h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I became interested in nature when we moved to outer London, and I found our garden was full of birds. From birds, my interest expanded to include wild plants, fungi and butterflies. As I learned about the relationships between species, my interest in conservation grew. However, I found some of my acquaintances took the view that saving a few butterflies didn't matter, in a world where people were often in need.
It does matter. The reason is that micro-organisms, plants, animals and humans exist together in complex relationships. If one species drops out, it can have a drastic effect on others. It has become clear, for example, that nicotinoid pesticides, used to protect crops, damage bees. Without bees, many of the crops we grow, from apples and cherries to courgettes would be difficult to fertilise.
Where beavers have been reintroduced to British rivers, other wildlife flourishes in the pools they create and the likelihood of flooding downstream seems to be reduced.
We need green plants and trees to produce the oxygen in the air we breathe; we need clean water in our rivers to drink; we need healthy soils to grow our crops and we need a stable climate. We are part of the natural world and need to cherish it.

Hear hear

I was interested in plants first, as my parents are both horticulturalists, and it was when I took up photography that I took photos of flowers, mosses, etc and then moved on to the challenge of studying birds and insects, and I joined the RSPB.

I'm not too keen on seeing nature red in tooth and claw on TV, but it was interesting seeing the Beavers' work on Autumnwatch recently