The future

[Ukwildlifeo]

Its a bit harsh to suggest because kids arn't busy helping the decline in bird species by collecting their eggs and failing to raise their chicks it means things are going down hill in the long run.
In defense of todays children, a lot live in cities without gardens and don't have the luxury of places to see much wildlife and most the infants and junior school kids are pretty fastinated and some times over excited by crickets and pond skaters etc when they get the chance to see them, but they also know not to hurt them - of course clumsy little hands sometimes cause a few casualties, but few are actively trying to kill them. When I was at school we all all knew to not disturb birds nests, let alone take eggs, as well as not dropping litter, recycling and things like that, so in many ways we were better educated when it came to preserving the environment.

Plus another thing to consider is a lot of peoples life long love of wildlife doesnt actually start till adulthood, so even if the kids are too busy trying to be cool now, there is more hope for the future.

[FUDGEY]

Well I am no way advocating we go back to the old ways where many did collect birds eggs. The point I was making about myself is I know I wouldnt have been interested in nature if it wasnt for those exciting times collecting eggs when I was younger. As I said I collected plenty of things, feathers, dead birds, old nests etc, but it was the egging that kept me stimulated (30 plus years ago) back then. If it wasnt for that I would have probably lost interest in a couple of years. I am not saying its right, just that its not as bad a thing as most people think and by the previous posts its obvious a lot more on here started the exact same way as me.

[FUDGEY]

re kids nowadays, the majority are little rascals where I come from and Id much prefer they were rummaging in the woods rather than hanging about street corners making a nuisance of themselves.

[valleyforge]

Originally Posted by FUDGEY

I am not saying its right, just that its not as bad a thing as most people think and by the previous posts its obvious a lot more on here started the exact same way as me.

I think I understand what you are trying to say in this thread FUDGEY, but whether you were aware of it or not, by taking those eggs you were in fact breaking the law, even 30 years ago.

At that time (i.e. the early 1970's?) the appropriate legislation would have been the The Protection of Birds Acts 1954-1967. Now of course, the taking of wild bird eggs is covered by the Wildlife & Countryside Act 1981 (Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981).

That aside, I can understand why you might think that youngsters of today do not perhaps have or take the same opportunities to roam and to discover nature in the way we might have done in our youth (I'm probably a good bit older than you) the world now being a different place, but then again, what would I not have given to have had the internet back in the early 60's for access to more information about the wildlife we discovered, instead of having to wait for the mobile library to come around once a fortnight?

But even in my youth, and athough we shared the same environment & schooling, many of my mates were much more interested in football or rock music than they were in wildlife or the countryside, so nothing much has really changed, except that 'wildlife' has become much more popularised by the media, so that a much wider section of society is now actively engaged in some way or another.

[Kayleigh]

Yes I too took the odd blackbird egg from the nest but only the one..
It was a different era in those days and not illegal we would go and catch newts and frogs and bring them home in a bucket the next day they were gone escaped..
But my kids never did any of that I built a pond in the garden and my teenage son was fascinated he would sit for hours peering into the water and pond dip he has a healthy out look on wildlife so the kids of today do not need go "nesting" just simple guidance in the right direction.

[FUDGEY]

I started as a 6yr old and I dont think I really knew what breaking the law meant at that age. My grandpa did though, but he was old school and its understandable to see why he didnt think it was a bad thing. Even if a kid these days were to get caught taking an egg what would they get? told off at best. I robbed 100 plus eggs out of my local museum as a youngster and got caught because I signed the visitors book two policemen came round to the house and got them back and only got a telling off. Hardly the crime of the century, but I did get it from my mother. I wont encourage my kids to take eggs, but I will teach them about wildlife, I just think that (how ever wrong it may be) their interest would last a lot longer if i were to let them have a collection. Dont panic I never will its just what I think. It certainly worked for me.

[Gracie]

I never took eggs, I got interested just by seeing stuff and always saying to myself "wonder what that is" so I found out, but it took years, I did what I could to encourage my two daughters, they enjoyed their days out, but neither of them are interested now, my grandchildren come with me on walks and look at stuff, but I don't know if they will develop an interest in later years but I try and give them a start that they may sometime go back to. But my point is, each person has their own time for starting something, a lot of eggers become bird watcher, a lot of big game hunters become conservationist, and a lot of folk who did neither still become interested and do it for a hobby, its not this that or the other, its people who are all different, I live in hopes that more of the young ones in the future will realise that nature needs a helping hand, or we and this world have had it.

[ChrisJB]

Crivvens. This has got a bit lively . I was a mad keen fisherman too in my carefree days of childhood, another hobby that contributed my all round interest and got me out of the house and away from the horrors of the 'cyclops'. That waned a trifle with age as other distractions took over, but am happy to report, recent holidays up Scotland have seen me casting a line again.
As well, there was the quaint, folksy pastime, what we called 'playing out' that I found most enjoyable.

Regards, Chris

[loripo]

Originally Posted by Gracie

a lot of big game hunters become conservationist

I've just bought a copy of 'The art of Peter Scott' and there is a self portrait of him dated 1933 which he later hated because he had shown himself with a gun. Attitudes have changed hopefully for the better. We now have access to information and film/video at home that wasnt available 50 years ago. "playing out" was good wasnt it - even in a city, because we took ourselves off to park or common. We even went swimming in the Thames
Schools do have bits in the curriculum on habitats, plant growth etc, but they are in limited chunks and there is no time given to develop interest and ideas.