). :-S

I am certain he will be feeding the birds in his own garden in years to come. The key is getting kids into it whilst they are young. I do it at school & with the Breathing Places scheme & Eco Schools staus, thousands of schools are making a big change. Hopefully the next generation will be more aware. Education is key.

Hi Paul

Thank you for your kind comments.

Yes, the years of conservation rolled by and it was a challenge and an achievement at the same time.

What you said about your interests in the birds nesting is from a caring mind.  A caring mind about birds is a rare thing.  At least we can share our thoughts on the RSPB Forum.

I remember doing many years of conservation work and all the people who I worked beside could not understand why I loved environemtnal issues so much.  I think they found me an odd-ball.    I arrived at work with walking boots, camping gear and a rucksack each Friday - they stared at me like I had 2 heads LOL

At least I did not talk non stop about about knitting, football and drinking all day long. Takes all types I would say to make a world {smile}

I had always had a lot of hobbies, and a busy social life. I ran a group or people or two as a commitee member - just loved the social aspect of life.

Paul, I am shocked about what you said about your colleague said about her children.  Maybe she is not interested herself, sadly, so the joy of wildlife is not passed on.

Forgot to mention in my last post that I am a paid member of the RSPB, and the Bedford Birders.

Regards

Kathy and Dave

Unknown said:

When I was telling a colleague about one of my trips to Lake Vyrnwy she seemed interested for the views and how picturesque it is but the nature aspect was wasted on her...and she even passed comment on how her children wouldn't be interested.  That I found to be a terrible shame!

Hi Paul,

I agree with you and Blackbird. It is a terrible shame, and it could be she doesn't know her own children as well as she thinks. I have never met a child who isn't interested to some extent in the countryside and what it has to offer. My grandchildren (now aged 11 and 14) are normal in all respects as far as being children are concerned. They enjoy computer games, Facebook, hanging about generally, discos and so on. However, they also enjoy walks in the countryside, looking at and learning about wildlife, and would love a day out at a place like Lake Vyrnwy. They certainly love trips to the Lake District and the Yorkshire Dales, and thoroughly enjoy walks down to our local river.  Maybe your colleague should give them the chance.

Hi everyone.

This is a great thread Paul and it's been great to see where everyone got their wildlife interests from.  I feel rotten for people who've had to put up with neighbours who didn't care about wildlife, or poorly trained tree surgeons causing damage to nests.  Surely as part of their initial training they should be taught the laws regarding nesting birds.

As far as my own interest in wildlife goes, I'd say I've always had a respect for nature from a young age but never got heavily into it until near the end of 2007, when I joined the RSPB.  I spent most of 2007 working in a garden centre before being made redundant due to lack of money.  In one of the plant tables outside, there was a nest (sadly I think this had been abandoned).  I think this must've sparked something in my with regard to birds.  So shortly after leaving this job, I googled RSPB one night and found myself on the web site.  It was after reading about supposedly common birds like sparrows and starlings being endangered that I decided to join up.  In my last job as a gardener in a hotel in 2008, one of the highlights was a robin that would turn up looking for worms.  It was nice to have a wee friend for comapany. :-)

I started puting up bird feeders and puting out bird feed in early 2008 and am delighted at the number of species that now visit the garden.  There have been so many highlights that it would take too long to list them all, and whether it's in my garden or elsewhere, I love watching birds.  It's been brilliant to learn about birds and wildlife, and this forum is excellent for getting information.  I'm now a member of the RSPB, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, and have recently joined the BTO's Garden Bird Watch.  Although I've only had a serious interest in birds and wildlife since late 2007, it's amazing how much I've learned in that time.  For me that's one of the great things about having an interest in wildlife, it doesn't matter whether you start at five or 65, you can learn so much about a very enjoyable subject.

Paul.

Hi Paul,

Great idea for a thread.  I grew up on the outskirts of Halfway, Cambuslang an ex- mining village in Lanarkshire, surrounded by fields, famrs, etc.  One of my abiding memories as a 4 year old was seeing the farmer drive his cattle up our street every morning, and waving to me as I looked out my window.  I was always interested in animals, and fed the birds in the garden with my grandpa from an early age- putting bowls of water down in the summer for sparrows to bathe (this would be about 1982, when summers were hot and dry.  My kids laugh at the idea of summer droughts) and generally just being aware that nature was all around me.  I also remembr going ofr hikes for hours on end as a kid, and bike rides, exploring mysterious castles in the farmers' fields.  Not entirely sure I was a great birdwatcher, but I gained an understanding and love of nature.

Sadly, that ex- mining village is now a feeder town for Glasgow.  The once- green fields are now a massive identi- kit housing estate (note to anyone preparing to buy a house in Drumsagard Village- firslty, it ain't a village, and secondly its in a valley and surrounded on three sides by hills- you'll get your feet wet a lot) The castle is demolished (a crime in itself) and in place of hedgrows, farms, fields, and the wild, we have postage- stamp sized gardens, replete with decking.  Dante wrote The Inferno with Ground Force in mind.

While its enough to make me want to cry, I've also vowed to make sure that my kids gain the same love and appreciation of the natural world that I have- I gained mine the easy way, obviously, I'll need to work hard to ensure that they get theirs.