OUT OF THE MOUTHS

We received a lovely Christmas present at the Trust, a green calendar and a little book entitled "Tails of the Sea" containing poetry and prose written by Brighton and Hove primary school children. The book has a hundred different poems and stories, all beautifully illustrated, but one caught my eye in particular and made me smile. It was written in limerick form by 6-year old Isobel Hayward from St Andrew's Primary School.

The wonderful things about dolphins
Is hearing them trying to speak
It's not "how do you do"
Like I would say to you
It's more like whistle click squeak

Children just love wildlife; it inspires awe and wonder. They are fascinated by anything that runs, swims, hops, crawls, smells or bites and they really love finding things that are dead! There is a real affinity with the natural world. Whatever the background of the child and wherever they come from, even from the most urban centres, if you put them in contact with the natural world they will respond.

Sadly, society today makes it increasingly harder for children to make that connection. Access to the countryside and wild spaces is much more difficult. Barriers such as the amount and speed of traffic, the increasing reluctance to let children explore on their own due both to real and perceived dangers all contribute to this alienation.

Trips to the countryside now have to be a much more organised affair, much in the same way as going to the cinema or football match. Even on these structured trips, health and safety regulations mean that exploration has to be much more controlled now. A school wanting to visit Woods Mill once requested that if the children were going to be looking for minibeasts in the soil then that soil will have to be micro-waved to remove any harmful bacteria!

It is so important that children don't lose the opportunity to explore their natural surroundings, and they should have the chance to get muddy, get their feet wet, climb trees and feel that it is part of their everyday existence, rather than something that is undertaken as a "special" trip.

The Brighton book of childrens writings is an excellent example of how childrens imaginations can be fired by wildlife, even though they may have never actually seen a wild dolphin or turtle. But there is nothing like going out and looking under stones, thrusting your hands in the mud and exploring rock pools and finding it for yourself.

If you would like more information on the book please contact Kim Jackson at Brighton City Council on 01273 292254.

Mike Russell
Sussex Wildlife Trust
January 2004