Subject: Re: Big "R" vs Big "C" birding
Date: Feb 23 07:33:31 1997
From: jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca - jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca


Burt wrote -

> Exactly. Years ago, Peterson mentioned one ornithologist who referred to
> it as ornithogolfing. It's always exciting to see new birds or other
> animals, but if your only interest is in getting a longer list you might
> as well take up stamp or Barbie doll collecting. These are fascinating
> living creatures, and the challenge is to identify them, enjoy their
> beauty, learn about their lives, and stop people from destroying them and
> their habitats.

All right. It's about time we had this out. It has gone around just about
every other birding organization/group the past year or so. The politically-
correct notion these days is that "Big R" (recreational) birding is
tantamount to sleeping with the devil while "Big C" (conservation-based)
birding is purer than the driven snow. It is all such a pile of petrel doodoo.
We members of the relatively rich, well-to-do, "First World" (choke) order
are always so happy to pass judgement on others of our own kind. This while
we gobble down our plantation bananas and swill that plantation coffee. Yes,
there are those who are only into the birding thing for the thrill of it all.
But there is no way I am going to sit back here and start casting stones
at them from my privileged little glass house. All the power to those who
care enough about an issue to try to improve things. But please don't drag it
down by relegating those who don't to the evolutionary scrap heap. It just
gives "the cause" a distasteful aura of dogma and elitism.

- Jack




Jack Bowling
Prince George, BC
jcbowling at mindlink.bc.ca