Africa Geographic May 2009 [antikvár]

I ; V. founder's note u scientists need to be encouraged and given the space to talk to ordinary people about what they do A few months ago at a conservation seminar, I was confronted with one of those people I dread most at such events: an affable discussion leader who thought it would be a good ice-brealer if everyone stood up in turn to tell the assembly something personal about themselves. As if that wasn't bad enough, there was a rider - we each had to name our 'environmental hero'. But, as one does, I tried to enter into the spirit of the occasion and, to my surprise, by the time my turn came round I had four names that had pretty well spontaneously popped into my mind: David Attenborough, Jacques Cousteau, Bernard Grzimek and Gerald Durrell. My surprise at these names was that, apart from Attenborough, who is still very much a global household name, the others were people from my childhood rather than movers and shakers of today. The concept of heroes matches better with earlier rather than adult life, I suppose. But I think it is more than that. My heroes were eccentric, madcap adventurers, mavericks with a passion for discovering new forms of life and telling stories about them via words and cinematography that could hold a small boy spellbound. Just thinking about them makes me want to dig out My Family and Other Animals and all the other old Durrell favourites, tojóin the Grzimeks in the Serengeti and to immerse myself vicariously in Cousteau's underwater world. These were real people doing real stuff. Do we still have personalities like these around? Well, I have listened to enough young scientists, and quite a few middle-aged ones, talking about their adventures to know that we do. The pity is that their time and energies are so wrapped up In postgraduate studies, reports to funding bodies and contributions to scientific papers that we seldom get glimpses of the behind-the-scenes stories that bring their science to life. Of course the formal writing Is Important, but scientists also need to be encouraged and given the space to talk to ordinary people about what they do. I commend all our contributors overtheyearsfortheir commitment in this regard. But there is much more that needs to be done If people are to know and care about the world's estimated 10 million species, of which we are but one (such guestimates vary widely and it has been said that scientists have a better understanding of how many stars there are in our galaxy than the number of species on earth}. But whatever the true number of plant and animal types that make up our global biodiversity, only some 1.4 million have been described. There is so much still to know about our world, and so many wonderful stories to be told that will help to convince us that its forests, plains, deserts, lakes, rivers and oceans, as well as the creatures and plants they harbour, are forever intrinsic to our own survival. About our magazine____ Africa Geographic is editorially and financially independent. It enjoys the support and endorsement of several non-government organisations, but it is not affiliated in any way to these bodies or to any other publishing, environmental or political interest group. Africa Geographic stnves to foster an awareness of wildlife, conservation, ecotravel, indigenous cultures and the general environment. It consistently advocates the wisest use of natural resources in a manner that involves and is of real benefit to the people of Africa. Africa Ceographic is published 11 times a year.