The Amateur Naturalist (and Exotic Petkeeper) #8

For 100 years, from the mid-19th Century, natural history was the premier British hobby. Over the last 50 years it has declined in popularity for a number of reasons, most notably that killing living creatures for a hobby is quite rightly no longer seen as ethical. With the technological advances of the 21st Century, however, everything has changed. With a digital camera one can have a butterfly collection for example, and with the advent of cheap air travel, places once only accessible by the Gerald Durrells of this world, can be visited by everybody. Suddenly, the amateur naturalist can come into his, or her, own, and there has never been a better time for people to get involved. Amateur naturalists across the world are carrying out valuable research, and participating in essential breeding programmes. If you are interested, this magazine is for you.