NATURE; ARE WE DOING THE RIGHT THING?

The day will start with a 20-30 minute "lecture", explaining that our objective is to bring the group more in touch with our environment by taking a long and involved walk together inside and around the exciting milieu of Ballintemple and the Slaney river.

This introduction to the day will indicate some of the issues that will be touched upon but will also state that as the day, the prevailing weather and the visible flora and fauna will vary enormously there will be a lot of improvisation and perhaps some disappointment.

The following subjects will be introduced (hopefully posing questions and raising awareness levels):-

· Man as a predator and "hunter-gatherer" and man as a fauna manager
· Hunting for food; from spears to modern firearms via falcons.
· The nonsensical concept of the "balance of nature"
· Some ethical aspects of harvesting animals for food and changing attitudes.
· Our record as keepers of the planet's fauna does not give rise to optimism for the future.

It is not my intention to start a debate on these topics; it is merely a conceptual framework in which I would like participants to see what lives and breathes in nature and that our understanding of and respect for wildlife in all shapes has not improved with our developed knowledge of nature over the past hundred or so generations Different strokes……………Different societies and cultures can afford different moral and ethical values.

We set off on our walk........From the lodge , we meander down to Wilson's pool on the river and on the way we hope to spot and discuss a number of birds and mammals. Among these:-
·
Rabbit . What a mess with myxomatosis (man-made) and predator control.
Badger. Stop at sett and explain wonderful housekeeping habits and strengths. Still persecuted for perceived connection to bovine TB . Diet
Mink. Escapee from fur farms. Mad robber and predator. Another human failure

On this stretch we touch on a number of birds and talk about feeding habits, habitat, residency, breeding habits etc. for instance:-

· Pigeon
· Heron
· Swallow
· Kingfisher
· Various hedgerow birds

On the riverbank, we talk about this ecosystem and all the wonderful and mystic things that happen in and around a river. The fish that live and breed in it, the insect life, the plants, the water etc. etc .Again , poor human management and governmental regulation now appear to have led to deterioration of stock levels in this river. We will talk about:-

· Salmon; It's peculiar habits in the sea and freshwater
· Trout.
· Other aquatic life

Depending on weather, we will have lunch al fresco or in the hut on the riverbank.

After lunch we will continue our walk along the river and hopefully spot or at least find traces and/or spoor from the following wildlife:-

·Otter - What a magnificent mammal. It used to be hunted with a pack of dogs and persecuted by river keepers
· Sparrow hawk - feeds on pigeon along the river; other birds of prey
· Owls
· Raven - (Nest near sheep wash) Discuss whole family of corvids, i.e. magpie, crow, rook, jackdaw, (note prof. Lorenz) etc. and it's influence on other bird populations
· Pheasant - originally an import for the gentry's pleasure
· Grouse and partridge -should be completely protected
· Woodcock - This most mystic of birds; does she carry her young?
· Snipe and other waders

Through the old water garden and eventually through the bog we make our way to the House and on to the Lodge. Along the way we may see some wildlife, such as: -

· Fox - a few snippets from the press will suffice
· Duck - The dozen or so kinds that are seen in Ireland as Teal, Widgeon, Pintail, Mallard, etc.

If we have been accompanied on our walk by dogs, we could talk a little bit about the origin of man's best friend . Tracing various kinds of breeds back to Canis Lupus (Wolf) or Canis Aureus (Jackall). Many working breeds have been bred specifically to assist human beings to do a job such as to herd animals, to hunt, to track, and many more.

G.J. van Soest

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