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Are We a Dying Breed?

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Alan Hyde View Drop Down
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    Posted: 21 Apr 2007 at 7:17am
What do you think?
With most of us keeping our kids safely within our sites at home are we creating a non nature loving generation?
James (Phil) is here but how many other up and coming youngsters are getting out there herping?

It seems to me that the likes of Steve Irwin have introduced our kids to loving nature but most seem satisfied with the captive hobby over conservation. " I want a motley corn" " Anyone got any Beardies for sale?" Perhaps some will progress on to conservation But then, the higher majority of adults keeping these days seem more interested in genetic morphs than the species status in the wild .

So what do you think?
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr 2007 at 7:59am

I was talking about this to Steve (Vicar) on the RAUK fieldtrip, totally agree Al, but then maybe we have the responsibility to get the kids thinking native species conservation. A bit of pond dipping and stuff. Trouble is these days it all comes down to Health and Safety and school seem reluctant to do this sort of stuff. I've even had occasions when taking a herp into a school led to cries of 'salmonella'

I used to do talks at schools when I had Merlin the common toad, really was a good thing and all the kids would fall in love with Merlin, but now it seems like too much trouble.

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Alan Hyde View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alan Hyde Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr 2007 at 8:47am
Hi Gemma, Know what you mean , I gave up on School talks too.

Well, we're doing our part I suppose. My Daughter is definitely into it 100%
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Suzi View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Suzi Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr 2007 at 12:56pm

Probably many of you are too young to remember Nature Study as a taught subject in primary school. Not only were we not H&S mad but also kids could touch - frogs etc. Many of us on this forum collected frog spawn and reared it to froglets. How many have kept newts for a while too? Maybe even slow worms or a grass snake?

Combined with the look but don't touch approach the H&S obsession has reduced nature study, as was, to something that does not fire up kids' enthusiasm. Sure those of us with kids have done it differently but what about all those whose parents aren't interested. How do they experience the wonder of it all?

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Alan Hyde View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alan Hyde Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr 2007 at 1:45pm
My concerns exactly Suzi.

Another concern of mine is my Daughters love of venomous. Of course it's ok for me to handle hots but what about when it comes to teaching her the ropes
Dilema! Of course I want her to be interested , but to suffer a bite?
Can't win either way
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote administrator Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr 2007 at 2:03pm

That's the same with everything though Al, if H asked me when he is a bit older if he could have a motorbike.. the answer would be NO WAY... excuse me cough cough, while I check the classifieds for a Pan Euro... need something to get me to the airfield quicker LOL. Trouble is H&S has all been taken to ridiculous extremes.

I must admit even when H learnt to ride his push bike I had to get Merv to be the one to 'let go'.. H rides his bike quite well now though.

Unfortunately H isn't that into herps, though he does have a good attitude to wildlife, something many kids these days sadly lack, he spent an hour once building a little house out of dried grass for a couple of ladybirds he had found.

I was amazed to hear that kids now don't use chemicals in chemistry, I know it was a boring subject with the chemicals, but I bet we all remember that goop that blocked the sink with when we mixed the red stuff with the blue stuff and it turned orange and stank.. imagine what it is like now without that light relief!

I asked H recently if he liked science, answer, "no boring", then I found out they don't do anything practical.. he's right boring as boring gets.

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Alan Hyde View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alan Hyde Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 21 Apr 2007 at 3:12pm
You're right you know

Don't talk to me about learning to cycle though , boy did we have some tears and tantrums over that

Well, I definitely want my daughter to be hands on , let's just hope she's one of those that sail through herpetology without a bite.


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Alan Hyde View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Alan Hyde Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Apr 2007 at 4:38am
Now there's an idea! She'd Love that, and so would I
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Deano Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Apr 2007 at 4:01pm
I blame TV. - Television show all these wonderful creatures and Chris Packham, bless 'im, is trying to get kids all fired up to get out and see nature in the flesh. I couldn't believe how excited he got about a slow worm. It seems kids have become blasÚ about wildlife it's on the tele all the time.

 Perhaps it has got to come from them. Either they're into wildlife or not. I always have been. My Mother and Father couldn't understand it! And if they saw me pick up anything it was "Arrr, put it down you don't know what germs you'll catch!", but I always did what they said I shouldn't - and still don't.

 My friends thought it was brilliant when I showed them some adders and a slow worm in the flesh. They have always tried to get their children interested in nature. The kids are now in their late teens now, but still no interest at all.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Dan Kane Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 Apr 2007 at 4:23pm
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