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Is the BBC2 nature show SPRINGWATCH a good way to promote awareness of nature. (1 Viewer)

Q

Qingcol

Well-known member
Is the BBC2 nature show SPRINGWATCH a good way to promote awareness of nature, or the complete opposite?
I don't think that a smutty narration or the placing of multiple cameras, almost touching a ground nesting bird is likely to show much natural behaviour.
Lets hope the show is a great success and my grumblings put down to a person who just can't keep up with the times.
 
it will do more good than harm though i personally prefer a properly scripted and thoroughly researched piece of work a la Attenborough.

I don't watch simply because I find Oddie too irritating though I suspect it is really aimed at me.

Rob
 
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Hmmm... smutty narration... well I'm not watching this year's but I watched all the others and I think I know what you mean.

I guess that's all a matter of personal taste, and presenter style. I think it's largely witty banter and is OK considering the presenting team.

I think also that they tend to get the balance about right in respect of the "interference" with the natural behaviour of the wildlife, although I have not seen the specific reference (to the LRP?) you mention.

My main problem with Springwatch, and I don't have many gripes, is why is it live?

Frankly, nature is usually bori... erm... requires a great deal of patience, and there is a danger that the impression might be given that you merely have to walk out the front door and there will be all kinds of wildlife antics happening 24/7 (except badgers of course!!!)

I don't know what the cost would be, and maybe some of the immediacy would be lost, but I think I'd prefer a weekly show for two or three months to every night (ish) for three weeks.

£0.02

:)
 
Yes Bill Oddie can be irritating, but it does show a lot of wildlife that most people would otherwise never hear of, for example the feature on the water spider last night.

Re the nesting birds the new camouflaged cameras don't appear to be upsetting the birds - the one LRP last night was even tucked up against it, and just regards it as a rock, so probably won't affect its behaviour.

As for the live format, it may go some way to showing joe public how skilled and dedicated the wildlife cameramen are to get the amazing edited shots we are now all so used to seeing. They do also show the "dark side" as last year when the owl chick fancied an extra snack or two and ate his siblings, proving that birds aren't just cute fluffy things you see at the garden feeder.

So on the whole I think it's a good thing.

Or maybe I just like watching Kate Humble.
Allan
 
birdman said:
Frankly, nature is usually bori... erm... requires a great deal of patience, and there is a danger that the impression might be given that you merely have to walk out the front door and there will be all kinds of wildlife antics happening 24/7 (except badgers of course!!!)
:)
Click to expand...

For experienced birdwatchers there may be weeks or months between something that genuinely wows us after years of trudging our local patch, but for wildlife novices sights like courting GCGs, Lapwing chicks tottering around mudding margins, Common Terns fishing, or House Martins rebuilding their nests really do impress once Joe Public is given the inclination to stop and watch it.
That's what Springwatch is really about.
 
rob stoff said:
it will do more harm than good
Click to expand...

Would you care to try to justify that claim? It strikes me as highly bogus.

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pigsonthewing said:
Would you care to try to justify that claim? It strikes me as highly bogus.
Click to expand...

meant to say more good than harm of course!

well, members of my family and certain acquaintances have purchased nestboxes on the back of it and one made a pond and constantly talks about the frogs she now has in it

the rest of your txtl was gibberish, you might want to consult a techy

Rob
 
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My 8 year old son has watched the programme every night this week & has been totally enthralled by it all. So yes, I do think it promotes awareness.

Oh, and it's got Kate Humble in it ;)
 
I must admit, Springwatch usually elicits more questions and interest from the 2 eldest of my 3 kids (8 and 5 yrs old) than most other wildlife programs. My wife and I both enjoy it too, and although I personally like Bill Oddie I agree he is something of an aqcuired taste.
 
I lost interest in birding in my early teens when I discovered football, girls and beer. It was through watching Springwatch a couple or years ago that I got back into it.

I think the strength of the show is that it appeals to people who aren't lifelong experts in nature. Some of my work colleagues, people who would never dream of going birding, are talking about the show every morning.

There may be some inaccuracies in some of the things shown but if it inspires people to have more interest in nature and conservation, then that has to be a good thing.

Even if it just means some people now think twice about throwing litter when out in the countryside, it's all good.
 
Its a good programme to promote general interest and awareness to many people. I agree why does it have to be live? Some carefully edited footage would provide greater impact.
 
I don't often watch it (didn't even realise it had started again) but when I do it always reminds me that there is more to nature than birds. And it reminds me how fantastic things like courting GCGrebes really are.

Steve
 
i have watched springwatch since day 1 and think its great, bill oddie is brilliant at identifing birds and bird song would love to meet him, and the show shows nature at its best, great to see the baby birds in there nests and parents feeding them, love the program what more can i say,
 
when was then last time anyone saw a little ring plv on a nest? have you seen a scottish wild cat? you may have watched an osprey fishing before but have you seen it in super slow motion?

for these items alone the whole project is worth it.

i do feel rather betrayed that it is no longer in devon, surly the most beautiful county in the uk!!!
 
da2m said:
when was then last time anyone saw a little ring plv on a nest? have you seen a scottish wild cat? you may have watched an osprey fishing before but have you seen it in super slow motion?

for these items alone the whole project is worth it.

i do feel rather betrayed that it is no longer in devon, surly the most beautiful county in the uk!!!
Click to expand...

But sitting watching the telly isn't seeing a little ringed plover, or a wild cat, or an osprey. I would rather see a songthrush in my own garden than an osprey on the box.

I'm not a good sample though, as I just don't like telly anyway, and find Bill Oddie more and more unwatchable every time I do see him.
 
I think springwatch is great. For these three weeks a year there is something worth paying the license fee for. (Mustn't forget autumn watch too so thats 6 weeks!) As many posters have already said the programme brings awareness of the everyday natural world to the "great british public" and can actually inspire them to take a fresh interest in whats going on in their gardens. For example, a friend of mine has actually stopped talking about football this week and he has intentionally left the pub early in order to get home for springwatch - he even missed the recent England friendly in favour of watching wildcats, ospreys and nesting birds. Unfortunately springwatch's message is often forgotten too soon by many people and sadly they return to laying that patio or sorting out the decking instead of building the insect hotel or digging the foundations for their pond. However, there may be some that will make space for nature following seeing ideas on springwatch. Others may start taking an interest in thier local patch going out to see water voles, etc, for the first time.
Bill Oddie is an accessible character to many people and I think his informal, if somewhat manic presentation style helps put the uninitiated at ease. (You can't accuse him of taking himself too seriously.) Personally I find him a little overpowering at times, but he seems calmer in this series. (Hurrah for valium?)
In summary then I think springwatch is unmissable television, it certainly does more good than harm, inspiring and informing; and it gives me a warm glow all over. (Or is that just Kate?)
 
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