tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939528489287886153.post8557308519962629272..comments2024-03-24T19:02:41.190+00:00Comments on Martin's Moths: Change the date?MartinWainwrighthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08383027708524885786noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939528489287886153.post-12519880110559844332010-05-17T07:55:30.120+01:002010-05-17T07:55:30.120+01:00Hi Allan - and Hi to your wife; I very much sympat...Hi Allan - and Hi to your wife; I very much sympathise with her view. The doom approach can certainly galvanise people but so can an emphasis on the wonder and continuing abundance of the natural world - and the fact that there is so much for us still to discover. Doom also risks the reaction which we all learned about as children with the story of the boy who cried 'Wolf!'<br />I think that finding out what data is being used is always useful. I know that small samples can accurately reflect large trends, but I do wonder about Butterfly Conservation's suggestion that moth numbers have fallen by a third in 40 years (in the UK).<br />Anyway, one very good thing bout the net and blogging is the revelation of how many people are making observations and recording them; although I well understand that any scientist may be frustrated by the haphazard methodology of someone like myself, and I will try to improve.<br />I'm enjoying Stand and Stare as ever.<br />All v best for now, MMartinWainwrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08383027708524885786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939528489287886153.post-8904832325831834762010-05-16T23:26:48.539+01:002010-05-16T23:26:48.539+01:00Interesting post and discussion. Good-news-is-no-n...Interesting post and discussion. Good-news-is-no-news syndrome strikes again? My wife - not a naturalist but someone who takes a general interest (not that she has much choice living with me!)- can no longer bear to watch natural history programmes on tv. She complains of the constant 'we're all doomed' woe-is-us tone. So Phil has a point. <br />I'm not a scientist either Martin -just a rank amateur - but I must say I find it hard to share your and Phil's optimism. Maybe the answer is to stop listening to the messages from the conservation organisations! It's just that I find this hard to do when its from people I assume know more than I do.<br />AllanNyctalushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03529729794764990304noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939528489287886153.post-39947965449754983962010-05-16T19:55:24.050+01:002010-05-16T19:55:24.050+01:00Hi Phil
Thanks very much for your view which is r...Hi Phil<br /><br />Thanks very much for your view which is reassuring - I'm no scientist but I am dubious about these practices in just the way you suggest. I'm also an optimist - much the better way of approaching the glass! All warmest wishes, MartinMartinWainwrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08383027708524885786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939528489287886153.post-34487223935831770912010-05-16T16:33:02.100+01:002010-05-16T16:33:02.100+01:00Hi Martin, I share your scepticism about some of t...Hi Martin, I share your scepticism about some of the so-called statistics that are used by some conservation organisations for publicity purposes. It seems to me that plant and animal populations vary a great deal from place to place and fluctuate drastically over time, so unless these figures are based on well-designed studies at multiple locations over a long enough time period to genuinely pick up long-term trends they need to be taken with a pinch of salt, not extrapolated into worst-case scenarios for the whole of our locally diverse country. So much conservation organisation PR is based on either threats of imminent disaster or scare tactics, of the alien-bugs-are-destroying-our-countryside ilk. But maybe I'm a glass-half-full naturalist. Despite the recent winter I have more bumblebees in my garden than I can ever remember and I have just come back from a walk in Weardale where I saw the most stunning display of primroses in 35 years of walking the dale. Breathtaking.Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15609107148344256875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939528489287886153.post-70144666994098126282010-05-16T13:46:28.498+01:002010-05-16T13:46:28.498+01:00Thanks Andy - that's very interesting. I appre...Thanks Andy - that's very interesting. I appreciate that they change the date each year to try to cover the seasons, but it seems ill-advised to have the big PR push - aimed at novices, families etc - at a time like this. That could be held in June and July and while local groups and enthusiasts keep up the good work all year round.<br />all v best<br />MMartinWainwrighthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08383027708524885786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1939528489287886153.post-42241682313300615552010-05-16T11:57:38.827+01:002010-05-16T11:57:38.827+01:00well said Martin,s NMN should be in June /July .I ...well said Martin,s NMN should be in June /July .I HAD 30 MEMBERS OF THE GENERAL PUBIC turn up for 1 Common Quaker up here in Halifax,there was a good show on the bat front which saved the evening.(just)AndyChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01249179467388174873noreply@blogger.com