malaysian naturalist, january 2015
Text and images by Robin James Backhouse
It is still a fairly common practice for naturalists to take specimens from the wild. Unfortunately, this often involves killing the organism. There are those who do this for legitimate scientific research [though this was contested recently by Minteer et al., (2014)]. Indeed, many scientists consider the collection of “voucher specimens” an essential tool in understanding a species. In some cases, an argument can be made that the collection of these specimens may actually benefit a species’ survival.
As a conservationist, what I have a particular issue with is the apparently sizeable market in preserved specimens, which end up on display in homes or private collections. Nobody would be able to justify to me the kind of collecting that leads to a taxidermised marine turtle being displayed on a bookshelf or a pinned Rajah Brooke’s birdwing framed on a wall in someone’s house.
In the modern world, we have a deep understanding of the fragility of nature, and I believe that this morally compels us to minimise our impact on the natural world. In that vein, there are other forms in which we can collect and study nature, and for me it is through photography and the setting up an educational website.
As a conservationist, what I have a particular issue with is the apparently sizeable market in preserved specimens, which end up on display in homes or private collections. Nobody would be able to justify to me the kind of collecting that leads to a taxidermised marine turtle being displayed on a bookshelf or a pinned Rajah Brooke’s birdwing framed on a wall in someone’s house.
In the modern world, we have a deep understanding of the fragility of nature, and I believe that this morally compels us to minimise our impact on the natural world. In that vein, there are other forms in which we can collect and study nature, and for me it is through photography and the setting up an educational website.
I will be the first to admit that I am a newbie to the world of photography (I emphatically do not call myself as a photographer – I am someone who is passionate about nature that owns a camera). When I moved to Penang a year ago, I was struck by the diversity of animals that I saw living on this island. I started to take photos of the things that I saw in my garden and found my collection expanding by the day.
After a few months, I found my interest in photography growing, but my means limited by my rather basic digital compact, so I invested in a DSLR and shortly after, a medium telephoto lens. One year on, and after many weekends spent camping at Taman Negara Pulau Pinang, I found myself with a rather full hard disk and a folder entitled Penang Nature Photos with over 1,200 images inside.
I am a Biology teacher by profession, and so find myself making references to local animals often in lessons. Early on, it struck me as surprising how many of my students were simply not aware of the animals that live here with us. As a result, I decided to start a website called Wild Penang (wildpenang.weebly.com) to try and promote the wildlife of the island.
It is only a few months old and not perfect by any stretch, but my aim is to eventually have a sizeable photographic “collection” of Penang’s fauna. I hope that this will cause these animals to be celebrated, with the knowledge that doing so has caused them no harm. It is my further hope that promoting awareness of the diverse (but sensitive) local wildlife may encourage future generations of Penangites to take more interest in conserving the animals that share this island, this country and our planet.
Robin James Backhouse also spent time in Nepal, posting photos under wildnepal.weebly.com, and is now continuing his educational work back in the UK.
After a few months, I found my interest in photography growing, but my means limited by my rather basic digital compact, so I invested in a DSLR and shortly after, a medium telephoto lens. One year on, and after many weekends spent camping at Taman Negara Pulau Pinang, I found myself with a rather full hard disk and a folder entitled Penang Nature Photos with over 1,200 images inside.
I am a Biology teacher by profession, and so find myself making references to local animals often in lessons. Early on, it struck me as surprising how many of my students were simply not aware of the animals that live here with us. As a result, I decided to start a website called Wild Penang (wildpenang.weebly.com) to try and promote the wildlife of the island.
It is only a few months old and not perfect by any stretch, but my aim is to eventually have a sizeable photographic “collection” of Penang’s fauna. I hope that this will cause these animals to be celebrated, with the knowledge that doing so has caused them no harm. It is my further hope that promoting awareness of the diverse (but sensitive) local wildlife may encourage future generations of Penangites to take more interest in conserving the animals that share this island, this country and our planet.
Robin James Backhouse also spent time in Nepal, posting photos under wildnepal.weebly.com, and is now continuing his educational work back in the UK.
Reference: Minteer, B. A., Collins, J. P., Love, K. E., Puschendorf, R. (2014) Avoiding (Re)extinction. Science. www.sciencemagazinedigital.org. Accessed 13th October 2014.