>Here in the US there are non-government groups working towards conservation
>(ie. the Nature Conservancy). U.S. military land also has proven to be
>a refuge for rare plants. Few people dare collect plants on this
>land, and the bomb blasts have helped support fire-maintained ecosystems!
So (tongue firmly in cheek), what you're saying is, instead of spending money
to support Zero Population Growth, we should just pressure our national
legislators
to increase defense spending ... dramatically. The Department of Defense will
buy up
all of the land for tank practice and missile ranges, our beloved CP will be
safe,
and high explosives will keep competing plants at bay! I'm writing my
Congressman
as we speak ...I think you're on to something, Michael .. I've seen P.
pumilla
grow best in tire tracks, Sarracenia grow best in flooded sand quarries ...
I'm sure they'd absolutely love bomb craters! <grin>
>Jay, yes this is the answer I wanted to hear! I wanted someone to explain
>how hobbyists could help conservationists, and you've did it! I didn't
>want to explain it myself, I wanted someone esle to. And I imagine that
>these volunteers are working because they want to be involved, not because
>they expect to be "payed" with access to locality data :-)
Whew, and I thought I was gonna get flamed <grin>. I agree. We committed
hobbyists,
lowly as we may be in the eyes of some, really do oftentimes want to feel as
if we're participating
in something more -- conservation, preservation, what have you. It makes us
feel important, and
those of us who didn't pursue botany or biology degrees really do have so
little to look forward to
<grin>.
Jay Lechtman (L235@aol.com)
"People who live in glass houses should grow CP"
http://www.brooklyn.net/ashkenaz/brooklyn.html