MORE NATURE AWARENESS
Our nature needs
advocates and we, as lovers and students of birds and wildlife, are ideally
situated to take the lead. We must do more to teach anyone who will listen the
value of nature/ biodiversity and the joys of birding.
So the whys and wherefores and the targets…
We should all be birding evangelists; promoting birding as a
wonderful mindful hobby. As already stated it should be difficult to be a
birder and fail to be interested in conservation. Individually we should all
try to introduce birding to someone new.
Birdlife Australia SC are already doing this and the numbers
of people are growing. This has been achieved by members encouraging new people
to come to outings; the expansion of Beginning Birders Walks, hosting bird
walks at Mary Cairncross Scenic Reserve, promotion of birding through SocialMedia.
Should we try other strategies to lift the profile of birds
and birding throughout the SE Queensland area?
Here are some ideas for our local area;
I am in the process of trying to create a Sunshine Coast University
Birders Club to better cater for young birders. A club based at the University
would be better positioned to cater for teen and twenty somethings. Sadly the
demographic at our outings is somewhat older than that and, whether we like it
or not, off putting for most ‘younger’ people. Since being convenor for
Birdlife SC I have had a few calls from parents wanting an avenue into birding
and natural history for their kids or grandkids – sadly I have had to admit
that the regular outings probably would not suit.
A Young Birders Club, based at the University, could be an
important missing piece of our puzzle.
Part of establishing a connection with the University
hopefully would enable some of us to attempt to introduce birding to trainee
teachers with the future hope that they would eventually introduce this
knowledge and past time to their students. Teaching teachers about birds and
birding would be a better and more economical strategy than to try to teach
school kids directly. We have resources, such as citizen science platforms like
ebird, to offer potential teachers such that they can offer them to their
students.
In the United States the ABA [American Birding Association]
run annual camps for young birders. Perhaps this idea should be stolen and
established here? The Sunshine Coast would be an excellent locale to host teen
birders from around our country [when Covid finally settles down…] as we have
the camp spaces, human resources, variety of habitats, charismatic species. The
camps would offer excellent networking opportunities to young [teen] birders as
well as a wonderful promotional opportunity for Birdlife Australia and the
Sunshine Coast generally.
Other ideas worth stealing from the states?
Bird fairs or
festivals. For example the Southeast Arizona Birding Festival held in Tucson.
Big Birding Days. For
example Bird LA Day. From their webpage;
“The sixth annual
Bird LA Day took flight on May 4th as Angelenos enjoyed more than 50 nature and
bird themed events. The celebration of LA’s biodiversity spanned as far north
as Castaic Lake and as far south as Long Beach with diverse habitats in
between.
Bird LA Day events
are family-friendly and free-of-charge, with activities created for all
interests. Among the offerings were bird walks and talks, a hands-on watercolor
workshop, tours of a wildlife rehab centre with an intro to bird rescue and
banding program, access to bird skulls and lots more.”
Perhaps a ‘Big
Brisbane Birding Day’ – to be held over a weekend stretching from the Gold to
the Sunshine Coasts. As suggested above bird walks and talks but art workshops
and galleries, museums contributing, Wilvos displays, displays at selected
markets? Films? Publicity / posters explaining birding at Local Government and
National Parks [Ranger talks?] All with a largish media splash….
Nationally we should do more also.
In my observation Birdlife Australia is, to people outside
of birding, invisible. Birdlife Australia should have a similar profile here as
the RSPB does in the UK or Audubon does in the USA. It should do more regarding
self promotion, especially outside Melbourne. This is a large topic. Birdlife
car stickers for every member would be a good start. Greater availability of
Tshirts, hats etc with Birdlife logos.
Australian bird cards would be an excellent promotion for Birdlife Australia; especially in conjunction with a large supermarket chain. This is an old idea but one that could come back into fashion.
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| Bird Cards - an old idea but a collector's item today. |
A birds in backyard section more regularly on Gardening Australia would be an excellent promotion.
Birdlife, in addition to social media, should have a blog
and a regular podcast or sponsor Michael Greenshields’ podcast – The Birder’s Guide.
Birdlife and Birding should be visible to any Australian who
visits a national park or reserve. I remember visiting state parks in Texas,
who take the interpretation of nature quite seriously, beautiful posters
illustrating and explaining the hobby of birding with links to online
resources.
More generally we need to promote birds and nature more
often to young people…..
Our children have been kidnapped from nature. Raised in too
small backyards bereft of tall trees, taught to play in sterile gardens where
the one plant is lawn, trapped by technology they are experiencing an
Extinction of Experience. Many are suffering from Nature Deficit Syndrome.
Nature Deficit
Syndrome is a term coined by Richard Louv in 2005 in his book, Last Child in
the Woods. There is an expanding body of scientific evidence that suggests that
nature-deficit disorder contributes to a diminished use of the senses,
attention difficulties, conditions of obesity, and higher rates of emotional
and physical illnesses. Research also suggests that the nature-deficit weakens
ecological literacy and stewardship of the natural world. These problems are
linked more broadly to what health care experts call the “epidemic of
inactivity,” and to a devaluing of independent play.
This generation of children will hopefully grow up learning about global warming yes but knowing even less than our generation of Australia’s plants and animals.
So what can we do?
Simple answer – reintroduce kids to nature
This is not easy… As I said backyards are getting smaller.
My backyard provided me with perhaps my trigger
bird. A bird that stimulated or created a birding interest. Anyway Pacific
Baza dismembering a graceful tree frog on the top of a tennis court. I can
still remember its staring yellow eye. I was, maybe 8….
Some of the ideas listed above would help.
Project Wild Thing [a film and app encouraging nature based
play] from the UK could be mined for ideas… https://www.thewildnetwork.com/inspiration/project-wild-thing
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While I was living in Canada iin 2012 I accidently came across this guy in Victoria [ a city on the southern part of Vancouver Island] who was running Wild Child Tours. In what was a bit of dodgy parenting I allowed my son to spend a day with this complete stranger [and other children my son’s age]. He and his product were fantastic! My boy had a great day immersed in nature; first combing through a wonderful variety of tidal pools where every creature was identified and celebrated. Birds, you will be pleased to know, were not ignored. A hike along the beach followed searching for flotsam and jetsam treasure among driftwood. The same driftwood was used to create, of course, forts. We found them by ear at day’s end loudly cheering and applauding a passing school of Herring as they walked along a stone wall jutting into a bay. This could be a holiday product here on the coast for one with energy and knowledge enough to do it!
While I am at it let us steal the Summer Camp idea from
Americans. A culture of nature emersion on school holidays would be a positive
idea.
Any other ideas please comment!
Ken Cross
All of the above is merely personal opinion and dreaming and NOT the perspective or policy of Birdlife Australia.
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