Alberta
mbpi at juno.com
mbpi at juno.com
Sun Mar 31 09:20:22 EST 2002
As I once privately conceded to Chris (on discovering he was a Canadian
expatriate): My wealth of Canadian friends have proven to be far more
"hip" and environmentally savvy than most of my US friends...even the
ones who aren't professionally involved. They have all taken an active
interest, and supported me, in my natural science endeavors.
As a counterpoint to this observation: here in the States, I believe an
interest in the environment most often stems from a regional
upbringing/exposure to our resident natural resources. New Jersey is an
Industrial hub, and Illinois (where I was born and raised) is part of the
"corn belt" where agricultural science reigns supreme. Chicago, on the
other hand, tends toward the molecular, physical & mathematical sciences.
After spending a year working at the Chicago Field Museum, however, I
have discovered an interesting phenomena in the Zoology Department of the
museum's hierarchy: a high percentage of individuals received their
undergraduate training in Arizona (myself included)! This leads me to
conclude that a state like Arizona, with its extensive biodiversity,
unusual topography and vast tracts of protected environmental wonders,
imparts a love and appreciation of nature that doesn't come easily to
other "less-endowed" states south of the Canadian border. I know that my
school years in Arizona had a profound affect on me and my interest in
the environment...something that being raised in Chicago could NOT
imbue...
Basically, we are a product of the environment that we "know."
M.B. Prondzinski
USA
On Sat, 30 Mar 2002 19:14:10 -0600 "Chris J. Durden"
<drdn at mail.utexas.edu> writes:
> Two big differences between Alberta and New Jersey, that affect
> natural
> history education, are ethnic background and educational content.
> They are
> both closely related.
> Canada's strong British and European ethnic heritage, encouraged
> and
> nurtured, leads to a different perspective on the interaction of
> people and
> nature. The British and European ethnic heritage in New Jersey has
> been
> actively melted into the pot and is very soon lost in the
> American-born
> generations who try so hard to fit in.
> Education in natural history has been different too. For some
> reason
> chemistry, biochemistry, human biology, DNA, genetics and similar
> advanced
> topics dominate the teaching of biology in states like New Jersey.
> In
> Canadian schools, at least in the not too distant past, natural
> history has
> been used as a sympathetic introduction to biology and science in
> general.
> They may still be showing some of my dad's films in class (Mountain
> Ecology, Colour of Life etc. from the NFB).
> Take a trip to Canada and ask the "person on the street" about
> nature.
> It is my impression there is a higher awareness, understanding and
> appreciation North of the border than South of it. Government
> sponsored and
> assisted programming in Education, The Arts, Broadcasting, Film and
> Television have had a lot to do with this.
> ....................Chris Durden
>
> At 05:14 PM 3/30/2002 -0500, you wrote:
> >I am stunned by the apparent wealth of natural history
> publications for
> >Alberta. It sounds like Alberta must be the center of civilization.
> >Who publishes these gems, and how markets them to a population that
> must
> >be less
> >than 3 million people.
> >
> >In New Jersey (population almost 8 million), we can't seem to
> interest
> >publishers in an illustrated flora or flora series, much less books
> on
> r subgroups of insects, other than butterflies. We did just get a
> >spectacular little HERP guide with photos.
> >
> >Mike Gochfeld
> >
> >Barb Beck wrote:
> >
> > > Hi all,
> > >
> > > We have a lot of people here paying attention to bugs. In fact
> a book on
> > > bugs topped the BEST SELLER LIST in Edmonton for several weeks a
> few years
> > > ago. I am speaking about something by our very own Nature Nut
> John Acorn.
> > > Last I heard John's little butterfly book had outsold a well
> known popular
> > > NA field guide - and that is just in Alberta!! We have a lovely
> field guide
> > > to the Tiger Beetles by that same character. It is an excellent
> book and
> > > allows us to easily identify all of these guys. He is working
> on
> > > damselflys, dragonflies, snazzy moths, and it is too early in
> the morning
> > > for this old brain to remember some of the others. We have a
> pair of our
> > > univeristy students, Christine Rice and Jon Hornug who have been
> going
> > > around the province enthusiastically spreading their love of
> > dragonflies and
> > > damselflies. They have developed a good local key and anybody
> who has heard
> > > them talk wants to get out and see as many of these bugs as they
> can.
> > >
> > > All of it boils down to good field guides which can be used
> easily. With
> > > birds you can start with a guide which covers the entire country
> (although
> > > the eastern US has always had the luxury of a local guide in the
> Peterson
> > > series where the eastern birds are split off and then the far
> greater
> > > diversity in the rest of the country is dumped into a Western
> guide) A
> > bunch
> > > of people (like me) did not get into really trying to identify
> all the
> > > butterflies here until others did all the work for us lazy soles
> and
> > gave us
> > > good books to learn them easily. The problem with beetles is
> even more
> > than
> > > with the butterflies - there are a lot more of them. The
> Peterson
> > guide can
> > > only get us usually to genus and we have to be happy at that.
> > >
> > > These books by people like Acorn, Bird, Kondla, Pike, Sperling,
> Hilchie,
> > > Guppy and Shepard are written by people who really want to share
> what they
> > > know about these creatures and not to make a lot of money
> slapping together
> > > something which is supposed to cover a huge area (but does so
> inadequately)
> > > in the hopes of having a lot of customers. They realize that we
> cannot
> > > protect what we do not know and what is not appreciated by
> enough people to
> > > matter to politicians. The books mentioned above are mainly
> labours of
> > love
> > > and I am sure did not even start to cover the authors time
> invested. Best I
> > > can do is encourage people to use them.
> > >
> > > If you know a group of insects well in your area find a local
> publisher OR
> > > put together a web site to share your information with others.
> Get the
> > > information out there in a convenient form and people will use
> it.
> > >
> > > Barb
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: Michael Gochfeld [mailto:gochfeld at EOHSI.RUTGERS.EDU]
> > > Sent: March 30, 2002 5:34 AM
> > > To: Ron Gatrelle
> > > Cc: TILS group
> > > Subject: Re: [leps-talk] Birds to bugs
> > >
> > > I share (or shared) Ron's beetle frustration, and am
> experiencing the same
> > > with
> > > wasps and bees which
> > > are attracted to nectar sources in our garden. I'd like to know
> more about
> > > them, but many elude species-level identification.
> > > But that is because we (like the birders) are species jingoists.
> > > If we don't know the species name, the thing holds no interest
> for
> > us. Yet,
> > > if
> > > it is something that we are not specifically studying, why is
> knowing the
> > > genus
> > >
> > > (or even the family) not enough to convey a sense of
> appreciation.
> > >
> > > Mike Gochfeld
> > >
> > > Ron Gatrelle wrote:
> > >
> > > > Alex wrote
> > > >
> > > > snips
> > > > >
> > > > > I found in dealing with certain individuals who have, in
> particular, a
> > > > > background in Ornithology or "bird-watching", that there is
> a certain
> > > > > ignorance in WHAT the study of the butterflies involves. One
> prominent
> > > > > person, in particular, was quite offensive to me when he
> advised me
> > that
> > > > > "all those subspecies and forms" which I am concerned about
> > knowing, are
> > > > > "inconsequential and a waste of time", and that the system
> employed in
> > > > > "modern butterfly study" works quite well for birds.
> > > > >
> > > > > Well, we are not dealing with birds, rather with
> butterflies.
> > > > >
> > > >
> > > > I predict that we will never have full fledged Beetle
> Watchers. I got a
> > > > tiny bit interested in beetles several years ago when the
> famous eastern
> > > US
> > > > lepster Steve Roman started getting interested in Tiger
> Beetles. Once I
> > > > began to find that many beetle species can not be told apart
> by just
> > > > looking at them - various chemical or DNA analysis were
> necessary with
> > > > many - I lost interest. Oh sure there are plenty of beetles,
> bugs,
> > > hoppers
> > > > etc. than one can eyeball ID. But to really get into them?
> Well, we are
> > > > talking about the largest order of critters on the planet -
> thousands of
> > > > tiny LBJs. (little brown jobs) that all look just alike.
> > > >
> > > > The point is that as we move from mammals to bacteria - the
> methodologies
> > > > shift in increments. I know sometimes we lepidopterists seem
> to be
> > > > "chewing" on the birders, and this may be so. We are just
> trying to say
> > > > that only part of the birder stuff works here - the oval peg
> does not fit
> > > > in the round hole. On the other hand we lepidopterists feel
> (a paranoid
> > > > thought) we are being "pecked" at by _some_ of the birders who
> have
> > hopped
> > > > over. (I don't count Kenn among these)
> > > >
> > > > Does one want a general knowledge of butterflies? moths?
> wasps? flies?
> > > > what? Or, does one want to gain an in-depth knowledge of
> > butterflies --
> > > > and/or moths? Within any area, the depth to which one
> wishes to go
> > will
> > > > dictate the types of books, methods, time etc devoted to that
> desired
> > > > depth. There is not a "universal standard" of book, method,
> time etc.
> > > that
> > > > will facilitate all levels. So there needs to be diversity of
> > > > literature -- and activities. The problem is when one type or
> book or
> > > > activity is being shoved upon all by one perspective
> (regardless of its
> > > > "level" of depth).
> > > >
> > > > Ron
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know." ©
> 1999
> > > >
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> > > > For more information: http://www.tils-ttr.org
> > > >
> > > >
> > > >
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> > >
> > > TILS Motto: "We can not protect that which we do not know." ©
> 1999
> > >
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> >
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