Some Thoughts Regarding My Talk on “Open Space In The Urban Environment”
What to Do if a Child is Interested in Insects and You Do Not Know Where to Start
Some Thoughts Regarding My Talk on “Open Space In The Urban Environment”
“A thing is right when it tends to preserve the integrity, stability, and beauty of the biotic community.”
— ALDO LEOPOLD
“For unnumbered centuries of human history the wilderness has given way. The priority of industry has become dogma. Are we as yet sufficiently enlightened to realize that we must now challenge that dogma, or do without our wilderness? Do we realize that industry, which has been our good servant, might make a poor master? Let no man expect that one lone government bureau is able — even tho’ it be willing — to thrash out this question alone. … Our remnants of wilderness will yield bigger values to the nation’s character and health than they will to its pocketbook, and to destroy them will be to admit that the latter are the only values that interest us.”
— ALDO LEOPOLD
“If we had in the city six vacant lots available to youngsters of a certain neighborhood for playing ball, it might be ‘development’ to build houses on the first, and the second, and the third, and the fourth, and even on the fifth, but when we build houses on the last one, we forget what houses are for. The sixth house would not be development at all but rather stupidity.”
— ALDO LEOPOLD
“It is a wholesome and necessary thing for us to turn again to the earth and in contemplation at her beauties to know the sense of wonder and humility.”
— RACHEL CARSON
“To waste, to destroy, our natural resources, to skin and exhaust the land instead of using it so as to increase its usefulness, will result in undermining in the days of our children the very prosperity which we ought by right to hand down to them…”
— THEODORE ROOSEVELT
“When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world.”
— JOHN MUIR
“To make an apple pie from scratch, we must first invent the universe.”
— CARL SAGAN
“Never a day passes but that I do myself the honor to commune with some of nature’s varied forms.”
— GEORGE WASHINGTON CARVER
“I believe that it is not only important to save the great ecosystems of the world but to promote the conservation and creation of local urban ‘wild-life friendly’ open spaces. People concerned with local natural quality of life issues will value ‘wild life friendly’ open space and those that do not care will build on them or turn them into refuse sites. It is not only important to educate but to both propose alternative uses in these open places and promote actions that will elevate the quality of all life in the community.”
— STEVEN R KUTCHER
“When a person values the native living things in their own neighborhood, the result will be a better quality of life for posterity.”
— STEVEN R KUTCHER
“What is the extinction of a condor to a child who has never known a wren?”
— ROBERT M. PYLE. The Thunder Tree
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What to Do if a Child is Interested in Insects and You Do Not Know Where to Start
This letter is typical of those I receive…..
Dear Steve,
I see you are coming to San Diego to speak in October — PERFECT!
My daughter who is 8 has been (since 18mos), and still is, totally
fascinated with bugs and insects. I am wondering if you have any
recommendations for any type of “bug program”, science program for my
budding 8 year old entomologist?
We are located in Encinitas (San Diego), CA. Your thoughts are much
appreciated as to how best to foster her interest other than attending a few
bug shows here and there plus catching bugs/butterflies etc. in our
backyard with her net. She’s asking for more, perhaps a weekly class.
Your thoughts are much appreciated!
Sincerely,
Here are some thoughts, and please feel free to send me suggestions (There is a lot of information the internet: Ex. Look up “Insect net”).
ORGANIZATIONS
• Y.E.S Young Entomologists Society
• Lorquin Entomological Society, c/o Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
• 4-H Clubs
TALKS, PRESENTATIONS, & CLASSES
• Check my appearances, under Talks.
• Recommend me as a speaker to your local library, school or organization.
KEEPING A PET
• I recommend learning how to keep an insect pet and interacting with it.
BOOKS
• There are lots of books available, as in the Children’s section of most public libraries.
• BIOQUIP and Acorn Naturalists have a good selection.
PLACES TO GO
• Ralph M. Parsons Insect Zoo, at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County
• Kidspace Museum, Pasadena
• Monarch Program, Encinitas, CA
• Insect Fairs (Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County; Quail Botanical Gardens, Encinitas, CA; Cal Poly, Pomona in October).
WHERE TO BUY INSECT MATERIAL (NETS, BOOKS, GIFTS, SHIRTS, ETC.)
• BIOQUIP: Their online catalogue has almost all the “bug stuff” you’ll ever need.
• KATHY’S CRITTERS