Children knowing nothing about wildlife

[andyfr1968 772]

My eldest son Oscar's nearly 12 now but when he was very young I used to read him a story called 'The Very Bad Rabbit', I can't remember the details too clearly now but basically it was about this bunny with a bad attitude who used to go around being mean to the other creatures and 'cos of his mis-deeds he ended up being shot by the farmer....

 

Anyway, one afternoon I'd come back home after a mornings shooting and I was skinning and gutting some rabbits in the back garden when Oscar toddled up to me with a rather worried look on his face and asked.... 'Daddy? You do only shoot bad rabbits, don't you??'. Bless, he'll have been about 2 at the time...

 

He comes out with me regularly now shooting and helping out on the estate and his younger brother Toby's started to join us too and they both love being out and about.

 

I count myself very lucky, I live in a city but I've always loved the country. My Dad used to take me out when I was a boy and I find it a joy to do the same with my own children but the vast majority of city dweller's aren't like that.

 

Shame..... Don't know what they're missing.

 

Cheers.

Edited July 3, 2010 by andyfr1968

[McKay 37]

I think sometimes it depends on if the kid wants to learn aswell. Non of my family have ever really been into wildlife/hunting apart from my dad who used to have an impressive egg collection when he was a kid and knows a little bit about animals, but I have always been fascinated by them and loved them, I was always reading books or watching nature shows on the telly when I was a kid and still do. I was always the odd kid for loving animals haha, always on the lookout for injured birds and stuff to take home, even if it was a pigeon. If it was taught in schools it would encourage a positive attitude towards our native wildife, but schools teach us f**k all, we dont learn about tax, mortgages or anything that we need to know realy, the things we are taught in schools are only worth learning if you want to become a teacher of that subject.

[bert the fert 28]

I think it's a crying shame that children are so detached from the countryside. My daughter is twelve now but since she was a little tot, she's been able to identify various wildlife tracks, hedgerow plants, bird calls etc. She understands exactly where her food comes from, and how it gets from field to table.

 

I remember when she was about 5 years old, she was invited for tea to a class mates house. When the class mates mum brought our little one home afterwards I asked if she'd been good and the mum laughed and said she'd been a star, apart from when the mum asked her what she'd like for tea. The mum had reeled off a list of kiddy faves; fish fingers, chicken nuggets, pizza, spaghetti on toast etc. Our little tot had looked downcast momentarily, then brightened and asked " Can I have duck ? "

 

They actually thought we were posh !! Fer gawds sake.

Edited July 4, 2010 by bert the fert

[lurchergrrl 1,441]

Since I grew up in a city in another country, I've had the joy of exploring the countryside here with my kids as they grow. It's fab We see all sorts when we're out. Picnics and walks with the kids and dogs are cheap, cheerful and entertaining so we tend to do it a lot. I didn't have that when I was growing up.

 

My son's year one class recently went on a 'mini-beast hunt' walk, in a place that my kids have been going to since they were in their pushchair (very, very hard work walking dogs and pushing a double chair through muddy fields, I can tell you ). We see a lot back there, kingfishers, kestrels, deer, rabbits etc. So I picked him up after school and asked him how the walk went. He said it was good, and he told his class that I took him lamping back there a couple of months ago. He said he had to explain what lamping was tho, and then pointed out where the rabbits are for them

[steboro 26]

when i was a nipper we used to get up at 6.pint of milk of some ones doorstep on the way to the country.egg collecting was part of my childhood.climbing trees, swimming in lakes, i remember one time seeing 2 men with shotguns .i was about 13 they had the pigeon decoys in one field but all the pigeons were in another field so they said to us if you chase the pigeons off we will give u 50p and a go of the gun that was a good day. the wildlife u seen when we were out we used to go and look it up in books.when i am in the countryside now u dont see kids there all at home on the laptops and xboxes

[Guest fence_hopper]

my little fella came home from school friday said his class mates think a ferret is a parrot kids lol

[foxdigger13 114]

what realy pisses me off is when im at school and people call me cruel for hunting and shooting animals when they know nothing about hunting, manegmant or the animals that i hunt.

Edited July 4, 2010 by foxdigger13

[Guest fence_hopper]

well dont talk about it in school then

[Catcher 1 639]

I think it's a crying shame that children are so detached from the countryside. My daughter is twelve now but since she was a little tot, she's been able to identify various wildlife tracks, hedgerow plants, bird calls etc. She understands exactly where her food comes from, and how it gets from field to table.

 

I remember when she was about 5 years old, she was invited for tea to a class mates house. When the class mates mum brought our little one home afterwards I asked if she'd been good and the mum laughed and said she'd been a star, apart from when the mum asked her what she'd like for tea. The mum had reeled off a list of kiddy faves; fish fingers, chicken nuggets, pizza, spaghetti on toast etc. Our little tot had looked downcast momentarily, then brightened and asked " Can I have duck ? "

 

They actually thought we were posh !! Fer gawds sake.

 

 

Can i have duck. :clapper:

[MuttleMcTuttle 21]

My son has a friend that comes round to stay , i showed him a wildlife book and he thought a hare was a kangaroo and didnt have a clue when i showed him a picture of a badger but the sad thing is , he knows all about the drugs and the theiving , he knows the routine of the police raiding his house, he came here once to stay over the night he ended up staying a week , we had him out across the fields on the quads, he loved it , i felt terrible taking him back cause he didnt want to go, it is sad that children dont know our wildlife.

 

That is so sad... I dread to think how many other kids are in the same situation and are going to end up on the trash heap...

 

It's a bit different out here in the country and I'm not sure that it's anything new for town kids to be ignorant of wildlife and countryside stuff. But I'd have thought that with all the TV programmes on the subject that they would have had a better understanding of it. I guess their Mums are too busy watching all the soaps and celebrity crap to make sure their kids watch anything vaguely educational, and why would they care anyway?

 

I seem to remember having "nature" lessons at primary school, and even at the state grammar school it was considered okay to have a day off to go hunting, presumably falling off ponies was "character building"... I doubt it's the case today, but I am very old and it was even considered okay to take days off to help on the farms, etc, back in those days.

[Guest traceyg]

When i have a spare half hour i will read this topic and and ask for addresses of the ones that has made me smile and send the child involved a prize