After all the discussions about what you can or can't do in Parks, I ask the question, can you teach respect for nature?That's why I'm interested in your story, was there a time you remember, that triggered your passion? May be like my memories? When I was a tiny girl (about4), my mother took me into the forest in the South of France,every Sunday. We used to sit for hours and "listen to the silence" as my mother called it. Mum made up the most beautiful stories about birds,insects andplants, It laid the foundation for my respect for everything that lives on this planet, and is of equal importance.I still look at nature with the same excitement! Am I right,that most of you have started out loving birds like this? Is this how a child learns respect? Please tell your story, if you feel like it,I'm most interested to hear from you.
Hi,
For the first half of my life(which was only 6 yrs) I lived in Ingham. I remember going on long rainforest treks with my gradfather and listening intently to the stories that he told me. My brother and sister didn't want to have anything to do with my gradfather which eventually led to their lack of respect for living things.
I think people do need to be taught respect for life. But i only think it can be taught at a young age as when you are young you don't have your own opinions about things.
Hi QLDBird, thanks for your story, very similar to mine.Great grandfather!How sad to hear about your brother and sister.If the first half of your life was 6 years, are you only 12 now? If so, what a great girl! hope you see lots of exciting birds!
M-L
Hi, strangely enough I also lived the first 8 years of my life in Ingham, it was a great place to grow up in the 1960s. I actually grew up out at Victoria Mill. It was a huge influence on me living in such a beautiful place with so much nature, and fruit growing everywhere for the picking. Now I live on a farm near Bathurst NSW but have tried to educate my children with respect for the beauty of nature, I think you can teach respect but you can also learn it from your surroundings.
Hi Araminta,
Yes I am 12 and I am a boy. This weekend we are going to Lamington National Park and I am dredding the whinging a whining of my siblings.
GregL,
I live near Ripple Creek. My Grandparents own a property along the herbert river so we got a wide variety of bird life coming near the house. I hope you had a good childhood like mine (and its still going!).
Hi, sorry about the boy/girl mixup.Hope you have a great weekend! Yes, Grandparents are a fantastic invention. I used to spend all my summers with mine in the Camargue (France),where the wild Horses and Flamingos live.
M-L
I've heard of the Camargue horses. Your childhood sounds lovely Araminta. Yours too QLDBird, how sad that your brother and sister chose to miss out. And Greg. Seems to me kids who grow up in medium or high density housing would potentially have a harder time learning to appreciate nature. It doesn't have to be that way though IMO. Look at the inspiring stories on tv about community gardens and rooftop gardens, even in high density development nature can be included.
I might have to give the question some more thought. I grew up in the "bush capital" and we had a big backyard so nature was never far away. No specific memories of my family come immediately to mind but I'm sure they must have been a positive influence.
Just discovered this discussion.... I am not sure that I agree totally with you QLDbird. I think any person is redeemable when it comes to being open to nature . Of course it is far easier for those who have been lucky enough to be exposed to it at an early age. I was fortunate enough to have a wonderful mother who was an artist and loved to paint botanical flower paintings. She is now educating my own daughter ( Tweetybird) in the same knowledge and love for flowers and nature that she did with me. However, I think there are certain life changing experiences that can open any soul to this other world. Firstly I think confronting your own mortality will do it better than anything, speaking from personal experience. Being fortunate enough to live in Queensland has certainly done a lot for me and my interest in birds. As a Kiwi, the farmlands etc were pretty void of native wildlife and our possums were cause for hunting and gaming and still are over there.... and for good reason unfortunately. When we went back there to live (after 23 years in Oz for me) I was appalled to see the Kindergartens getting pre schoolers to go out with their dads and hunt possums to raise funds for their school!!!!! Those kids haven't got a hope of respecting wildlife unless careful teaching from their fathers and uncles etc explains the reasons behind the cull. For me, many Kiwis in my area were far too gun happy for me to tolerate. There are many over there who are conservationists though and that is a learned lesson.
I have adult friends and neighbours who started out smiling politely at my constant reference to birds and so on around my area. I have found that by sharing my favourite shots on Facebook, my family and friends are gaining a new perspective on the whole deal. They love to see them and make comments and are generally amazed. Now many of them will tell me when they have seen something, and get excited about it.
Knowledge and appreciation comes from an ever evolving source of media and that is one of the ways I can open older minds to what they may be missing :)
However the future rests with those as young as you QLDbird so get those broad shoulders ready :)
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Thank you so much Birdie. I had a tear in my eye.
I can always count on you for such wonderful posts.
Hi birdie and QLDBird,thanks for turning this post into a great discussion. I whish my English was good enough to write like you two,sometimes I get a bit scared that I make lots of spelling mistakes,English is only my third language,I have no problems reading, it's just the writing. As for birds,at first it was very hard,going for walks in the bush, I didn't recognize any birds,(only introduced species)I had to buy books, and look them up.But thanks to all of you,I will get better? But I agree with you birdie,all power to QLDBird you are an inspiration,the birds are counting on you!
M-L
Araminta, may I just say that I am extremely envious of you growing up in the South of France. Are you French or was that a 2nd language too?
I was a passionate student of the French language right up through to University, where unfortunately I did not ever finish my degree and pursue my dream to be a French/ English teacher. To this day I have not set foot in the country that fired my passions when I was a student :) ... but am hoping to travel there one day with my own daughter who seems to have followed my interest in languages etc. I did however spend a few months in Tahiti with French friends and that satisfied my curiosity in all things French at the time LOL
@ QLDbird ..... wow thank you ... that is high praise coming from someone of your gender and age!! A tear huh??? well good on you, is all I can say.... let your feelings and passions run deep on the things you believe in and care for.
Also Araminta... just so you know.. I, too, have been teaching my daughter to "listen to the silence" for some time now. As she recently chose to be baptised and therefore hears a lot about the voice of God, she is keen to know how she will recognise it. My answer is listen to the silence of the bush, and the noises of the birds etc and you will know!
great discussion guys
cheers
Birdie
Sunshine Coast Queensland
Its my pleasure bidie. And again, thanks. :)
Hi birdie,it would be nice if you didn't live far from me, we could speak some french. French and German were the two languages I learned simultaneously , Mum's family french, Dad's german.I lived in Germany in winter, in France in summer,after I started school.I'm Australian now!!(but I still go to France once a year to visit friends and family. keep safe
M-L