Conservation Practices

[cakadu]

At the Land Use Conference, it was brought up several times that conserving what we have is everyone's responsibility. How do we get the urbanites interested in preserving the burrowing owl for example? How feasible would it be to ask them how much an acre of burrowing owl habitat would be worth to them?

One fellow stated that the wilderness areas, mountains etc. were all seen as priceless to people, yet we attach no "market" value to them. People want to go out to these areas for peace and solitude, but how do they treat them once they are there.

It all comes down to education and awareness and one of the Riparian specialists put it this way:

We protect what we love
We love what we understand
We understand what we are taught

[Deb]

You took excellent notes Cakadu! Wasn't Lorne Fitch wonderful? That is who said that quote, I remember.

There is more interest in nature. there are oodles of TV channels about wildlife. I think it is dawning on people that if we don't do something soon, the next generation will only see some of these animals at a zoo. The mainstream media does not cover these issues much. We need a whole section in the papers devoted to the environment. Look at the size of the sports section, the market section and even the travel section in the newspaper. There is not enough coverage of the "real" world.

We need more coverage in women's and homemaker's magazines and we need more conversation with teenagers, universities, etc. I've done my part over the years and still do when called upon to give talks.

Yes, we should put a "market" value on wildlife, I guess, but I would hope that as we attempt this, an awakening public would say, "But that's silly, how can you put a price on love?" Then maybe we could say aha! exactly! So tell us what price you would pay to save the different little ecosystems (Gardens of Eden).

[dalek]

Most urban people have no problem with trying to save endangered species - just force farmers to pay for it. Thus the current Endangered Species Act that would pay about 50% compensation for land that you lose 100% of the productive use of. As long as we're outnumbered, we'll continue to pay for protecting species.