Recently the issue of tourism and hot weather was raised on Radio National. Quite often I’ve been in the field with other guides who’ve either taken people out in very hot, humid weather or who said they would have no problems doing so. One was a bus driver (who’d just started guiding as well) who, if he’d had his way, would have taken a group of American university students on a hike around the Kakadu sandstone in such weather. The professor in charge agreed with him and it was only after I (their guide/lecturer) refused to go that he backed down. On another occasion a senior lady showed obvious signs of heat stress after a long hike, but the guide appeared not to notice. This issue is even more urgent now, with more hot days (we’ve probably had a record number of fire ban days this Dry Season). So please, if you’re a visiting birder raise this issue with your guide or operator. Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71, Darwin River, NT 0841 043 8650 835 PhD candidate, SCU Vice-chair, Wildlife Tourism Australia =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) to: birding-aus-request@vicnet.net.au http://birding-aus.org ===============================
I have a short section of this very issue (taking guests walking in the hot sun regardless of their fitness) in the e-book I’m about to publish on wildlife tourism, with a couple of (anonymous) examples of unsympathetic guides Cheers Ronda On 25/10/2013, at 9:48 AM, Denise Goodfellow wrote: Ronda Green, BSc(Hons) PhD Araucaria Ecotours (advanced eco-certification on all tours) http://www.learnaboutwildlife.com platypuscorner@bigpond.com ph 61 7 5544 1283 Visit us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/AraucariaEcotours Araucaria Blog: http://araucariaecotours.com.au Chair Wildlife Tourism Australia: http://wildlifetourism.org.au Chair Scenic Rim Wildlife: http://scenicrim.wildlife.org.au/ Adjunct research fellow, Environmental Futures Centre, Griffith University =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================
If this is turning into a “what do birding guides do wrong?” thread I will just add that the only real problem I have had with birding guides is the ones who get too stressed when the target species don’t turn up. Perhaps this is due to their experience of (foolish) clients who get angry when they don’t see these species, but it has ruined a couple of days guided birding for me in the past. Nowadays I make a point of saying to the guide (if it’s a small group or just me) “I want to see these birds, but I won’t be upset if we don’t, I don’t expect birds to arrange their lives for my convenience”. John Leonard On 25 October 2013 13:20, Denise Goodfellow < goodfellow@bigpond.com.au>wrote: — John Leonard Canberra Australia http://www.jleonard.net I want to be with the 9,999 other things. =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Dave I’m sorry to hear you had such a lousy experience. I’m copying in Bo Beolens here. Hearing loss was an issue raised by my PhD respondents as well. It was a reason why birders preferred going out with their spouse, even if that person wasn’t a serious birder. Regards Denise On 25/10/13 11:25 AM, “David Stowe” < davidstowe@optusnet.com.au> wrote: =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Yes some people do find it hard to accept that others aren’t as able as themselves. Some years ago in New Zealand i went with a guide looking for Kiwi. I’m fit physically but have moderate hearing loss and back then i didn’t have hearing aids. I was told to be super quiet and listen. The guide became incredibly frustrated that i couldn’t hear the birds rustling through the undergrowth apparently right in front of us. I wasn’t permitted to respond lest i scare the birds away yet he kept frustratedly telling me how one was right there and just took a dump. He kept telling me to “just concentrate really hard!” He of course had super human hearing and couldn’t understand that “concentrating really hard” doesn’t improve ones hearing, in the same way that concentrating won’t cause a paraplegic to start walking! We did finally see a Kiwi but his attitude and lack of understanding did put a real damper on the night. Cheers Dave On 25/10/2013, at 11:56 AM, “Tony Russell” < pratincole08@gmail.com> wrote: =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================
Interesting that you have raised this Denise. I have been out with some guides , well known ones too, who seem to have no concern about or understanding of their clients limitations. Some of them race around at a pace difficult for others to keep up with and if the guide notices at all can become impatient and often instruct people to “keep up”, not realising that this can be impossible for them. Others can command elderly people to “get down on the ground” ( to look under bushes), as though they were teenagers, and not acknowledging that this can also often be an impossible requirement, and that getting up again is usually a worse ordeal than getting down. I can recall two different guides who did this to people on trips I’ve been on. It puts one off from ever using those guides again or recommending anyone else to. Some guides unrealistically expect clients to be as physically active as they are. Some people may dismiss these problems as unimportant but a responsible guide should develop ways of showing consideration for their older clients and maybe generating some return business. Tony, the aging crock. —–Original Message—– [mailto:birding-aus-bounces@lists.vicnet.net.au] On Behalf Of Denise Goodfellow Sent: Friday, 25 October 2013 10:19 AM Cc: mark.lepla@hotmail.com; Peter Wood; Ronda Green BSc(Hons); Robyn Stark; fionamccaul@live.com.au; Maree Kerr; Kev Recently the issue of tourism and hot weather was raised on Radio National. Quite often I’ve been in the field with other guides who’ve either taken people out in very hot, humid weather or who said they would have no problems doing so. One was a bus driver (who’d just started guiding as well) who, if he’d had his way, would have taken a group of American university students on a hike around the Kakadu sandstone in such weather. The professor in charge agreed with him and it was only after I (their guide/lecturer) refused to go that he backed down. On another occasion a senior lady showed obvious signs of heat stress after a long hike, but the guide appeared not to notice. This issue is even more urgent now, with more hot days (we’ve probably had a record number of fire ban days this Dry Season). So please, if you’re a visiting birder raise this issue with your guide or operator. Denise Lawungkurr Goodfellow PO Box 71, Darwin River, NT 0841 043 8650 835 PhD candidate, SCU Vice-chair, Wildlife Tourism Australia =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org =============================== =============================== To unsubscribe from this mailing list, send the message: unsubscribe (in the body of the message, with no Subject line) http://birding-aus.org ===============================