Lifting rocks and “learning” about nature
3 September
I am not alone in being surprised sometimes by the lack of what we consider to be basic knowledge (“surely everyone knows that?”) about the natural world. Part of the answer, of course, is that so much knowledge is presented to people by films and documentaries and if those media productions are not, themselves, representative of reality then it’s not surprising that so many walk around not knowing what they don’t know.
A study was done by scientists at Cambridge University zoology department recently that aims to look into the biases in the information provided by TV documentaries etc. I give a link further down to a summary of the main findings, but the report was also the subject of an article in the Guardian which opens thus:
While running a biodiversity workshop at a local primary school, Kate Howlett, a zoologist, encouraged children to turn over the bricks and logs at the edges of their playing field to see what was living underneath. That’s when one child asked her if she had come to their school early that morning to plant the woodlice for them to find. Even after insisting that the bugs were living there all along, the suspicious pupils were reluctant to believe her. “It struck me as sad that no one had encouraged them to do this before,” says Howlett, a PhD student in the Insect Ecology Group at Cambridge University’s zoology department.
What truly worries me is the “It struck me as sad that no one had encouraged them to do this before” quote … surely to goodness kids have always turned stones and logs over to see what’s underneath? It would appear that is an activity no longer automatic and widely practiced. Is it genuine lack of interest these days or a lack of opportunity to investigate stuff because kids don’t go out exploring in muddy corners of their local environment any more?
The main article that I wanted to draw to your attention is entitled “Nature Documentaries Are Lying To You” … the summary is not very long and it’s worth reading. The take home message being that while there are certainly plenty of programs about nature to be watched, they skew heavily towards mammals and birds and only occasionally mention the fact that in terms of biodiversity they are outnumbered any insects and spiders and mollusks. Cute and fluffy wins.
Here’s the Link:
I am convinced that the poor knowledge is not because people don’t care. For the most part, I find that they do care but they have not had the opportunity to learn more about the nature that surrounds us. If they do think in more detail about nature they too often feel that it’s something far away that has to be travelled to, when there is so much to be observed often under our noses in our gardens and along our roadsides.
This needs rectifying. More “nature walks” from schools and organised field trips by birding clubs etc for adults might be a start. They exist, but they are not often enough known about or even accessible. For example, here is a small group of questing botanists on a hillside.
Let’s encourage everyone to turn more rocks over …
Can’t let you go without a photo … seen Whilst Out Walking
Female Baltimore Oriole
Not bright and flashy like the males, but calmly attractive in her own way. Heading south now to winter in Central and South America. Usually fly at night - a bird whose numbers are diminishing, in great part because of deforestation and insecticide spraying killing off the insects they feed on.
So true! As children we were taken on walks almost daily by our parents or an uncle or aunt and learned so much without effort. We were also encouraged to play outside and nobody got too excited if we got dirty. The outdoors is still there, people, and doesn’t need to be switched on!
As a retired teacher I agree wholeheartedly that it's important to expose youngsters to nature on a regular basis. Not all families have the time or ability to provide the opportunities. Here in Ottawa we have the Ottawa Field Naturalists Club, that provides a great free Field Naturalists' club for children on Saturdays. They also have guided walks for adults, and no matter how much one thinks one knows, there is always something new to learn.