[vole-woman]

Eeyore, I work hundreds of hours a year in wildlife conservation, much of which involves talking to the public. There are, generally speaking, three groups of attitudes to wildlife: the people that care about it, and are already switched on to helping the environment; those who just aren't bothered and would never be, no matter what encouragement they received; and a big group in the middle, the 'floating voters' if you like. With a little gentle poke, some validation from their TV screen (or from their peers, or a town meeting, or BBC cameras turning up, or a chat with someone like me at a fete or on their doorstep) those people can be drawn in to appreciating wildlife and helping it.

I know when a programme's made a difference because I get feedback: people say, 'Oh, I saw that on telly'. And, for many of those floating voters, the small screen validates nature-watching as an activity - as long as it's presented right. The public I meet tell me what they've seen, and how they've responded. So I know that even people who might look like a very atypical demographic for ecologists can respond if they catch an item on Springwatch.