The future

[FUDGEY]

As a kid I was an egg collecter, kept old nests, feathers and even had dead birds in the freezer. I got up to alsorts that will be frowned upon at best these days. Taking a Jackdaw chick out of a nest was a yearly occurence that never worked. I was you g and naive at the time, but most of my friends were doing the same thing. The point of this thread is do you think that now the majority of kids of today don't have any interest in doing such things that it will have a negative impact for the future? It was a friend that brought this up and made me think. I think a lot of the older generation of today who are doing a sterling job in various wildlife posts probably started the same way as I did. I think there will be a long term effect.

[FUDGEY]

My mate is very intelligent, here are his thoughts about his antics in his early years explained better than mine
"If there's something to be taken from it then I have been left with a lifelong love and respect of wild animals. I honestly believe that the egg collecting gave any lad a grounding in the various bird species. Many of those same kids grew into the front line conservationists that now protect that wildlife and those birds.

The kids nowawdays would not be remotely interested in getting scratched beyond belief and falling out of trees in order to nab a bird's egg. While that may be good news for the birds in the short term I honestly do wonder where the concern for those birds will come in the future. I talk to mate's kids and they're hard pressed to identify a sparrow. If you have no knowledge of something you're hardly likely to worry about its demise.xe xe

[ChrisJB]

I started in a very similar fashion Fudgey, going 'bird's neestin' (as the older end called egg-collecting when I was a lad), unsuccessfully trying to rear a magpie chick, gathering caterpillars, getting frogspawn and chasing butterflies (I still remember leaping on the first painted lady I ever saw, like a pouncing cat, but unfortunately I flattened it in the process. I was so guilt-ridden, I buried it and made a headstone out of a lolly stick ) in the hill-fields.
Whilst some of my antics were obviously undesirable, they were part of my 'way in' and I do wonder how young uns today find their way into the countryside and natural history.

Regards, Chris

[david156]

Kids probably won't collect eggs today cos it means leaving facebook and bebo at home with their nintendo and xbox. I agree with you and think it will have an affect on the future. Everything seems to be computor or tv orientated today and its only with sites like this and programmes like autumn watch, that some kids are introduced to nature. My little one loved sitting up with daddy and watching springwatch, but autumnwatch is on too late for her.

[Rich_]

Used to have a decent colection of eggs too.The way many species are in decline now it is clear that bird nesting was not a major threat. As you say many kids wouldn't be able to identify the commonest birds now and probably don't know they lay eggs!

A friend of ours who's a teacher had a class of kids one day and was amazed that none of them could even identify a single wild flower , not even a daisy or a buttercup.

[poohbear]

I, like thousands of other kids used to collect birds eggs, and there were many more birds and nests than there are now.Farming techniques and loss of habitat (Allotments,ponds,meadows)are responsible for diminishing numbers of once common species..not a few kids pinching birds eggs.

My fascination for wildlife gave me a lifelong interest in the world about me.And I'm sure I've amply repaid my early egg thieving days by participating in many wildlife projects over the years.

Kids nowadays don't know what they are missing...and the majority of parents and teachers have no interest in the subject to encourage them.Asking most youngsters to identify a bird or type of tree is just asking for a blank stare and a shrug of the shoulders at best.

Still...they've got their games and porn on the PCs to keep them occupied.

[2dogs2000]

I am doing a forest course and I wanted some oak leaves for a display. Out of 12 children only one thought he knew what an oak leaf looked like. I was surprised as I thought oak leaves and horse chestnut leaves were recognised by everyone.

[tombom]

God forbid people interested in wildlife don't take eggs from nests! What horrid evidence of the moral decline of today's generation.

I imagine they'd gain an interest in wildlife through observing it and stuff, rather than taking eggs. Whatever your opinion on computers and everything, I doubt that birdwatching has a much different % of the population interested in it now compared to 30 years ago or so.

I am doing a forest course and I wanted some oak leaves for a display. Out of 12 children only one thought he knew what an oak leaf looked like. I was surprised as I thought oak leaves and horse chestnut leaves were recognised by everyone.

Kind of interested in what sort of area the children came from.

[Amoeba]

I agree with tombom.

This elitist "back in the day" attitude is making my skin crawl, especially the glorification of childhood nest raiding. So what if not many kids don't take birds eggs today, it's still a good thing, it's not like it's impossible for them to learn by other means.

Perhaps it is over-protective parents who deny their children experiences, guidance and knowledge who are a threat to the future - children can be taught about wildlife in various ways, it's up to the parents to guide their children down the right path. It's often the kind of over-protective but neglectful (oxymoron I know, protect them from everything, teach them nothing) parents who feel it is safer their children interact with machines rather than risk the possibility of picking up germs from outdoors.

From the age I was able to play outside unattended I knew it was wrong to raid nests. It didn't damage my development or enthusiasm for wildlife in any way, it strengthened it.

[eeyore]

Originally Posted by Amoeba

So what if not many kids don't take birds eggs today, it's still a good thing, it's not like it's impossible for them to learn by other means.


From the age I was able to play outside unattended I knew it was wrong to raid nests. It didn't damage my development or enthusiasm for wildlife in any way, it strengthened it.

I agree - i grew up in the countryside and never once raided a nest for eggs, as i was taught from an early age that it was wrong - and i went on to follow a career in conservation (I'm 36 so we arent talking that long ago)

mind you i still had a collection of skulls, feathers, bones etc (found) , and used to go on long walks in the country with my parents

I dont think there is any need to worry about the future - look at the young members on here - there will always be kids who are interested in wildlife and those who arent , back in the day while fudgey et al were shinning up trees i bet there were other kids who evinced no interest in the countryside but spent their time collecting engine numbers, stamps, football cards, or possibly war souveneirs (depending on exactly how long ago we are talking about)