Can people be persuaded that other species do matter?

[Deb London]

I met a group of people yesterday and there was a lot of conversation about various aspects of managing land for wildlife. The most popular opinion seemed to be that a nature reserve was there to serve people, it should look a certain way and if a few species had to be lost then that was the way it had to be.

My opinion differs somewhat, obviously. I may have extreme views. I have a lot of respect for native species, whether they were always in the reserve, or whether they were re-introduced, or even simply introduced. I am prepared to cut down trees in the winter, form barriers to allow regeneration, leave areas messy.

Although I do believe there should be compromise.

Today I'm left wondering if there is anything that can be done to persuade someone that believes that we are the only species that matters that they might be wrong?

[nightshade]

Everything matters Deb, that is why I go on about planting hedges to link existing green corridors and gardening to encourage wildlife. Every garden being part of a jig-saw, providing habitat for something be it mammal, bird, or invertabrate. TV gives an impression to the great unwashed that this country is heaving with wildlife and places for them to live (even if the cannot actually see these places they imagine they exist!!) Show someone their home on Google Earth then gradually zoom out, showing the vast agricultural prairies, houses, factories, most will put on their i-pods and leave
The level of basic understanding in most groups about wildlife needs is appalling
people want to build on "unused" land not seeing what needs this land to feed on, and the recent loss of urban and suburban land, large gardens, huge gardens, orchards, being sold as building plots and all the wildlife that has lived there for (in some cases) hundreds of years.
Like the lady said "you don't know what you've got till its gone"

[gardenectomy]

I think the trouble is, a lot of people don't really care! I know that sounds harsh but people are wrapped up in everyday mundane things...usually involving owning things (big screen TV's, games consoles, and other general keeping up with the jones's...) some people even hate the countryside ( I know, I know!). I'm not being judgemental, it's just that I live on a council estate where most peoples brush with nature is when one of the local boys with a lurcher brings home a dead rabbit....

I have a dear friend who loves her pet animals, she has guinea pigs, rabbits and even chinchillas all of which she adores...but to her the thought of putting flowers in her garden which might attract bees is ludicrous, she hates bees.. She's also terrified of sharks and each time I try to explain how endangered they are she basically says she doesn't care!

I have a degree in animal conservation science, I love walking my dog and observing nature, I thrill at the seasons changing and noticing different plants and trees developing around me as I wander along. I have a fairly decent size garden, which I maintain organically (which means I never get to harvest any cabbage I grow as they always get ravaged by caterpillars and I can't bear to even remove them!). I cut half my lawn for my dog to play on and leave the rest natural complete with nettles for wildlife, we even have a water spot and a pile of rotting wood for beetles etc..

Yet I am still surrounded by houses which are police raided at least once a week for drugs, the vast majority of my neighbours think a garden is for getting drunk in when it's hot (think shameless not darling buds of may) and that 'the countryside' looks somewhat akin to wind in the willows....


I guess I've become a little jaded in my views but I think largely people can only care about something when they've been taught that it's important or perhaps it just has to be something they like or are interested in at least, but by and large I don't think people can be persuaded to care about species they just don't care about...

Gardenectomy, the cynical conservationist, or at least cynical humanitarian!

[Johnny Redgate]

My view is that (in general) people will not value nature if they are denied access to it and from that point of view nature reserves are for nature and people. However, there are nature reserves and nature reserves.

Given that almost all habitats in Britain have been managed by man in some way then continued human input to nature reserves will always be necessary be it grazing, coppicing or whatever, so there will always be disturbance. When it comes to access for the 'general' public some reserves can cope with it better than others. Local Nature Reserves (LNRs) are designated with very strong element of public access in mind. National Nature Reserves (NNRs) less so but to conserve the best examples of habitats in a region. NNRs clearly have a strong educational role and people should therefore be invited onto them to learn about and enjoy nature where this does not conflict with conservation of that nature. We are likely to have unwillingly to put up with a level of vandalism etc on LNRs and lower tier sites in order to achieve the aim of re-connecting people with, and educating them about, the natural environment.

Having said all that, I worked for a local authority managing local sites for several years and it really can reduce you to tears at times as you bang your head against a wall over and over again. But I do believe in the ability of access and education to change people's attitudes.

[nightshade]

At my local Supermarket I was accosted by reps for RSPB and Wild Life Trusts
despite their rugged outdoor clothing neither had heard of WAB! (well they have now!!)
Look at WAB's membership 40,000+ the population of some of our major cities is well over a million each, people need educating, "grown-up" people. The children "get it" but not the people with the money with votes. Worst of all the descision makers "don't get it" . Selling off woodland, see how surprised they were at public reaction, totally unprepared, they just have no conception of what makes life worth living, gives it the quality that the human soul needs to be truely human at one with the land

[nightshade]

A bit negative up to now, but I do explain things to people especially if they have their children with them. Many times you see people looking but are _afraid to ask_ "what is that, what is going on" Go up and gently feed them information, watch the dawn of interest, fascinating and rewarding.
Grasshopper ovipositers, will it sting me?
Ichumon Wasp, will it sting me?
Slow Worm , is it a snake does it bite?
Where do Bats _Nest_?
These are things most of the 40,000+ know (don't they?) so assuming that everyone knows at least three more people and they know at least three more people (ad infinitum) why aren't we telling (ok and texting) more people
Look at Google Earth find _YOUR_ house, see that we are losing green areas, see what a desert island you and your home have become by being complacent.
None of my neighbours walk nowadays they have found they are safe from me in their cars, am I overdoing it (I made that up)

[gardenectomy]

Originally Posted by nightshade

Many times you see people looking but are _afraid to ask_ "what is that, what is going on" Go up and gently feed them information, watch the dawn of interest, fascinating and rewarding.
Grasshopper ovipositers, will it sting me?
Ichumon Wasp, will it sting me?
Slow Worm , is it a snake does it bite?
Where do Bats _Nest_?
These are things most of the 40,000+ know (don't they?) so assuming that everyone knows at least three more people and they know at least three more people (ad infinitum) why aren't we telling (ok and texting) more people
Look at Google Earth find _YOUR_ house, see that we are losing green areas, see what a desert island you and your home have become by being complacent.

Complacency? last time i spoke to a neighbour about a rare butterfly i was told where to go.... seriously, some people don't care.

[tufftie]

There is a way but it's a slow process and you have to appeal to their empathy first - with something that matters to them. Then slowly turn it round.

[STYRBJORN]

The other aspect of this is attitudes towards anthropogenic extinctions. Who cares if native crayfish are wiped out by introduced signal crayfish? The wretched little things are no use to me. Can't even eat 'em. Snail darters? Dumb fish. Bengal tigers? OK, keep a few in zoos. Are you seriously telling me the world is poorer without the dodo? Bloody stupid bird couldn't even fly!

More to the point, perhaps are bumble-bees. Again, who cares? I suppose they're pretty, but so what? Well chap, they are a keystone group of species. They are unique fertilisers of some plants which play a vital role in our food chain. No bumblies, no clover, no nitrogen fixing bacteria in the soil, massive increase in cost of nitrogen fertiliser, up go food prices. People listen to their wallets. NS, your quote applies here. Often the only way to identify a keystone spp is to wipe it out without realising its role and watch a local ecology collapse.

Council of despair I'm afraid. People are dumb.

Ric

[darrenm]

I would like to think there are a lot of people who do still care but Conservation and species awareness and projects need to be taught throughout the school years and not just to early years stages or you risk and danger of a lot of people growing up thinking that the subject they were taught at school in the early years is for the very young only. Teenagers especially are also very wary of being asscociated with anything that makes them feel younger in their mad rush to grow up but we were all the same at one stage.

Advertising and consumerisim at all costs is also being pushed by every aspect of the media 24/7 and to those that conservation needs to bring on board the message might be getting blocked.

How many teenagers do you see today at wildlife events? and what social background do they come from, if and when they turn up?

Last year i ran two volunteer groups of older teenagers and one group were very enthusiastic and enjoyed their time but the other group saw the work as a penance. The group who were enthusiastic were from a better off social background and saw the relavence but the others from a less well off background said they didnt care one way or the other and the school had sent them.