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Post by wollastoni on Jun 30, 2015 14:42:06 GMT
An interesting article about this long debate : theconversation.com/why-we-still-collect-butterflies-41485To be sent to all butterfly huggers who will attack you. I would add that to defend entomologists in our difficult time, "responsible/sustainable collecting" is more and more important. Not important for butterfly populations, but for our reputation and to avoid future legal ban.
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Post by nomad on Jun 30, 2015 17:32:10 GMT
Excellent well written article. I thought the BM had the largest collection. Imagine if no one ever collected butterflies. In Britain there would be nothing to study after all those greedy Landowners and Governments destroyed their habitat.
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cyane
New Aurelian
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Post by cyane on Jul 1, 2015 7:24:43 GMT
Mr wollastoni, I posted the link to that article to the UK Butterflies site a few days ago. It was one of my responses to a thread "Be there collectors here?" in which the first post referred to an article by Mark Colvin entitled "Entomological Collections - Their Historic Importance and Relevance in the 21st Century". www.dispar.org/reference.php?id=92 . The responses to the articles were mostly very negative including the statement (from a moderator)that butterfly collecting and collectors "have no place in society". If any of you other outcasts from society would like to read the thread, or even dare reply to it, here's the link www.ukbutterflies.co.uk/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=16&t=8229Regards, David Hall
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Post by Admin on Jul 1, 2015 11:52:14 GMT
I would immediately quit a forum where a moderator say such things about collectors...
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Post by wollastoni on Jul 1, 2015 12:21:56 GMT
Those UK conservationists are a little bit like vegan ayatollah...
If they don't want to study properly insects, that's their decision (and I respect it). But please let us do our entomological work. We are all butterfly lovers and we all want them to thrive. 99% of scientific authorities will tell you modern insect collecting is important and we are now lacking collectors.
COLLECTOR AND PROUD.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2015 13:59:32 GMT
"Those UK conservationists are a little bit like vegan ayatollah"
If you talk to these people you will understand their mindset that all collectors are evil and their way of thinking and you will notice a few things:
1. They are incredibly self righteous and hypocritical
2. They are VERY lacking in knowledge about the subject, in fact it's alarming.
3. They believe EVERYTHING they are told by their fellow greenie "guru's"
4. The ignorance they display regarding insect population dynamics is to be honest laughable.
5. Just watch their reaction if a wasp or a large harmless spider makes it's way into their homes, they think nothing of exterminating these "pests".
Most of them are clueless sheep who have far too much time and money on their hands who find a bandwagon to jump on and talk loud and long about a subject of which my grandchildren know more, they think nothing though when prime butterfly habitats are put under concrete destroying entire colonies that will never return.
I have given up giving them the time of day and will continue to amass a personal collection, the only reminder of what once was when it has all long gone, if they want my co-operation regarding local butterfly populations that I alone know the locations of, forget it, your very existence makes me sick.
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Post by nomad on Jul 1, 2015 16:43:35 GMT
I believe the article was about the importance of historical specimens and collecting butterflies for research. Look, if you are going to suggest you collect British butterflies on a British butterfly conservation website what do you expect the response will be. Like someone said, he understands those that collect in places like the Amazon. If I posted on a RSPB website that I shoot birds what do you think the response would be.
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Post by nomad on Jul 1, 2015 16:46:22 GMT
and if you posted here that you were a butterfly hugger and hated all collectors what would you expect the response to be? That is why we have this super forum for collectors, if you collect butterflies then post here!!
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Post by nomad on Jul 1, 2015 17:05:22 GMT
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2015 18:42:13 GMT
Colvin's article was superb, well thought out and put together with a wealth of information on the historical aspect of old butterfly collections of which on this site we know how important they are. Just as important are the butterfly collections of today but it emphasises the point of accurate data without which we would know nothing of the specimens of yesteryear and those who come after us will find our data just as important if not more so with the rate of habitat destruction today.
In reference to the second link on the UK butterflies site I'm afraid you are up against it trying to argue with that lot over the merits of collecting, I include one quote from one of it's members but there are many on there with like minded views
"If we are talking about collecting butterflies in the UK. Unlike some guy trekking around the Amazon, looking for some yet to be discovered species. I would imagine most UK collectors would be looking for rare aberrations. Looking around the stomach turning stands at the AES. I'm feel sure, that if covering your wall with rare aberrations of dead butterflies is your thing. Then you could pick up any aberration under the sun, for just a few quid. There is no good reason to collect wild butterflies from the British countryside anymore. I agree with Dave, it has no place in society"
If stands at the AES exhibition are "stomach turning" then surely you have wasted a lot of time and effort in attending the wrong show as it's well advertised beforehand that along with livestock, books, equipment and so on there will also be DEADSTOCK, if it's offensive go and hug a tree instead.
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Post by nomad on Jul 1, 2015 18:54:37 GMT
Aberrations for a few quid, British? I missed those, the ones I saw were a lot more than that. Looking forward to the AES again this year The hightlight of October.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2015 19:03:21 GMT
Yes Peter, I think it depends on your idea of what "a few quid" is, none of my historic British abs and other specimens would be sold for that amount even if they were ever to go on sale as unlike rare exotics they cannot be replaced, the best British rarities at insect fairs still rightly command high prices as most buyers recognise that they are very special indeed.
I too love the AES fair in october, it means I get to spend time with my friend in the Chilterns and only have a 40 minute drive instead of 4 hours.Meet up with some great people and sift out some bargains at the same time, lovely.
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Post by nomad on Jul 1, 2015 19:06:12 GMT
Hopefully this year we can say hello dunc
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Post by nomad on Jul 1, 2015 19:07:52 GMT
I expect by the time I get in your box will be full. and mine empty.
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Post by timmsyrj on Jul 1, 2015 20:36:56 GMT
Now the whole world knows what a bunch of tossers we have to deal with as a collector in the U.K, they can't even give a reason as to why we shouldn't collect other than "it's cruel" not a problem to kill spiders, beetles even caterpillars eating your crops, knowledge less morons, clueless edited by admin
"The reason i still collect"
Cos I still ain't got everything I want
" the reason they are in favour of organic farming, oil palm plantations, hydro electic etc, cos the clueless morons are told to be and not told the truth "
Rich
P.S what dates the AES
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