Date: Tue, 25 Apr 2000 12:20:47 +0000 From: schlauer@chemie.uni-wuerzburg.de To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1258$foo@default> Subject: re: wild collecting
Dear Anita, Paul & al.,
> Moral education is vital.
>
> I agree. And who better to contribute to this than the plant societies?
I agree, too. However, a society is only a formal coat surrounding a
group of people. In terms of action, a society is as effective as a
skin without bones and muscles if the *MEMBERS* (persons like and
including you and me) remain passive and expect something to come
from the society itself. In fact, *we* must do something, and we must
educate others that *they* should do something if they are interested
in either conservation or cultivation of cps.
The first lesson should perhaps be that both conservation and
cultivation depend on each other and that neither can sensibly exist
without the other.
1. I do maintain that some species can only be conserved effectively,
i.e. at least for the next few years or decades, ex situ (because
existing policies in situ efficiently prevent protection in many cases).
This does not at all mean that I am against in situ conservation. This
must of course continue, and it should be supported where possible.
2. All species that are of potential horticultural interest should be
introduced into and maintained in cultivation (because no prohibition
will decrease the interest).
3. In a number of cases, this will necessitate wild collection, for
which legal and sustainable avenues must be established (I am not
convinced that existing regulations do satisfy the demands in this
respect; at the moment it is only evident what *must not* be done,
which is of limited help if one would like to know what *should* be
done).
And 4. I do think that both institutional *and* amateur collections
can and should contribute to conservation, and they should
collaborate rather than compete with each other. Exchange
(propagation/distribution) rather than guarded shielding (isolation)
should be the leading idea of conservation-minded cultivation.
I do not subscribe to the theory that everything must be regulated by
laws because people were too stupid to understand why certain things
should not be done. It perhaps takes more time to educate people
properly. I am convinced, however, that educated people, who know what
they are responsible for and who know why, can and will do much more
for the preservation of nature than any formal prohibitions or
lengthy lists of forbidden items ever could.
This is why I think we all should think about "rules of conduct"
(they do not need to be written on paper like laws, they would be
more effective if they were inscribed in the minds and agreed upon
by all or at least by most cp enthusiasts) for responsible and
sustainable behaviour in nature and at home.
I would like to hear (read) further suggestions for possible
guidelines (Thanks, Paul for your contributions in this direction);
preferably simple sentences, applicable in everyday situations,
understandable to average people like myself. I know reality can be
complex, but explanations do not need to be so, and guidelines must
be simple. Please consider that sentences beginning with "Thou
shalt..." should nowadays contain at least one "because..."!
Thank you (all) for your ideas.
Kind regards
Jan
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