Subject: Re: The Collecting Debate

From: Gregory <[email-masked]>
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 02:19:06 -0500

In message Thu, 6 Apr 1995 10:38:54 -0700,
  Ms Fortune <[email-masked]>  writes:

> As an advocate for such efforts as Xerces and now NABA, but a member of
> the Lep. Soc., I'd like to perhaps advocate the "catch and release"
> method, (w/ just a short time in a collecting jar to temporarily disable a
> specimen to confirm identity; and hopefully this can be practiced on less
> vunerable species, since 'timing' is rather critical... (NABA isn't too
> crazy about this, I know...). I think the general public is interested in
> learning the species (without harming them), but it's not always
> convenient to take a box of pinned specimens along with you, nor is a
> field guide that useful, (as good as they are) when you're starting out...
> _any feedback would be appreciated_
(rest deleted)
There certainly is room for collecting to take place, I think, but only as a
part of scientific research - research conducted with a clear purpose. Too
often, I believe, some, not all, collecting is not done with this idea in
hand.  I applaud the NABA stance on this: Watch with your eyes, study with
your binoculars, and take home photographs.  I think this approach, as
applied to butterflies, also should be applied to other areas of nature
study - particularly in the classroom to lay people.

To recap, I believe there is a place for collecting, but that place, in
today's increasingly shrinking world of natural, native habitat, must be
carefully and narrowly defined. We can have both, but we also should, I
believe, be strong advocates for the catch/release and "butterflies through
binoculars" study strategies.
Alan C. Gregory
Conyngham, PA.
*************************                 ****************************
* Monica E. Gregory, PH.D.
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