AFON
Loving Wildlife: From Weird to Normal – by James Common
Welcome to our series of blog posts in the run up to the general election (7th May 2015). Over this month AFON members will share their own Visions for Nature: what they want the natural world to look like by 2050 and how they want to get there. We have created a hashtag on Twitter so why not join the conversation? What’s your #VisionforNature?
The chances are if you are currently between the ages of 15-25 and reading this article you will agree with what I am about to say. At a young age those who enjoy the natural world are rarely viewed as “cool” among their peers and may, on occasion, face stigmatisation and cruel jibes as a result of their chosen hobby. Whether you are a budding entomologist, ecologist or like me, ornithologist, your favoured pastimes are often scoffed at by other young people; those who prefer to spend their time drinking, playing sports or sat in front of the TV watching the latest episode of Geordie Shore. For me this was particularly true at school where simple taunts quickly reached epidemic proportions, and young people are forced to try and conform with the “norm” in order to fit in or, like me, glide undetected under the radar. Wildlife it seems is not fashionable, and in my opinion this outdated and narrow-minded outlook among young people needs to change. This is my vision for nature.
Looking back a few years it is safe to say I did not enjoy school, with my love of the wild forging a clear divide between myself and my classmates. Whilst others engaged in different pursuits, I opted for a more natural setting and spent the majority of my time combing the local woodland or estuary, observing birds and soaking up all the natural world had to offer. Why this alienated me from the student body I do not know, but by my own admission there were many times during my early academic career that I felt almost ashamed to feel the way I did. Looking back now this was silly; but at the time when school seemed like the be all and end all the whole issue proved thoroughly depressing; often to such an extent that I wound up hiding my “wild side” and disguising my love of nature entirely. Indeed by the time I finally left high school I had developed a near split personality; “sneaking out birding” and rarely broaching the subject with even my closest friends. Maybe I was a one off and for others things are not as bad but the stigma associated with being a young naturalist has to potential to greatly impact the life of a young person. Branding them weird, odd and unusual, and leading to a great deal of personal anguish. For me those days are thankfully over, but to this day it saddens me whenever I hear of young people claiming embarrassment at their chosen hobby or others who like me lead a double life, disguising their passion and conforming to the misplaced norm that prevails within our schools.
The labels attached to young naturalists can on occasion be attributed to a dislike of individualism and as anyone who has ever dyed their hair a funny colour may attest, kids do not always take kindly to those who stand out. For me however, this stereotyping is a sign of a much wider problem, a population that has become increasingly disconnected from nature. No longer is it the norm for children to play outside, catch insects, get dirty and observe animals. Now children find themselves glued to a TV screen, rarely stepping foot outdoors and many it seems could not identify a Blue Tit or Bumblebee if it landed on their face or stung them. This both saddens and frustrates me though given the lack of knowledge is it any wonder than anyone who bucks the trend is looked upon as an outsider, enjoying something wholly incomprehensible to the vast majority of young people? This needs to change.
At present I dream of wider education relating to the natural world. I wish for a generation of young people that once again embrace the charms of Mother Nature, and once again immerse themselves in the thrills and spills of an outdoor life. Should this occur; whether through a change to the curriculum or a change in attitude maybe then people like myself and so many others I know will stop being looked upon with suspicion and distaste. As I said at the beginning; wildlife is not cool but it should be and those who dedicate their life to studying, observing and above all else enjoying it should not be off put by the misguided animosity of others. I wish for a generation of young people who wear their binoculars with pride, a generation that openly talks about last night’s episode of Springwatch and is not ashamed to post related photos to social media. The education system must change to accommodate natural history; increasing understanding and above all else reconnecting Britain’s misguided youth with their natural heritage. This is my vision for nature.
