Hello Judith, As a birder, ecologist, and sometimes conservation educator and environmental advocate I share your frustration with this. First of all I must emphasize that in my experience there are many, many birders who care passionately and effectively about more than their life list with respect to birds. However, after many years of trying to influence adult behavior on this point I've simply decided that the old saw "it takes all kinds" applies to this as well. I do believe that adult behavior sometimes can be influenced over time so giving up is not an option. But total conversion is not a realistic expectation so should not be a source of frustration.
Regards, Daniel L. Tufford, Ph.D. University of South Carolina Department of Biological Sciences 209A Sumwalt (office) 701 Sumter St, Room 401 (mail) Columbia, SC 29208 Ph. 803-777-3292, Fx: 803-777-3292 e-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] web: http://www.biol.sc.edu/~tufford -----Original Message----- From: Ecological Society of America: grants, jobs, news [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Judith S. Weis Sent: Monday, August 13, 2007 2:23 PM To: ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU Subject: Re: primate watching One would hope that primate watchers (or watchers of anything else) would become a bit more interested in the behaviors, life history etc. of the creatures they watch than many birders who couldn't care less about the biology of the birds they see, but just want to check them off their list. Does anybody know a way to get these people interested in the life history, behavior etc. of the birds and their conservation rather than just adding names to their lists? > There are currently estimated to be 625 species and subspecies of > primates,= > and 26% of those are in immediate danger of extinction (Critically > Endange= > red or Endangered). That may seem like only a few primates to some > people,= > but to those of us who work in primate conservation, it is 160 taxa too > ma= > ny.=0A=0AAsia actually leads the world in endangered primates with 55 taxa > = > (some down to a handful of individuals), Neotropics with 34, Africa with > 33= > , and Madagascar with 28. The Primate Specialist Group of the IUCN's > Speci= > es Survival Commission, Conservation International, and the International > P= > rimatological Society put out a list of the Top 25 Most Endangered > Primates= > every 2 years (the list created during the 2006 IPS meetings should be > rel= > eased soon). As is said every other year when that list is debated, the > li= > st could easily be 50 or 100 species long. Check out the Red List or the > 2= > 004 list of the top 25 most endangered primates > (http://web.conservation.or= > g/xp/news/press_releases/2005/040705.xml). =0A=0AJulie Wieczkowski, > admit= > tedly someone who studies one of the 43 endangered primates in Africa=0A = > =0A----- Original Message ----=0AFrom: William Silvert > <[EMAIL PROTECTED] >>=0ATo: [EMAIL PROTECTED]: Monday, August 13, 2007 6:40:18 >> A= > M=0ASubject: Re: primate watching=0A=0A=0AThis is an interesting idea, but > = > the analogy to bird-watching is weak. There =0Aare only a few primates > that= > are serously endangered, mostly the great apes, =0Aand I think that > anyone= > motivated by life lists would simply head for =0AMadagascar and count > lemu= > rs. I suspect that getting a lot of spotters into =0Athe field would have > a= > negative impact on the species being spotted.=0A=0AIt is worth keeping in > = > mind that one of the most successful measures in bird =0Aconservation is > th= > e habitat preservation by Ducks Unlimited, whose motive is =0Ato shoot > duck= > s!=0A=0ABill Silvert=0A=0A=0A----- Original Message ----- =0AFrom: "WENDEE > = > HOLTCAMP" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>=0ATo: > <ECOLOG-L@LISTSERV.UMD.EDU>=0ASent:= > Sunday, August 12, 2007 7:19 PM=0ASubject: primate watching=0A=0A=0A>I > rea= > d something recently where someone was pondering whether we could=0A> > creat= > e a system of primate watching, similar to birdwatching, as a way to=0A> > ch= > annel funds into primate conservation. So instead of life lists for =0A> > bi= > rds=0A> (or in addition to) they would have life lists for primates. I > thou= > ght =0A> this=0A> was really interesting and was just going to try to > pitch= > an article on =0A> it,=0A> but now I can't seem to find it anywhere - I > di= > dn't find it from a google=0A> search and I can't remember if I saw this > in= > the news or a scientific=0A> journal TOC, or what. I am pretty sure it > was= > a primatologist or=0A> biologist/ecologist making the statement.=0A>=0A>= > =0A>=0A> Does this ring any bells for anyone? If so please contact me > offli= > st=0A> [EMAIL PROTECTED]>=0A> Wendee=0A>=0A> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~= > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=0A>=0A> Wendee Holtcamp * Freelance Writer * > = > Photographer * Bohemian=0A>=0A> > <http://www.wendeeholtcamp.= > com/>=0A> http://www.wendeeholtcamp.com=0A> Bohemian Adventures Blog * > <ht= > tp://bohemianadventures.blogspot.com/>=0A> > http://bohemianadventures.blogsp= > ot.com=0A>=0A> The Fish Wars: A Christian Evolutionist =0A> > <http://thefish= > wars.blogspot.com/>=0A> http://thefishwars.blogspot.com=0A> > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~= > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~=0A> Online Writing Course Starts Sep 15. > Si= > gn Up Now!=0A>=0A>=0A>=0A>=0A=0AJulie Wieczkowski, Ph.D.=0AAssistant > Profes= > sor=0ADepartment of Anthropology=0A332 Pafford=0AUniversity of West > Georgia= > =0ACarrollton, GA 30118=0A678-839-6458 (ph)=0A678-839-6466 > (fax)=0Ajuliewhi= > [EMAIL PROTECTED]/~jwhiz >
