For most of July, I was on holiday on the West of Scotland where, during my stay, I visited one particular island twice. This was Eigg, one of the Inner Hebrides, and an island with a remarkable story.
Eigg, having been passed through successive landowners since the 12th century, suffered notorious mismanagement in the 1980s and 1990s. This led the islanders to apply, unsuccessfully, to buy Eigg in 1995. After raising £1.5 million, they applied again in 1997, this time with success. This was an incredible milestone itself, but even more incredible was how the Islanders have since turned their fortunes around.
One small but significant step for the Eigg community was being able to control grazing in Eigg’s hills, allowing them to reduce soil erosion into the sea, formerly a major problem. The community has also expanded several woodlands and planted several new ones. But their most famous achievement was the foundation of Eigg Electric in 2008: established by setting up two hydroelectric dams, four wind turbines and a number of solar panels. Currently, 100% of the island’s electricity comes from renewables.This is, however, more than just one island’s success story, and the success of Eigg highlights the need for greater community ownership of land in this country.
The UK has one of the highest concentrations of land ownership of any nation, with 50% of registered land in England and Wales being owned by 36,000 people or 0.3% of the rural population. Taken by itself, Scotland has the highest land concentration in the world, with 432 families owning half the land.
In Norway, it’s a very different story. Norway’s pattern of land ownership consists largely of communes and smaller family-owned landholdings. Unlike crofters in Scotland, who lease land from private landowners, Norwegian farmers and their families typically own the land they farm on and boast a much more stable financial situation as a result. Perhaps then, we can aspire for Britain to be like Norway?
The good news is that there are many communities across Britain who are thinking along the same lines. Certainly, in Scotland, there has been a growing understanding that people can’t manage land for their benefit if they don’t own it- a movement aided in part by the rights-to-buy laws created by the Land Reform Act of 2003. In Glencansip and Dumrunie estates, bought by the Assynt people in 2005, work is underway to build new crofts – like those we would see in Norway, with farmers able to own the land they farm. In many ways, this movement has also been led by a strong environmental conscience, largely due to growing awareness of the Caledonian Forest and how much we have lost. The aforementioned estates are also looking to restore 40 hectares of hazel woodland, and last year we witnessed the buyout of two former conifer plantations: one in Loch Arkaig and another in Aigas. Both now subject to ambitious plans aiming to restore native broadleaf and Scots pine woodland. As of last year, half a million hectares of Scotland was in community ownership.
In England and Wales, however, there has been less progress. I can’t say why this is, but for whatever reason, and although there has been some progress in the form of a growing number of community woodlands, the call for community-owned land is less vocal. Perhaps then, it is time for a Land Reform Act for England and Wales – to provide an incentive for communities interested in owning their own land.
Like anything, community-owned land is not without risk, and it is entirely possible for communities to make a dog’s dinner of a buyout. But with an increasing number of communities engaging in discussions about land ownership and plenty of successful buyouts providing templates for success, there is plenty of promise for the future of community-owned land.
There is something notable happening in conservation. For years, conservationists have bemoaned the perceived lack of interest that younger people take in the natural world. They point to nature deficit disorder as a distinct consequence of a generation of children lacking outdoor experiences. The internet is cast as a negative force, with children spending upwards of 20 hours a week online, mostly scrolling through social media sites. 30% of 2-15 year olds are overweight or obese and, according to a 2008 National Trust survey (going back a few years here), only 2/3 of children could identify a magpie and half did not know the difference between a bee and a wasp.
However, there is another side to this story.
Every August at Rutland Water the biggest conservation event in the UK takes place – the BirdFair. In the last few years people have begun to take notice of a growing number of young people who have been attending, not just with their parents or grandparents, but often of their own volition.
They come from all corners of the UK and have a wide range of different backgrounds, interests and training. Their strength comes in their diversity and their inclusivity. Through informal engagement, mostly outside of the ‘conventional’ and traditional nature conservation organisations, they have built their own organisations that fit their particular ways and means of connecting with each other. These include A Focus On Nature, Next Generation Birders and the youngest of the youth-led organisations, Wilder. Together, they form part of a cohesive youth nature movement. They are growing more organised and experienced as time goes on, and many of the traditional nature conservation organisations have taken note of their work.
A Focus On Nature, affectionately referred to as AFON, is the largest and most developed of the youth organisations. It is a network of young people, aged 16-30 (but realistically there are members younger than this) who share a passion for the natural world and want to connect with each other and talk about their interest. Their facebook group has been growing steadily and they organise regular events. Of particular note is AFON’s mentoring scheme, which gives the opportunity for members to connect with professionals working in all sorts of fields, from practical conservation to writing, film making, academia and campaigning. You can follow them on twitter @AFONature. If you fancy joining the network, get in touch with them at afonmembers@hotmail.com . They have members from all sorts of backgrounds, and you don’t need to have an ecology degree to join!
Next Generation Birders, whilst it may smaller than AFON and more specific, in that it is just for birders, has also had a huge impact. By bringing young birders together they can share their enthusiasm and knowledge, build experiences together and boost each other’s confidence. Often, birding or wildlife is not seen as a positive thing to be involved in at school and many young people interested in conservation suffer from bullying. Organisations such as NGB and AFON provide a safe space for them to do what they love and socialise with like-minded people, reducing their isolation.
Finally, there is Wilder, an exciting new organisation being spearheaded by James Common and others. It is a grassroots activism group, which works to support conservation efforts and argue a case for protecting wildlife legislation in the UK. In the long run, they want to run campaigns and form regional groups that bring local people together to combat localised issues.
How did they come together?
The answer to this has a lot to do with the very thing that many older conservationists had been vilifying – the internet. The wonders of the world-wide-web are certainly a factor in keeping many young people indoors, but the internet (specifically social media) has also brought together those interested in nature. Through posting online they are able to keep in contact with each other and the distance that is sometimes apparent between the traditional nature conservation organisations and their members completely disappears. After all, messaging is instantaneous. Social media seems to have formed a core part of the identity of the youth nature movement, in a way that it is seemingly more superfluous for the traditional conservation bodies.
Of course, the members of the youth nature movement still get involved with the ‘traditional’ organisations. They are members, volunteers and attend events along with the ‘older generations’. However, they seem most comfortable with these grass roots, more informal organisations, learning about the natural world and inspiring each other to do amazing things.
How did I get involved?
I have always had an interest in the natural world and the ‘great outdoors’ but it wasn’t until I got to university that I really started actively getting involved in nature conservation, volunteering for conservation organisations and thinking deeply about the natural world. This led to me starting my blog, thinkingcountry, in 2013, in which I started to explore a whole host of issues connecting farming (my family background) and conservation.
I can’t really remember how I was introduced to Lucy McRobert, AFON’s founder and former Creative Director, but we shared a common degree history (both environmental historians) and she was keen on getting more people involved. In September 2014 I went along to AFON’s first major conference, held in Cambridge, which aimed to spearhead a ‘Vision for Nature’. Incidentally, we went on to publish the Vision for Nature report in July of this year. The enthusiasm at that conference really spurred me on to want to get involved. Here was a young organisation that had bags of energy and made up of dozens of inspiring young people, all eager to work together for a better world. I was hooked and tried to get involved as much as possible. In January of this year I joined the committee and it is a real privilege to be at the centre of such an exciting movement.
What’s the future for the Youth Nature Movement?
The movement still looks like it is growing and more and more young people are jumping on board and getting involved. As James pointed out in a recent post, conservation has become quite fashionable, and this is certainly helping to drive the youth movement. However, it goes beyond this. I believe that the real success of bringing these people together has been to remove isolation and to exponentially advance the inspiration levels and determination of these people to get stuck in and find a way that they can make a difference, in their own way. It is about giving them confidence.
The movement seems to be growing, with new organisations, such as Wilder, making their own mark. Things could move in several different directions although I think it is most likely that it will become several things:
Firstly, it will continue to bring young people together through a growing network.
Secondly, it will be more political and provide a collective voice for young people who are concerned about the natural world.
Thirdly, it will become more organised and localised, with young people in the same regions regularly meeting and carrying out work together.
It is an exciting time to be a conservationist for many reasons. However, it is also a famously depressing sector to be in, with the general narrative being one of loss and destruction. The youth nature movement adds a determined optimism to conservation and this will continue as it develops. It is outward looking, inclusive and forward thinking. Yes, there are things that could be improved on, for example, a particular effort is happening right now with regards to improving diversity. However, the general momentum is positive and engaging and we all look forward to taking the movement onwards towards a brighter future.
Ben Eagle is an environmental and agricultural writer based in the South West. He sits on the committee of A Focus On Nature, the UK’s largest youth nature network, and edits their seasonal newsletter. To read more of his work visit his website www.thinkingcountry.com or follow him on twitter @benjy_eagle.
Another “perceptions of wildlife” guest blog this week, following the same setup as the last post by urban humanist Tayla May. This week’s post comes from young conservationist and budding scientist David Hunter, who was asked the same questions regarding his perceptions of wildlife and often controversial species. As you will see, his answers demonstrate perfectly that not all conservationists boast a positive perception of all species – and many actively agree with measures enacted to control them.
As someone who works on the science side of conservation, I rarely get to showcase my humanistic side when appreciating the natural world. I need to be detached, to be outside of the ‘feelings’ side of the argument if any headway is to be made with warring parties associated with a conservation issue. That being said, we are all emotional beings and events such as the shooting of the crane in south-west England a few days ago make me very angry, because of how senseless the violence is. The humanist approach to the natural world is one that most people who work in conservation biology and related fields have intrinsically – if we didn’t we wouldn’t have worked here (at least not for the pay…), and it is only through years of training and practice that we can learn to objectively view a situation (or as objectively as physically possible) and provide solutions to real problems in the world today. That’s especially difficult when people who you might share few to no opinions with are very emotive in their pursuit of goals.
I think the conservational approach is one that goes without saying given the career I’m representing here! The natural world provides a frankly ridiculous number of services and resources for us humans to make use of, regardless of how technologically advanced we believe ourselves to be. It would be madness to throw away such efficient and productive systems for mechanical alternatives; just because it increases profits in the short term. It is crucial that not just for an ethical standpoint but from a survival one that we maintain a healthy ecosystem with as much diversity as possible. You will notice I am not saying a ‘balanced’ ecosystem because there is no such thing. With climatic, geological and biological processes being in the constant state of flux that we are, there is no such thing as a ‘balanced’ ecosystem. We could have a healthy, productive one, or we could have an unhealthy useless one. But with either option, it is a constant changing along a spectrum on which diversity and productivity lie. – Apologies for the rant!
One of my pet peeves is people telling me that they are annoyed with conservationists because they are stopping people from growing food, from harvesting trees, from doing blah blah blah and the list goes on! With a bulging population of 7.5 billion, we as a species are having to adapt to find new ways of farming on the same amount of land. Farmland already makes up over 37% of the world’s total landmass (192,780,000km2 give or take a few tens of millions), but without natural pollinators, predator defences, even down to the bacteria that aid in producing cloud mass to water the crops, biodiversity and the natural world are at the core of that production. A good conservationist will be able to work with people (whether it is a pharmaceutical company or local farming cooperative) to achieve goals that enable and enhance their existing plans to either accommodate for the natural world or work around it in a non (or less) damaging manner. A bad conservationist will come to these meetings shouting and wagging their fingers at the naughty farmer/company/government telling them how awful it is what they are doing, and how they need to stop. the crucial thing is that these people are going to use the natural world (just like we do!) whether you like it or not, and people are much more likely to listen to a friend than they are to an enemy!
The only truly dominionist attitude I have is when it comes to my garden, which I try and maximise the diversity found in it – bending it to my will! I get where people are coming from when they make this argument, but these are usually the same people that tell me that humans are a ‘special’ species and very different from all others. You can’t have it two ways – either man is special and therefore outside of the realm of ‘bending nature to our will’ or it is part of that system, and you need to admit we are just another mammalian ape.
As for aesthetic values – nature is beautiful, in its complexity and harsh reality. I love it all!
Deer
I feel a very mixed response thinking about deer. Red deer and Roe Deer, our only two native species, are overpopulated as we have no natural apex predators to deal with them. The other semi-natural species, fallow, are similarly at bulging levels. The only real solution, in my opinion, to all these species and the unfortunate list of invasives is either culling (in the case of the natives) or eradication. This is to ensure that the plethora of other species that are damaged, threatened or lost from deer overpopulation are protected.
Brown Rat
Non-native pest species. Should be eradicated where possible, but will be nearly impossible over large landmass other than the likes of New Zealand. The damage to the countryside, natural world and even cities of this country are not worth the continuation of tolerance to this species in any area of the country. Unfortunately resistance to rodenticides is likely to make this very difficult.
Hen Harrier (I will struggle to write this in 100 words..)
There is space (and available resources/land) in England for 300 pairs of hen harrier in England, but there are only 4 birds. The status of hen harrier in England unveils the reality of the state of our countryside, and the challenges of protecting the natural world. Basically, no one has been prosecuted for the shooting of these missing pairs, despite their national protection status. Hen harriers have been estimated to take a very low number of grouse relative to other species predation (including man!!) and if gamekeepers argue that under 2% of grouse are killed by hen harriers are causing their moorlands to be unviable, then there is a serious issue with their business model.
Badger
This is a difficult one for me, and I imagine not many of my fellow conservationists are going to like me afterwards! I love badgers very much, but the evidence that came out of a very long, and thorough historical experiment known as the Krebbs trial has shown that between 5 and 35% of all BTB accounts are caused by badgers. In some areas that could constitute over 100,00 cattle. That could constitute entire herds, and thus whole farms incomes. The current badger cull is, to be frank, a ******* disaster. There are very few controls, it has no proper taskforce, and is a disgrace to ecology. If a real cull, in a small enough scale to be measured, with sufficient funding and protection was carried out, I would be surprised if there wasn’t a reduction in BTB. That isn’t going to happen, and the Krebbs trial has its own problems, but I don’t have time to talk about that here!
Grey Squirrel
Wow, I’m talking about a lot of death in this one! Grey Squirrels are lovely fluffy animals that play an important part in the ecosystem… in North America. Forest damage, egg poaching and yet more ecological damage are all the symptoms of grey squirrels in our country. It would be eminently sensible to plan a national eradication programme to remove grey squirrels from the UK. They have already been eradicated from pockets of the country, and the rise of the pine martin in the north of the country has pushed them back. I feel there is no issue in planning to remove grey squirrels, and push for our lovely reds to come back (apart from radical animal rights people and funding!)
Pheasant
I would never shoot pheasant for sport (it’s barbaric), but many people do. I will be honest; I have had very little experience with what the impacts of pheasant farming and shooting in the UK is. I don’t doubt it results in illegal raptor persecution, which is abhorrent, but personally, I have had very little to do with pheasants and pheasant shooting – and its something I should know more about. As a scientist and a conservationist, I can’t give an opinion on something I don’t know enough about, as it would reduce my own integrity, and that of all those in my profession. I’m going to go and do some reading now, so I can be more informed for when the topic inevitably arrives again.
Following on from a recent blog post where I looked at my own perception of wildlife and the management of opinion-splitting species, I decided to start a new series of guest blogs. Posts which, I hope, will begin to look at the differences in stakeholder attitudes towards wildlife. With the aim of comparing outlooks between different groups with a stake in our countryside and incorporating the views individuals from a whole host of backgrounds. As such, I have asked a number of people to give a brief summary with regards to “what wildlife means to them” and offer some thoughts on the management of five often polarising species. Though in this case only four were tackled.
First up we have the lovely Tayla May who freely identifies as somewhat of a humanist with regards to wildlife, and dwells in an urban setting. For more from Tayla, you can check out her personal blog here.
It is only when you are asked to sit down and really think do you begin to unpick what something really means to you. What is wildlife to me? How do I perceive it and its importance in my life?
It turns out it has a whole lot more value to me than even I had anticipated. I have always had a deep appreciation for nature and the wildlife that our world encompasses, a fondness that has grown and grown. For me it’s not just about the mammals, is the complexity of the plant life, the rich soil full of activity, the beautiful birds stretching across the canopy and every single little thing within that. For this I completely see myself as having a purely humanistic perception towards wildlife, but I have educated myself in the importance and necessity of conservational ways of thinking and management. I am currently an inner city dweller, having lived in the countryside most of my life, I am attempting to adapt to the seemingly lack of urban wildlife, I mean I know it’s there, but I’m trying to learn to spot it!
I know for well that the landscapes, ecology and species ratios we have here in the UK are purely the result of careful management, and although the persecution of species or numbers of, doesn’t quite agree with my moral ideologies as a humanist, I see it is currently the only way in which to manage the habitats and ecosystems we know. (Unless of course we were brave enough to step back from our dominionist approach and to just see what would happen).
Now, the management of Deer within the UK is honestly not one I have put much thought to, I grew up in the area of the beautiful Wyre Forest (Worcestershire) Deer were not uncommon in this location, but always a somewhat enchanting sight to see. Perhaps this is because even for us, the chance to see a Deer in the wild is still a very thrilling and rare occurrence. But I understand that the close management of Deer herds is important, not only for the health of the habitat they are in, but for the animals themselves. The idea of management is to be sustainable, and in this case, I believe our work to control them are beneficial in the long run.
The prevalence of the Brown Rat within the UK is another troubling invasive species, coming from a few years’ background in the catering industry, I know just what is at stake for us. But there is much more in the balance, once again the Brown Rat has made it near impossible for other species, such as the Black Rat to live in harmony. The management of these species I can agree with a lot more (perhaps hypocritical I know) Brown Rats, and others, of course, are carriers for bacteria that are significantly detrimental to our health, and thus should be dealt with to ensure the spread of harmful disease is kept at a minimum. (Well, that’s my opinion anyway!)
The protection of badgers and theirs sets under UK law is, in my opinion, one of best advances in wildlife management for some time. When the Badger often has no natural predators (other than competition between sets) and yet numbers are dwindling, we must be able to hold our own hands up and accept responsibility for the damage we have caused. And in the creation of laws to protect this UK mammal is evidence that we can step up to a problem and try to fix it. I feel that the Badgers are a prime example of the consequences of over ‘pruning’ of troublesome species, will the Deer and the Grey Squirrel meet the same fate?
The Grey Squirrel has met some harsh criticism recently, and with good reason, it is a species invasive to the UK, stripping habitats and out-competing out beautiful native Red Squirrel. But this is out of consequence for the introduction of this species to the UK as a ‘fashionable addition to estates’ I feel this just goes to show how the meddling of vulnerable eco-systems is just riddled with doubt. I feel that this guilt should lie on our shoulders. Lines must be drawn somewhere though I suppose. And I said in a blog post I recently posted on the Grey Squirrel, ‘I’m not sure where I stand on the slaughter of wildlife for the sake of conservation’.
The management of the Pheasant within British Woodland, or perhaps the intentions of, seem somewhat vapid, we now understand the importance of the conservation of this species, considering the ideal habitat to ensure their survival. And all this work is researched, and implemented, mostly to keep the age-old tradition of shooting them alive. Seems a bit ironic, right? (Or maybe that’s me and my wildly humanistic beliefs surfacing again!) Now I am not one for hunting for sport, especially for one of a beautiful, often overlooked UK bird.
Of course, these are just my views, but like I said, I’m still not sure the way to ensure conservation involves the mass butchering of specific species, or ya’know any species.
A change of pace this week as fellow Wildlife Articles blogger Eleanor Daisy Upstill-Goddard writes on the subject of raptor persecution. An issue close to the hearts of many, myself included, which has attracted a great deal of attention of late. And rightfully so, with abhorrent instances of illegal killing still seemingly commonplace in our countryside, despite the best efforts of conservationists and the supposedly stringent laws put in place to protect our wildlife. You can find about more about Eleanor on her websiteor follow her on Twitterfor future updates, but for now, let’s get to it.
Britain. We have been an island nation for over 8000 years. An island nation that has played host to some of the world’s most magnificent specimens from the animal kingdom. However, as many of us are all too aware, over the past 8000 years, things have changed somewhat and we now find ourselves without many of these iconic species. In 2016, the state of British ecosystems is very different to 6000BC. Although in some respects this is down to dramatic changes in climate and the natural changes this causes to habitats and species compositions, much of it is down to something else. Down to the actions of one species. The humanoid. That’s right, over the centuries, the actions of us humans have caused many changes and problems for our wildlife and biodiversity. In recent years, we have recognised the magnitude of such changes and this has caused the growth of many campaign groups, charities and individuals who have fought to improve and save many of our species and habitats. However, when it comes to British conservation problems, there are still many hurdles we need to overcome.
So, what are these problems? Well, put it this way, if I were to list each individual topic, it would take quite some time to get through and afterwards, we would probably be left feeling very depressed and deflated indeed. So! Perhaps it would be best if we tried to tackle or address one at a time? For me, there is one that is very high on the agenda, which, if we are honest, should not really be a problem at all. Why? Because it is illegal. What am I talking about? Raptor persecution. To purposefully kill or harm any one of our raptor species (except the sparrow hawk; outlawed 1961) has been illegal since 1954. However, regrettably, it would seem that throughout the decades, their protection status has done little to shield them from persecution. But wait! Hang on there one minute! Little to protect them? Look at the Red Kite! Extinct in England in 1871 and now, in 2016, they are thriving! The same for the Buzzard! A once highly persecuted bird that is now come back with vengeance. Well, indeed and thank goodness! Now, although nobody is denying the success of these comeback kings, what about the Hen Harrier? Is that a tumbleweed? The Hen Harrier is a species, which, on our shores, cannot seem to catch a break. A species that is constantly battling extinction, predominantly due to the inability of some to accommodate this magnificent species on their land. In the case of this raptor and some others, their protection status would seem little more than a formality, a formality to be flouted and ignored. So, you say Red Kite, I say, Hen Harrier, you say Buzzard, I say Golden Eagle. Although the status of many of our birds of prey have improved, it is still not enough. It is not enough that an activity that has been outlawed for over 60 years, is still practised by some who seem to perceive themselves as above the law.
But some think we raptor lovers and conservationists are merely kicking up a stink because we like to complain (apparently). So, there are ‘a few bad apples’ (my favourite line) that commit such crimes, but most people don’t and most people work within the law. Right. It never ceases to amaze me how an activity that is labelled illegal can be so nonchalantly cast aside. I wonder if we applied the same reasoning to other crimes if the response would be quite so lacklustre. If we were talking of robbery or murder, would we say oh well! It’s only a few bad apples! With nothing done to remove them? I think not. It seems to me that because this crime concerns wildlife, the action taken to prevent it leaves a lot to be desired. But perhaps I’m being overly dramatic? Yes, raptor persecution exists, but is it really as bad as it is made out to be? As it is often argued by some, incidences of raptor persecution are falling.
In 2002, the reported incidences of raptor persecution, including shooting, trapping, poisoning, egg collecting, nest disturbance and possession was numbering 591 cases, compared with 356 in 2014. Now, I am not about to deny that 591 is indeed a higher number than 356, nor am I going to dispute that this does indeed constitute a drop in numbers. However, over a 12 year period, the drop could be greater. In fact, in my eyes 356, which is a rough estimation, is still far too high. Just because numbers seem to be falling, it does not mean that the issue is being resolved, with each year bringing new and shocking cases of persecution. In fact, many believe that numbers of persecution cases are much higher than the data suggests. Why? Is it just us conservationists being determined to take a gloomy look on life? Desperate to sit in the cloud and ignore the apparent silver lining? Not quite. In fact, that belief is quite a justified and logical one. Imagine this. You are an individual who does not look upon birds of prey with a friendly eye, in fact, you are a person who is going to harm them. But you know it is illegal, you know that the laws against such an activity are becoming harsher and you know the public are becoming more aware of the problem. You see a Red Kite. You check you have no unwanted observers and you take aim, hitting your target. Would you say job done, and go home? Or would you watch where your quarry fell, retrieve it and dispose of it, so that there was no evidence of your crime? If you were smart and had the ability to do so, you would get rid of the evidence. Your crime goes unchecked, unchallenged and falls into nothingness. So, do we believe all recorded cases of raptor persecution are the only cases? Most certainly not.
Raptor persecution is a British problem. It is not limited to one country, one county or one species. It is indiscriminate and unspecific in its nature. It could take the form of a Goshawk nest disturbed in a southern county forest, or a Hen Harrier shot in the Scottish Highlands. For some people, birds of prey will never be welcome. They are seen as crass and dangerous species who are capable of destroying business and livelihoods and unfortunately, this is enough to cement opinion against them. However, on the enlightened side of the coin, they are recognised as magnificent, unique and important species who have a crucial and rightful place within British habitats, increasing our biodiversity and improving the health of our ecosystems. They are important predators, scavengers and bio-indicators of ecosystem health, and where there are healthy populations of raptors, there are thriving ecosystems.
In Britain, we have already lost some of our important natural predators. The Brown Bear, Grey Wolf and Eurasian Lynx currently reside on the list of species that were hunted to extinction many centuries ago. Raptor species should never be allowed to be added to that list. It is time that those opinions still displayed by our wildlife criminals were cast back into the Medieval times where they belong. Birds of prey are not mindless, savage, cold killers, they are vital members of our biodiversity. Destroy a bird of prey and you are destroying the ecosystem health of your country and that is a crime that cannot be allowed.
“You are not entitled to your opinion. You are entitled to your informed opinion. No one is entitled to be ignorant.” – Harlan Ellison
As soon as I ride out of town on my bike, I am surrounded by meadows and canals. There are no elevations in the landscape, there are no forests near. As far as the eye can see, it is just meadows. This might seem a little boring and not very interesting to cycle through, but luckily we have 4 seasons that differ quite a lot.
Last time I was on the bike, was during the weekend; a small tour through the meadows and past some little hamlets. The meadows were almost empty; all cows are inside this time of the year. Apart from some hardy sheep, the only animal life to be spotted was avian. Most of the birds were not flying, but just merely sitting, foraging or waggling about on the meadows. The birds present were geese, gulls, swans and a variety of duck species.
As I continued my tour, I started thinking of how we perceive our wildlife.
There are a lot of ways of looking at wildlife; from an ecological view point, to an esthetical view point and an economic view point. Based on the three examples, I will look at wildlife in this more abstract or philosophical way. But first let me introduce the three main characters:
The Good (ecological view point)
Godwits (picture on top, left) and a number of other birds of the meadow have a nearly Saintly status in the Netherlands. Godwits are beautiful long-legged elegant birds, with a pretty beak and a remarkable call. They are easy to love and hard to dislike.
In spring they come all the way from Africa to nest in the meadows. Around this time bird lovers trek into the meadows, equipped with binoculars and sticks. These tools are not meant to catch the birds, they are for marking the nests on the ground. We go all the way to protect the nests with little flagpoles so that farmers are aware of the presence of nests when they set to harvest grass for the first time of the season early in May. Because of multiple reasons the number of bird chicks that reach adulthood is in decline in our meadows.
Climate change is one reason, since spring comes earlier each year. As a result many insects are also having their peaks earlier in season when the birds are still sitting on their eggs. The insects are gone by the time the chicks need to be fed. Another reason is that farmers changed over to monoculture high yield grasslands. They can often get one or two extra harvest(s) per year nowadays because grass starts to grow earlier. Harvesting early in season is tricky for the birds since their chicks are still warm and cosy in an egg or they are too small to flee.
The Bad (economical view point)
The presence of the geese (picture, middle) in autumn and winter is quite a different story. There are more and more geese in the Dutch meadows. Most of them come here in autumn, when temperatures in their Siberian breeding grounds plummet. The meadows are like heaven on earth for them. The same grass that is causing the problems for the Godwits, is a feast for the geese thanks to the protein-rich monoculture grass. The geese land on a very well laid table, food is everywhere. At the same time our agricultural landscape is low in predators. There is an occasional fox but other than that all other predators such as falcons or buzzards are too small to catch geese.
Some geese like the meadows so much that they don’t even bother to fly to Siberia to breed anymore. They have started breeding in the meadows, and by doing so their numbers are increasing even more. All these geese are a threat in the supply chain of grass (or hay) for our cattle, because a single goose eats up to a kilo grass a day. Their insatiable appetite is a farmer’s nightmare.
We want to cull the geese, because of the economic damage they cause. We want to cull them, because they thrive on the changes we made….
(or we try to get protection laws changed in order to be able to cull).
The Ugly (aesthetical view point)
Gulls? Ugly, noisy and aggressive birds if you are to believe the general opinion. I personally have a weak spot for them. They are incredibly smart and I like every species that is able to withstand humans (well, apart from mosquitoes).
The herring gull (picture, right)is a protected species in the Netherlands. The number of gulls in their natural habitat is declining somewhat, but this gull is adapting nicely to the changed environment it lives in: it is becoming a city dweller. Herring gulls are remarkably intelligent, they learn exactly where and when garbage is collected in cities. We know of one female gull that was nesting on the island of Texel but flew 75 km to Amsterdam every day, to the exact same bridge to collect food. She left her young on the island and commuted to the city: how humanlike of her!
So we try to cull the gulls. In this case, we cannot claim financial losses, but the fact that they are bloody nuisance is considered a good enough reason….
The good, the bad and the ugly
Now dear reader, remember our key players; the Good Godwit, the Bad Goose and the Ugly Gull. I am going to shuffle their cards a little.
The Ugly Godwit?
What if our beautiful Godwit migrated from Africa in equally small numbers every year to nest in our meadows. But now it would not feed on tiny insects any longer, instead it would forage on our garbage in the cities. It would tear up garbage bags with it’s pretty beak and toss the waste around while looking for food.
What would we do? Would we still want to deter this Godwit like the Ugly Gull?
My guess is that we don’t. Instead of culling the trouble maker, we’d all go to garden centres to buy feeding stations for these lovely Godwits. A pretty bird like that shouldn’t eat waste.
The Good Goose?
What if our goose would still fly over from Siberia in huge numbers every autumn, but instead of devouring ‘our’ grass it would now feed on mosquito larvae that it gathers from ponds or canals…
Would we still want to cull this Goose?
Again, I don’t think we would. I think we would welcome them on our fields, because they keep mosquito numbers in control. For that, we would like them.
The Bad Gull?
Now, our gull has drawn the unlucky card. Their numbers would remain more or less equal, but instead of feeding on garbage they would feed on grass…
What would we do?
In this case I am afraid the verdict will remain the same. We would want to cull the gull for the economic damage it does.
Now, sit back and rethink the whole situation. Is it possible that in our judgements we are just a little bit biased? Could it be that we value species on superficial criteria. Is it even our place to make such judgements?
Evolutionary science tells us that ALL species present on earth today have evolved from a common ancestor 2 billion years ago. This means that each species has been adapting to life on earth just as long as we have. More over, each species has a role in the earths ecosystem.
I think we should be very, very cautious giving species a negative label. There is more about them than we know. We shouldn’t judge them solely by our economical or aesthetical standards. Instead we can only use ecological standards and if we do, all species are equal (to paraphrase George Orwell).
I still love gulls. They are neither bad nor ugly.
For more from the author you can check out her LinkedIN profile here: willemijn heideman
Trees: where I live in northwestern Europe, we all encounter at least a few of them each day. We walk past them or we walk underneath them without giving them too much notion. Trees are just there, dependable in their spot every day, relegated to the background by our lack of recognition or interaction. We pay far less attention to non-moving objects; they pose no threat so our brains are not wired to constantly keep an eye on them. And that’s a pity really because trees are not only great to look at; they provide something to marvel about. Just looking at trees is now understood as very healthy and good for our wellbeing.
As an experiment, in order to prompt you to actually perceive trees when you go home tonight, to really see them, I have made a list of my own favourite types of trees, a Treeptych. The list is actually longer than three tree types but I like the alliteration…
1. The ‘I-Love-To-Live’ Tree
In The Netherlands the pollard willow, or knotted willow, often is planted alongside canals. Pollarding (from the word “poll,” which originally meant “top of head”) has been used since the Middle Ages — in fact, there are still stands of continuously pollarded trees that date to that time. This is an ancient agricultural practice for producing poles and firewood, while keeping the branches above the grazing level of livestock. Every 3 years or so the branches of this tree are ‘knotted’ or lopped, giving the tree it’s distinct shape of a big trunk with proportionally small branches on it.
While it may seem rough treatment for such a willing and helpful tree ally, the periodic pollarding actually extends the life of the willows far beyond their wilder relatives, by continuously rejuvenating the branches. Diseases rarely have time to take hold of the young growth and weather elements do not affect trees of short stature. Ancient appearing pollards can actually be very old indeed. In the UK, the King of Limbs is a pollarded oak thought to be about 1,000 years old.
If that doesn’t give you cause to pause, perhaps you’ll notice a visual inconsistency as you amble, ramble or bicycle by. It is not uncommon to see a knotted willow with two kinds of leaves, and it takes a closer look to discover the reason: In the rotting core of this willow you can find elder trees starting a new life, so in summer it is as if the knotted willow carries elderberries. Even in its decay, the knotted willow is continuing to provide opportunities to shelter biodiversity. Now ask yourself: how did that elder get there in the first place? Who planted it? The answer is that at some point, a bird feasted on elderberries and then spent time in the willow doing what birds do: nesting, resting, and evidently passing on the seeds in a lovely little pre-fertilized packet.
We’ll leave the elder for another story on another day, but it may pique you to know that here in the Netherlands, as all across Europe, the Elder was held in even higher esteem: as a curative. But also as a magical ally. In Ireland for instance, folk tradition still holds that you must ask the Elder’s permission before cutting it, or you risk the wrath of the fairies.
The willow is not nearly the only species of tree that is sturdy and resilient. There are a lot of trees that after heavy damages still stubbornly keep on growing. Some species of pine trees actually need forest fires to keep growing: the Canarian pine for instance re-sprouts directly from its thick bark after a fire, unusual for a pine in not only being able to re-sprout but also withstanding the flames. Other pines have cones that only open under intense heat, dropping seeds onto newly cleared soil fertilised by fresh ashes. But the mother tree burns to a crisp.
I am in awe of the strength and endurance of those trees. Imagine: to be rotten to the core and with your branches brutally cut off as the willow in the picture… And yet, making new leaves as if nothing has happened to you. Burned and badly bruised, but going strong!
2 The ‘I-Am-A-City-Dweller’ Tree
So there you stand, cramped on a sidewalk, bearing the ultimate insults of not just dogs that pee on your trunk, but pigeons on your branches as if you were a common statue! Kids and drunks carve their initials into your skin, bikes get parked against you (well in Amsterdam that is). On the other hand, although stationary, a tree has time on its side, and can be known to turn the tables, sometimes swallowing kerbstones, abandoned bicycles and park benches.
The life of a city tree isn’t easy. Because besides all the physical abuse there is the problem of air pollution and water shortages that in general are more serious in cities. Trees in cities are also more prone to diseases, because often the trees in a street are all of the same species. If one is affected, than the rest will follow. Think of it from the pest’s point of view. Free lunch as far as you and your progeny can go!
Yet trees in cities are extremely important. They absorb odours and pollutant gases such as nitrogen oxides, ammonia, sulphur dioxide and ozone. Trees also filter solid particles out of the air by trapping them on their leaves and bark. In summer trees help cooling the city by up to 4-5 ⁰C, by shading our homes and streets. In this way trees break up urban “heat islands” and release water into the air through their leaves.
We literally depend on trees. Not only because trees give us fruits like apples, cherries or peaches and nuts, but because they give us oxygen too: An average tree exhales enough oxygen for 18 people annually. While they are doing that they are also busily scrubbing out tons of CO2 and putting it into long-term storage, both above and below ground.
It gets personal too: people appreciate the greens in a city. Studies show that in a tree-lined street motorised traffic slows down; pedestrians are more relaxed and more likely to linger and thus socialise, thus strengthening community. Studies even show that anti-social behaviour and crime rates drop on tree-lined streets. In some studies the reduced crime was evident from the very same day the trees were planted, For more benefits, click here.
3 The ‘I-Am-Small-But-Strong’ Tree
The one thing I hate about gardening is having to take out all the brave saplings of yew (pictured), oak, hawthorn or birch trees that started their lives in my garden. They didn’t choose where to start their lives, their seeds just happened to have been dropped where they sprouted. They were taken there by the wind (birch seeds) or by birds. A bird probably dropped the acorn, the hawthorn fruit was digested first and then, well…
With all their power these little seeds started a life and I brutally take it. For if I don’t, my stamp sized garden is overgrown in no time.
I remember that as a kid I grew an apple pip in a pot. It took months before it was approximately 20 cm high. On a cloudy day I took it to the garden, because I had learned that direct sunlight might burn it. I dug a small hole for it and planted the ‘tree’. After that I gave it a red ribbon to distinguish it; planted with purpose. And there it stood; minding its own business and growing for quite a while, until my father, equally keen of removing saplings as I am now, just took it out.
After you have experienced how long it takes before a seed grows into something that starts to look like a miniature tree, it’s impossible not to feel guilty for ruthlessly destroying it. Or at least it is for me.
4 The ‘I-Have-An-Odd-Shape’ Tree
As I pointed out in the introduction, we often don’t take notice of trees. Speaking from a recent experience and even though I consider myself a tree-lover: I have passed the tree in this picture by bike many, many times. And yet, it was only this spring that I first noticed ‘the hole’. This hole is obstructed from view when the tree is carrying full leaves, but still. How could I have missed it? I was more or less subconsciously aware the tree was standing there, but I guess I never really looked at it closely.
A ‘hole’ like this develops over many years of time when two branches slowly grow together. This phenomenon is called inosculation and is, in fact, natural grafting.
One wonders how many years it has taken before these two branches were grown together so firmly that it requires a very close look to see the conjoining surface.
Discoveries like these, so close to home, always make me realise the splendour of nature. And such marvels fill me with delight and make me happy. It keeps me WALDENIZING…
5 The ‘I-Was-Here-First-So-Get-Out-Of-My-Way’ Tree
Every time I drive along the A58- highway in the Netherlands I look forward to passing this remarkable monumental oak. She (I think of this tree as a she) is standing in the middle of the road, proud! Until the mid-sixties, the tree grew beside the driveway of a monumental villa. Then the garden was ripped from around it, leaving it marooned in the centre of the new highway.
To me it looks as if the tree bargained a deal and reached a poor compromise with the road workers. She could stay, but only in the middle of the road with traffic speeding by 24/7. Currently the tree has the status of a monumental tree (see link in Dutch), but her position is at stake. There are plans to broaden the highway, adding two lanes. I really do hope she keeps her feet in the ground! She was there first!
I encourage you to take a closer look at the trees around you. Let me know what your favourite type of tree is, or what your favourite species is and why.
And Please, Do Protect and Enjoy Nature!
This article was written with some dendrological help of me great friend Erik van Lennep
I highly appreciate comments on my article. If you liked it, please SHARE this article with your network by clicking on the LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter buttons!
Throughout my time in environmental education I have seen children from all walks of life and two key points are consistent; number one no matter their age, their background or socio-economic situation children are fascinated by nature, they love talking about it, they love being outside in it, they love sharing stories and experiences. Never once has a child hated a lesson on local animals; and number two they simply do not get enough wild time. I often find that my programs will be one of only a handful of opportunities, if not the only opportunity, for these young people to have a lesson solely on wildlife. I return to many of the same classes year after year, the excited looks on their faces as I enter the classroom is of course, wonderful for me, but ultimately a stark reminder that in many cases this is their one chance this year to learn about, share and discuss wildlife in depth. Many teachers. of course, are wildlife lovers themselves, they are not denying children the opportunities, but simply do not have the resources.
I love my job, I love going from school to school, from child to child sharing my passion, whilst listening to their stories and often their solutions to environmental issues. Some of the stories they tell me are unbelievable, from the little boy who once woke up to find a cougar eating a deer on his deck to the little girl who shares what is arguably a friendship with a Barred Owl that has lived in her garden for 3 years. But to say that this job is all rainbows and sunshine would be a lie. Experiences like speaking to children who have never visited a local nature reserve because their parents simply cannot afford the bus or asking a young pupil why he was not wearing a raincoat on a nature walk on a wet winter’s, day in Vancouver, only to get the response ‘I do not have a coat, because I am not allowed outside in the rain’ can make this job both frustrating and sad. Over the last 4 years I have seen over 15,000 children mostly in Canada, but also in the UK and the situation in both places is the same.
For me, in my job the number one challenge that we face is funding. Every year is simply a struggle to survive. Whilst there are many wonderful businesses, foundations and multi-nationals willing to give money to environmental education and some limited government funding, it simply is not enough to meet the demand. If we want to seriously adopt environmental education on a wider scale in the education system, more money has to be given to non-profit organisations, who often cannot pay staff to deliver programs, or cannot get funding to cover all the administrative costs of providing environmental education; and to schools, who are often so stretched that paying for extra curricular activities for all their students is simply not possible.
I focus my programs on local wildlife, highlighting the species they could see in their area. When dealing with a such a variety of students, adaptation is key, ensuring that each program is geared to that class is the difference between connecting with them or not. Young people in the city for example face different challenges to those in the countryside. To me this highlights another challenge to environmental education, particularly when thinking about it being added to the classroom experience. We live in a very structured and standardised world, the school environment in particular can be like this, and whilst I do not see this as a negative thing, when thinking about environmental education, it is often not structured, in fact it’s the opposite, it’s mostly organised chaos. So in order for environmental education to work, we have to change our approach. Environmental education should be seen as an opportunity to give students a sense of freedom to explore the environment, a topic with no tests, no progress reports or pressure. Activities such as building bird boxes, researching animals, visiting a local park, dissecting owl pellets, touching trees or pond dipping should be on the agenda. With many teachers already drowning in work and stress, the idea of having to learn to build a bird box or brush up on their bird identification may seem daunting and unappealing. But I think there is a solution to this, non-profits and environmental educators know how to plan programs, we can put together a series of lessons throughout the school year, having this in the curriculum does not have to add to the teachers’ workload. It again comes down to the main challenge of money; give environmental education money and non-profits can develop and deliver programs and give schools the time to include them in the school year.
The final challenge is in my opinion often overlooked in environmental education and communication and that is the message we deliver. I think that when talking about the environment and wildlife it is very easy, particularly for those of us who have studied and watched it for a number of years, to be a little negative and focus on the problems. Whilst the reality is of course that wildlife is in serious decline and the environment is facing issues, we have to be careful how we convey this and the importance of giving a positive, lasting impression cannot be underestimated. Wildlife is can be seen in a negative way in society and this is something that is picked up on by children, so to have someone talking about wildlife in a positive and enthusiastic way is far more likely to engage and spark interest. Wildlife issues can seem too big and are overwhelming, but by breaking them down and keeping it simple with a positive message, young people can see how they can find solutions to the problems.
I am so incredibly lucky to do what I do, how many people can spend their morning showing children species in their school playground and the afternoon learning about the importance of the wolf from First Nations’ children. My job is a privilege, and whilst I would not go as far as to say, I am incredibly important; environmental education is. It has known benefits to not only the environment but to students, it improves their health, their wellbeing, their concentration and their schoolwork. I will continue to advocate and push for environmental education to be added to the curriculum and for adequate funding to be provided to schools and non-profits so that students from all backgrounds can get the access to nature, something they deserve and ultimately need. What makes nature so wonderful is that it is non-discriminatory and inclusive, it can have a positive impact on anyone. I truly believe that if we want to protect our environment and reverse the damage we have caused; our governments must provide environmental education in the classroom to every child that goes to school. They do not get much credit, but let me tell you, the children in school today are some of the most environmentally conscious people you will meet. They want to learn, they want to share and ultimately they want to make a difference. That is the positive message moving forward, lets make it happen.
Orchids hold a fascination for many people around the world. For me that began when a Common Spotted Orchid (Dactylorhiza fuchsii) popped up in an unmown area of my parents’ lawn one summer when I was a child. They slowly spread and it became a game each summer to see how many there were flowering alongside the Knapweed in the long grass. Last year there were over thirty.
As I’ve grown, my passion for wildlife has grown too and my love of wildflowers has intensified. I am lucky now to have travelled to some wonderful locations and seen some incredible wild Orchid species. As the Green Winged Orchids (Anacamptis morio) are in full bloom in a local meadow I thought I’d share a few of my favourites and my experiences finding them.
Common Spotted Orchid & Green-Winged Orchid
For many, Orchids can be a confusing group of flowers to study and it is true that they seem to hybridise readily which doesn’t always help with identification. With a little perseverance and a keen eye though, it soon becomes apparent that there are certain characteristics to look out for which will give a definitive answer. The next challenge is where to find them in the first place.
In the French Alps if you want to know where you might find Orchids, ask a local – it seems like almost everybody knows where to find some and they are proud of it too. This is particularly true of some of the bigger, blousier species like the glorious Lady’s Slipper Orchid (Cypripedium calceolus). By contrast, in Britain, it was collected nearly to the point of extinction and now clings on at only one closely guarded site.
I will never forget the first time I saw these spectacular flowers as a teenager on holiday with my parents in Austria, my mother suddenly asked that we stop the car on a quiet country road because she thought she’d seen some and sure enough in the dappled shade there was a clump set back from the road a few meters under the trees. Her knack of spotting unusual flowers from a moving car is incredible and my husband claims I’ve inherited the trait, as I too often ask him to stop in strange places so I can jump out and look at things!
For me one of the appeals is the common names of the Orchids – there are Lady, Man, Military, Frog, Monkey, Bee, Woodcock, Butterfly and Fly Orchids fro name a few. They are often reflective of the individual flower shape or colouring and are somehow quite charming. The Monkey Orchid (Orchis simia) is one of my many favourites with beautiful bright colouring and a very monkey-like shape complete with tail.
Some names are less imaginative but very descriptive such as the Pyramidal Orchid (Anacamptis pyramidalis) named for the shape of the flower spike, or the Burnt Tip Orchid (Neotinea ustulata) which has dark purple flower buds that open from the bottom up into white speckled flowers, and give the impression that the tip of the flower spike is blackened.
There is a sense of the exotic in many species of Orchid, we are of course all familiar with the brightly coloured potted versions available from supermarkets and garden centres but we don’t expect to find anything quite so striking in the wild. I haven’t had the opportunity to visit a jungle habitat to see any really large orchid species (yet!) but I was pleasantly surprised that there are some European species which are not a million miles from those aforementioned shop-bought varieties. Of course the Lady’s Slipper falls into this category but there are others too. The Violet Bird’s Nest Orchid (Limodorum abortivum) of the Alps, and the Eastern Marsh Helleborine (Epipactis veratrifolia) found in Cyprus despite being more common in Asia, are both contenders.
Bird’s Nest Orchid, Lady’s Slipper Orchid and Mirror Orchid.
The most recent orchids I’ve added to my list were in Sardinia where my favourite was the Mirror Orchid (Ophrys speculum). It was quite different from a lot of the other species I had found in the past and illustrates my continual astonishment at just how diverse Orchids are from those which are parasitic and lack chlorophyll such as the Bird’s Nest Orchid (Neottia nidus-avis), to the Fragrant Orchid (Gymnadenia conopsea) which lives up to its name and grows in great swathes where the habitat is suitable. Sometimes even that first species to take my interest surprises me, such as the time I came across a rare variant, Dactylorhiza fuchsii var. rhodochila.
Despite all of my wonder and excitement at finding, photographing and identifying Orchids, there is one major factor that I alluded to earlier which I simply don’t understand: Seemingly in Britain in particular, Orchids continue to be sought for collections to the point of detriment. It is such a shame that these beautiful flowers seem to be at greater risk on home shores than abroad despite the efforts of charities like the Wildlife Trusts and Plantlife. I can only wonder whether I will be able to pass on my love of Orchids to my children in the future as my mother did to me, or whether I will have to settle for telling stories of the days when they grew in the lawn.
My next “influences” blog post comes from the lovely Natalie Welden (@NatalieACWelden), someone I was lucky enough to meet for the first time on a twitch in Aberdeenshire last year. Natalie is a research associate at SEI York, an OPAL community scientist and a dedicated academic, currently studying the effects of micro-plastics on the marine environment. Here she touches upon her influences and why she ended up in her current position. Enjoy and if you would like to contribute to this series of guest blogs do drop me a message.
When I was little we had a rubbish T.V, it was small, and black and white, and I’m probably letting on too much about my age. Thankfully we had a very big picture window and a pond in the garden; both of which were much more interesting. When the weather was nice I would haunt the garden, turning over the compost heap or searching for the hedgehogs that snuffled under the buddleia. Frogs were my gate way to a new world, and I would lie on my stomach for hours and peer into their cool, deep homes.
On the weekends my mum and dad volunteered as canoeing instructors. When I wasn’t in a boat I would hang over the bank, my face as close to the water as possible, looking for minnows and damselfly larvae; or I would climb the large sycamore tree just outside the campsite. Later I graduated to a pink fishing rod and could sit for hours staring at a float. My cousins and I used a boat filled with water as a paddling pool; and this doubled as a keep-net for my catch. On a good day the sight of a little blonde girl with a quarter length fishing rod and a fibreglass boat full of perch would drive the local anglers to distraction.
I remember the first time I saw a peregrine falcon. My family and I had been on a camping holiday in Wales. I don’t remember much, on one of the evenings we had walked in the woods in search of calling tawny owls, it was the trip home that proved momentous. We paused on the drive home for a walk around Symond’s Yat. We wandered through wooded slopes (if I’m remembering correctly) to the viewpoint, and there I met birders. RSPB birders, monitoring the nest to protect it from thieves.
They would have had to be determined burglars, because the nest was very high up what was – to my pre-teen eyes – a sheer insurmountable cliff. The adult birds were far too high for my binoculars (which were bought using Esso fuel tokens). It was frustrating, but then came my first magical moment. One of the locals stepped back from his eyepiece and lowered his tripod to my height, re-sighting so I could get a good view of the incubating bird. As I watched there was a change-over, one bird coming into land and the other dropping away like a stone to skim over the treeline. I can’t say if it was the catalyst for me – I had always been surrounded by wildlife – but this was a gift, a sudden closing of the gap between my world and that of the bird.
My next great epiphany came whilst studying ecology at Derby University, for about six months before I applied I wanted to be a forensic psychologist but thankfully I came to my senses in time. During my studies I continued to look to the water; for my dissertation I spent a summer paddling between outfalls on the River Trent. During the day I sampled invertebrates to test the impact of power station effluent, in the evenings I camped on the river bank with whichever friends were acting as field buddy that week.
One afternoon we watched a dragonfly larvae emerge as a full grown adult whilst resting on my drying canoeing kit. It sat pumping fluid into its wings to inflate them, before sitting in the weak sun to harden. It started to rain heavily, and before running inside I moved the shorts the soft, new dragonfly was resting on to dry ground under a bench. A simple act and one I have regretted ever since. When we came out from the shelter of the port-a-cabin the dragonfly was being swarmed by ants. The scene was gruesome and I will spare you the details, but the winged insect did not survive. I was distraught, but I learned a valuable lesson; even the most well-meaning interference can do immeasurable harm.
It was two years later that I had my greatest revelation, one that would set the tone of my weekends for years to come. As an MSc student, I went to stay at the obs. at Spurn. I already watched birds, and could identify the usual suspects, but I wasn’t a birder. I was there to monitor patterns of visitor access, tallying visitor numbers and interviewing as many people as I could. But there were birds, so many birds. And the keenness of the local birders to share this world was just as apparent as it had been with my first peregrine. I would sit at the gate and chat to the birders as they arrived or at seawatch in the evenings with a curry, enjoying the passage of terns. I would alternately join in with the twitches, feeling the buzz of the people around me, or remain entirely unmoved, once sleeping soundly through a the appearance of a citrine wagtail. The weeks I was there were a sensory overload of dull wave sound, calling sandwich terns, the smell of shoreline and sea buckthorn, and the constantly changing weather.
After I completed my master’s the new experiences rolled think and fast; the summer spent monitoring marine mammals in Cardigan Bay, moving to the Isle of Cumbrae to start my PhD, the time assisting on the field courses on Mull, my first white tailed eagle, my first self-found bird, and the evening spent alone with a beer and a pine martin. Alongside this were the people. Old friends that I had known for years suddenly revealed their own interest in birding, and I reconnected with them for trips and twitches. The stream of students, one of which would always show the inquisitiveness of a real nature lover. Or simply the people I meet whilst out and about birding.
Every new project allowed me to pick up a few like-minded people to add to my circle, and by surrounding myself with keen conservationists and a constant stream of natural phenomenon I have grown to understand why I was shown my first peregrine. There is a desire to communicate that comes along with the spectacle, an instinctive need to share the moment with others. In a time when so many people live in a world detached from nature, the work of an inspired naturalist can engage people with environmental issues over many hundreds of miles. Just look at the programmes of Sir David, the books of Rachel Carson, or the consistent ire of George Monbiot! They represent the world in a manner that inspires and motivates in equal measure; gently pressing essence of the most prescient Pratchett-ism, “Even if it’s not your fault, it’s your responsibility.”
My next “influences” guest post comes from the fabulous Alexandra Pearce (@PearceAlex1). Alex is an environmental writer working both in communications and as part of the team at The Seal Sanctuary. Alex really is a gifted writer, currently running a series of very interesting blog posts for Conservation Jobs and is someone I have been familiar with through blogging circles for quite some time. Enjoy. – If you feel inspired to tell your story please do drop me an email.
When I was younger, I would occasionally feel jealous of friends who seemed to travel to the outer reaches of the world. They would head into the classroom after the school holidays with deep tans, photos of themselves bathing in warm seas and glamorous tales of mysterious places I knew nothing about. My holidays were nothing like this. They consisted of midges, anoraks and castle ruins. We never ventured outside of the UK when I was young and you could certainly never call anything we did glamorous.
It might sound boring in comparison, but my upbringing was incredible; outings were exciting and holidays filled with exploration and it is those moments which shaped my entire future.
A lot of our time together as a family involved getting outside and into nature and I have the most wonderful memories of these experiences;collecting shells from the beach and accidentally taking home a tiny crab which I tried to keep alive in the bath; pulling up in the car somewhere that always ‘had to have a view’ in order to eat our sandwiches; building dams out of fallen branches and stones to hop across rivers; devising a book which would contain pressed leaves which would help the world with identification; trying to rescue dead jellyfish stranded on the beach; spending hours staring into the large pond in my parents garden, hunting for newts and dragonfly larvae…to us, the outside world was one big playground and the games were made through imagination.
One of my most prized possessions when I was young was a Michelin ‘Eye Spy’ Nature book; a little spotters guide and checklist. I poured over the photographs, only dreaming what it would be like to spot a fox, tick off a stag beetle from my list or figure out which cloud I was looking at. I loved animals and was fascinated with the sea; its vastness and the activity beneath the waves left me totally enchanted and all of this wonderment came through the trips we took as a family and the books my parents kept in the house. I couldn’t imagine actually seeing any of these natural wonders with my own eyes. This excitement over the natural world has stayed with me and has influenced my life in so many ways. My love of the sea led me to study Marine Science and take up diving. My love of animals saw me work a zoo keeper for years and take an interest in education. And the realisation that it was wildlife that truly enthralled me led me to trying to educate through words and communication. Although these days I could tick off a large majority of the things in my little Eye Spy book and I have seen things I never thought I would, my tick list has simply gotten longer as I have gotten older and that little girl, getting over excited at the sight of any wildlife, is definitely still in there (except these days her hands are firmly placed around a camera instead of a round the pages of a tiny guide). The things we did as children also help our family retain our bond; we still stare into that same pond counting newts, my brothers were told off only a few years ago in Spain for creating a dam on a beach and clambering up rocks is just a standard day out for us all.
The truth is many children simply don’t get outside enough to experience the natural world as much as they should these days and are often given technology as a substitute. But I implore parents to get their kids outside as often as possible, because when I think of my childhood it’s not the toys I remember, but the day my brother and I swung bags filled with water at each other in the sea, the shells my mother and I found and tried to imagine the creatures that once lived in them and the fossils our family spotted together in the rocks at Lyme Regis. These are the moments that inspire children and shape them into the adults who could be the difference between harming our world and saving it.
For the first in installment in what will hopefully be a long and prosperous series of guest blogs Gus Routledge (@PinkfootedGus) talks about his inspiration, motivation and how he ended up where he is today. Gus is a birder and botanist currently studying on a countryside management course and is someone I have been familiar with on social media for a long time. The below piece is rather good in my opinion and showcases many parallels to my own life and no doubt those of many other young naturalists . Enjoy and if you feel inspired to share your story feel free to drop me a message.
Being my age and as into conservation and the countryside as I am is widely known as being slightly unusual. In fact I think a lot of the stuff I do is regarded as slightly unusual: going out at midnight to look for a Pine Marten that is going to be very difficult to look for, hiking up into the uplands at New Year in order to see if there are any flowering plants, collecting moss at the side of the road, you get the picture.
This passion has clearly had to have come from somewhere. Where to start though… Well, as ever, I think the beginning is probably best. When I was wee my parents used to take me on walks in the Royal Botanical Gardens of Edinburgh. I’d feed the ducks, enjoy walking along logs, hide in bushes, and sit in the daffodils. There’s a video of me in Mallorca on holiday, when I was just a toddler, observing the ants and watching them go down their wee hole, carrying crumbs and such down it. In fact, now that I think about it, I was doing exactly the same thing last year when we were in Mallorca. This is why I think it’s important that children are exposed to nature. Even if they aren’t as inspired as I am, it will hopefully make them more aware of the natural world as adults, and therefore they will perhaps be more ready to protect it.
On top of all the walks and being outdoors, my gran played a big part in getting me interested in wildlife. This was primarily through introducing me to bird watching. She gave me my first ever field guide; Collins Photoguide of Britain and Ireland. She took me to my first nature reserve; Vane Farm (now RSPB Loch Leven) where I watched my first Chaffinches feeding on the feeder; and she still encourages me to pursue my career now! I don’t think I would have quite managed to get to where I am now without the inspiration my gran provided for me, whether I was 4 years old or 18 years old.
From toddler to about my first year in senior school I always wanted to be in the countryside or managing wildlife or animals, whether this was as a vet, a farmer, a gamekeeper or a zoo keeper. For some strange reason, my interest in all things natural disappeared once I started senior school. Maybe the fact I was suddenly a teenager and such things weren’t cool, I don’t know. What I do know is that half way through fifth year I decided to watch Springwatch for old times sake and my passion was completely reignited! The only problem being that I had selected subjects in school that would help me become an engineer… Not ideal.
Towards the end of fifth year we have a work placement week. I was lucky enough to work with the Scottish Natural Heritage rangers at Loch Leven for the week, living with my gran who would give me lifts through to Kinross each day. That was probably one of the best weeks of my life. Sunny all week, doing brood counts, getting many lifers, fixing fences, digging drainage ditches, it was bliss. And that was it, I realized that was what I wanted to do.
Sixth year was really a year of setting things back to how they once were, getting back into bird watching, doing subjects that would hopefully help me get back into an outdoor career, and generally just becoming more and more enthralled in wildlife, appreciating it more since I was older and able to understand far more. Completing my John Muir Award in Holyrood Park with the help of the Historic Scotland Rangers got me outdoors every week, pushed me to learn about new things, and I got my John Muir Award at the end of it of course! Plus my biology teacher certainly helped me realise my potential to get to where I wanted to be, so where am I now?
I’m now at the Aberdeen campus of Scotland’s Rural College (used to be Scotland’s Agricultural College but not anymore!) studying Countryside Management. I actually came up here for an applicant day and one of the lecturers said something to me which pushed me over to the ecologist/ranger sort of career. After telling her that I could identify birds she told me that, “birds are good, but to really stand out to an employer you need to be capable of identifying things that others can’t.” Hence all my various tweets on mosses, flowers, trees, lichens, fungi, spiders, and still some on birds!
This course is perfect for me. We have plenty of opportunities to get some hands-on learning through field trips, voluntary work and wee experiments in class. There hasn’t been a module that I haven’t enjoyed (except IT, ugh) despite the fact they have been quite diverse, e.g. History and Archaeology, Biodiversity Conservation, Recreation and Access, and Rural Land Use in Scotland. All the lecturers are keen to push me in the right direction and the same goes for my course mates. They all have shared interests with me and it’s great being able to talk about things that interest me with people my age who are equally interested.
In fact, going back to that mention of Twitter, I’ve actually found a lot of inspiration from the people who’ve helped me online. So I have to thank you guys for that! The internet is a great tool for learning things and meeting people with the same desire to conserve the countryside and wildlife that we have in the UK and around the world (as infuriating as it may be when it doesn’t work)!
Finally, something that I couldn’t go without mentioning as a source of inspiration. As corny and cheesy and cliché as it may sound, that natural world is so huge, unexplored and unknown that it’s got to be the main thing that made me want to learn about and conserve it.
