Jenny
I have much the same reaction wherever I go in urban parks.
People are so unattuned to the natural world. The natural features
might as well he replaced by concrete replicas. Even when there are
big trees, I find myself mumbling under my breath. Can't wait to get
out of Boston.
Bob
Sent from my iPhone
On Nov 29, 2009, at 3:18 AM, [email protected] wrote:
> Bob, Steve, Jess, Ed,
>
> Bob, welcome to my hell!!!! I have thought about these things so
> so much while scouring the NYC parks to bond with the bit of nature
> on offer.
>
> My reactions to people I encounter in these situations are pretty
> much unfair and judgmental!!
>
> I don't understand people who study birds yet don't also take note
> of the tree or other perching/habitat environment. But I have
> 'issues' in general with "birders" mostly based on the lack of
> interest they have in the birds themselves. Many are just list
> keepers, collectors, like you were saying. I understand but I don't
> like it. On my Colorado night migration workshop in September I was
> the only one excited about the whole ecological experience as
> opposed to just the birds. Weird.
>
> I can't believe people don't teach their kids general respect for
> nature. Kids kick trees and try to kick birds - and I completely
> understand them for doing it - but I don't understand their parents
> for not stopping them. When I say something I talk directly to the
> kid and say things in the nicest possible way, hopefully with
> humor. And in that way, maybe a tiny bit of awareness will sink in.
>
> I know birds and trees are not human, but I could never treat them
> as unfeeling beings - even the tree in its way, is sentient.
>
> I hate the Fordham students jogging through NYBG and I would hate
> anyone jogging in the Arnold Arboretum. Exceptions are people
> running with their big dogs who need a good run. But honestly, why
> not just take a a strenuous hike? I bet they drove to the Arboretum
> anyway,
>
> As for them appreciating their surroundings by going to the
> Arboretum to jog, I think they sure do appreciate the environment
> for themselves but don't give a "care" about anybody elses'
> experience. There are more than enough municipal parks for jogging.
> I think it's offensive. When people jog through the NYBG forest, I
> think it's really unnecessary and a little insulting to people that
> have paid to enjoy the experience. Especially since the Bronx River
> Park is just across the blvd.
>
> Fair or unfair, there you have it. It's the obliviousness of people
> that absolutely torments me. Makes for some damn long unhappy days
> in NYC, but I do my best....
>
> Jenny
>
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jess Riddle <[email protected]>
> To: [email protected]
> Sent: Sat, Nov 28, 2009 11:59 pm
> Subject: Re: [ENTS] Observing nature...
>
> Steve,
>
> Interesting question. I don't know enough relevant information to
> make come up with a good answer, but I'm not going to let that keep me
> from speculating.
>
> Eyeballs help make an entity cute. Humans have many body parts in
> common with other vertebrates, so its natural to anthropomorphize
> animals. Anthropomorphizing could lead to an emotional connection.
> Plants are more difficult to identify with, and hence less commonly
> cared about.
>
> For motile animals, natural selection favors individuals that that pay
> attention to movement in their environment. Hence, moving birds
> naturally become the focus of human attention, while no analogous
> process exists to draw our attention to an individual tree.
>
> I enjoy finding things: fossils, rare plants, and of course big trees.
> I don't know how universally people enjoy searching (although Waldo
> suggests I'm not alone), but birds seem like a convenient goal for
> those who like searching. Birds exhibit patterns of behaviour
> allowing the development of search strategies, and the birds present
> at a given site changes daily. Once found, the behaviour can become
> the focus of attention, which is not possible with plants (with a few
> notable exceptions like carnivorous plants).
>
> Bob,
>
> All those people frustrating you could have chosen to walk at a track,
> in a mall, or on a treadmill. However, they made the conscious
> decision to go to the arboretum. That decision suggests to me that on
> some level they do appreciate their surroundings.
>
> Jess
>
> On Sat, Nov 28, 2009 at 10:58 PM, Steve Galehouse <[email protected]
> > wrote:
> > ENTS-
> >
> > Today my oldest son and I returned to the Cuyahoga Valley to
> investigate
> > some sites for potential reports. We didn't spend much time
> measuring,
> > rather just hiked to explore unfamiliar areas(did measure a white
> ash to
> > 132', and a sycamore to 13' 10'' cbh and 113'). The neatest thing we
> > observed was a snowy owl, perched in a tree in an area of larger
> trees. It's
> > very unusual for one to be in Ohio, but my trusty Peterson's guide
> says it
> > can happen---which brings me to the primary question of this post:
> Why are
> > more people, generally, interested in birding than observing and
> measuring
> > trees? I think we all can attest that on a trail we would more
> likely
> > encounter a birder with a $800-$1200 Zeiss binocular around the
> neck than a
> > tree measurer with a $200 Nikon rangefinder and $100 inclinometer.
> I'm in no
> > way anti-birding, but knowing the woods seems so much more basic--
> the types
> > of trees determine the species of birds and mammals present. The
> > avian-centric position seems to be expressed in the promotional
> literature
> > of park systems also, where rare or unusual species of birds
> present are
> > stressed, without mention of the forest community that attracted
> them. And
> > Jenny, this in no way is meant to disparage your rescue efforts in
> NYC.
> >
> > Steve
> >
> > --
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> > Send email to [email protected]
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> > To unsubscribe send email to [email protected]
>
> --
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> Send email to [email protected]
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