Hello and welcome once more to my latest blog it has been a
very busy period recently with coursework deadlines all being grouped into one
tight bundle, stress levels have significantly risen. Despite this I' have managed
to participate in a range of voluntary work over the last month which has
proven to be a nice distraction more on this later on. The main focus of this
edition however is my frustration in regards to the fact films continually portray certain animals in a
negative light. I hope you enjoy the blog and as always feel free to give
feedback.
The Grey - a travesty for the Grey Wolf
Recently the film The Grey has been screened on British
terrestrial television to start with I was intrigued as a result of regular
advertising and a cast which consisted of big name actors including Liam
Neeson. My curiosity quickly turned to frustration and then dismay however, as
it became apparent from a very early stage that the plot of this film consisted
of the survivors of plane crash being relentlessly hunted down by a pack of
seemingly malignant wolves. It’s common knowledge that wolves have historically
suffered as a result of miss trust and animosity as a result of human - animal
conflict. So to watch part of a film where wolves are portrayed as something
evil, taking revenge on anything which dares to cross their path is something
really quite exasperating when so much miss trust still surrounds a species a
victim largely of myth and misconception. I was relieved to find the film has suffered criticism as a
result of this from environmentalists as a result of the portrayal of
wolves, drives were put in place to boycott the film altogether. Perhaps the
most disturbing fact in relation to the release date occurred only a short
while after the species had in many American states have been taken off the
Endangered Species Act.
Unfortunately however this is far from the first film to
show a species already at risk from negative public perception in a damming light. Perhaps most notorious of all is Jaws and subsequent following films in
the series. So damaging the impact on sharks as a result of these films that the
author of the novel Peter Benchley would later be quoted as saying
“knowing what I know now, I could never write that book today”. For more on
this see The use of animals in films and
wildlife news 07/12/2013. I get the distinct impression, that for as long
as films of this genre continue to be a success, films like these will continue
to be made which can only be seen as a travesty and a major set back for
dedicated people who are passionately trying to change the reputation of much
maligned species.
Voluntary work – Willow, writing and looking for cetaceans.
As a mentioned earlier, it has been a very busy month or so
not just academically but also on the voluntary side of things as well. I
recently attended a workshop on cliff top surveying for cetaceans run by the
Cornwall Wildlife Trust and Seaquest Southwest which was a hugely enjoyable
morning learning about the surveying methodology, as well as detailed
information about the local areas marine "hot spots" and the wildlife we stand a chance
of observing. So far I've managed to participate in a couple of these surveys and
although no cetaceans been observed personally, its been a pleasure
to watch majestic gannets moving so gracefully low over the sea, fulmars
jostling for position on rock faces with comedic effect and perhaps the fattest
grey seal in Cornwall doing what some would call swimming I would be more inclined
to call it floating lazily in the nearby harbor.
Meanwhile I've enjoying my role as Reserve
Guardian for the RSPB at the local marsh, it’s a great feeling to be able to
contribute towards ensuring the wildlife on the reserve is as well protected as
possible whether that be through collecting litter or keeping an eye out for
people behaving in a way unacceptable on a nature reserve. I also recently took
part in a day of cutting back willow on the reserve being waist deep in marsh
unsure of whether or not your next step may leave you completely submerged
beneath its cold waters courtesy of a treacherous submerged stump may not be
everyone’s idea of fun, but getting stuck
into some real hard graft while on a regular basis battling to keep your
equilibrium personally was a fun, rewarding and worthwhile challenge. I've been
told the adders have been sighted regularly recently, so I will be making an
effort to try and see them for myself in the near future.
I have also recently joined the Cornwall Reptile and Amphibian Group (CRAG). I am very much looking forward to getting involved with a variety of exciting projects the group are going to be accomplishing. After discussion with the group, I volunteered to take on the project of writing a blog series on the groups behalf. You can read the first one and find details on who to contact should you wish to become a member by following the link below.
http://cornwallreptileandamphibian.blogspot.co.uk/
British birds- The Grey Heron
 |
| http://www.wildaboutdevon.co.uk/fact-file-grey-heron/ |
A visit to the marsh would not be complete without a sighting
of one of these enormous birds surely one of Britain’s most iconic species.
With a wingspan of just over one and a half meters, this enormous bird is an
un believable spectacle when it takes to the skies yet on land its hunting style
means unless a careful eye is scanned across the reedbeds, this colossal bird
can easily go unnoticed, waiting for an unwary victim to come within range.
Please take the time to read this
My good friend Mathew Button has recently had his book The
Escape Committee published. I've attached links to his Facebook account and Amazon where you can purchase the book
http://www.amazon.co.uk/The-Escape-Committee-Matthew-Button/dp/191016223X
https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Escape-Committee-by-Matthew-Button/199801623396420?fref=ts
Contact me
You can follow me on Twitter @ReallyWildWykes
Or contact me via email @grwykes@gmail.com
That’s all for this time once again thank you very much for
reading, all the best,
George
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