What kicked off your wildlife interest?

[Wild-Woman]

As far back as I can remember,I have always had an interest in wildlife.I was never a child for dolls or girls toys and I was usually in the garden playing 'mud pies'. Whilst out in amongst the plants, insects and dirt, I can distinctively recall moments of curiosity and wonderment at the world under my feet.Alongside a big brother who used to take me to a local stream to catch tiddlers, I think thats where the love of wildlife really gripped me. To a certain extent my 3 grown up kids have the same interest, but not as deep as mine. I was wondering where your interest started. Was there a defining moment?

[glsammy]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

As far back as I can remember,I have always had an interest in wildlife.I was never a child for dolls or girls toys and I was usually in the garden playing 'mud pies'. Whilst out in amongst the plants, insects and dirt, I can distinctively recall moments of curiosity and wonderment at the world under my feet.Alongside a big brother who used to take me to a local stream to catch tiddlers, I think thats where the love of wildlife really gripped me. To a certain extent my 3 grown up kids have the same interest, but not as deep as mine. I was wondering where your interest started. Was there a defining moment?

I've always had an interest in nature, my own personal reasons for what is now my main past time, was last year when I found I could walk further than I had been able to in the past, due to health reasons. I don't know how long my current state will remain, but for as long as it does, I make the most of it!
Add an interest in photography, and the rest was a foregone conclusion..

[JM]

It has to be collecting caterpillars, feeding them and watching them turn into butterflies and moths as a child. They always fascinated me, coming home from school and seeing if any had hatched out then letting them go. From there it went to tadpoles and frogs.

I then left school and went to work for the local water board eventually as fresh water biologist. That is where the interest really grew, identifying anything from caddis larvae to algae. Now I am not doing it for work I enjoy more as each trip out is extra special!

[Nicola Main]

I have always loved wildlife (especially birds). I am only 19 but I have always found the wildlife around me fascinating and intriguing. My ideal job would be to work in a country park as a ranger or a wildlife guide as I am pretty good at IDing birds and other animals and would love to share it with other people.

For me there wasn't really a defining moment, it's just always been there! I think my first memory of appreciating wildlife was in primary school and we had swallows nesting in the old bike shed in the playground and I was the only one out of the whole school who knew the name of the birds. I think there should be more topics to do with wildlife in schools nowadays because it is very under-rated and I am sure kids would love to know more about animals and birds. I would have loved to have had a subject that was about wildlife in my school!

Anyway I'll stop boring you all now, nice speaking to you all. Regards Nicola.

[rlchew]

Originally Posted by Wild-Woman

As far back as I can remember,I have always had an interest in wildlife ....

Me too Wild Woman .... but I am struggling to remember where and when my interest started. There is probably no defining moment.

I have vague memories of a very old book on British birds that my Mum had had as a child and loads of butterflies on the garden buddlehia bush in Shenfield when I was really young.

However, I think it was when our family moved to South Woodham Ferrers when I was 10 years old that my interest really took off. At that time it was a rural village with loads of lanes, open countryside and the marshes and grazing land around the River Crouch, all of which were in easy reach by foot or by bike (I was fit in those days too ). Around this time I also acquired my first pair of binoculars which opened up a whole new world.

I am now 47 years old and I have years of experience and knowledge gained but I am still learning, not least from WAB and fellow contributors .

Richard

[Ollie]

I don't think I can actually say my interest in wildlife began at any particular age. I was born on a farm where animals were common place, and spent many hours with my father tending the animals, sheep, chickens, cows etc. I guess my interest in wildlife grew from this early introduction to the animals. The farm was pretty isolated with woods around it and I can remember playing in these woods as a child. I have also lived in the countryside all my life and it just seems natural to me to take an interest in the wildlife around me.
Ollie

[Country Eye]

My father-in-law.

I have always been aware of nature but this guy has been lecturing for years and brings everything alive when you talk with him. His knowledge is amazing and the I am very lucky to know him. His daughter is okay as well!!

[nightshade]

I have always been aware of insects, birds, amphibians, fish, birds and mammals
because there were more of them than people when I was a child,there was no TV
you spoke to people that worked the land you learned to find animals and hunted them
for food, you fished, generally you had more to do with wildlife on an everyday basis than is possible today
The decline of the sparrow really brought it home to me so sparrows, bats, bumblebees, love em all

[dolphi]

I've always had an interest in wildlife and the environment in general. There is no real defining moment, though I guess, I've been able to spend more time these last two years since Ill health then a "streamlining" of the department I worked in leaving me free to do things I had no time for before. I've built a number of nestboxes now and added cameras to each, built Hedgehog homes, bumble bee nesting boxes and tried to plant out more plants for wildlife. I've added a number of feeders for birds and now get a chance to stay up late to watch the resident Hedgehog come in and feed most evenings. All that and keeping the website running and recently joining the RSPB is truely wonderful. All these things were ideas before I finished work now they are a reality and I'm loving it.

[Imaginos]

Growing up on the outskirts of town with a healthy diet of Zooquest, Gerald Durrell & Willard Price books and Common Lizards to catch on the path outside the back garden.
I got into insects when I realised that being stone deaf in one ear and severely colour-blind would hamper any bird survey work and also I needed something more challenging on the identification front.
Don't see any lizards on that footpath now

[pheonix]

Growing up in the countryside and being surrounded by it! i lived in a village most of my life surrounded by all things asciated with warks/oxon countryside; mixed farms, stables, woods and lakes. My grandparents were farmers with dog kennels as well, so i have always been around animals.