The Nature of Names
By Rex Burress
As any senior knows, names in the old work force, or names of newcomers in the family, or the names in the nature community, are in a constant state of flux, and active participant-lists have a wholly new change of names from previous times!
I am reminded of the grand parade of personalities in life every time I receive the “BayNature” magazine and its list of members and contributors. I subscribe to keep up on current wildlife affairs in the Oakland, CA vicinity, but of the hundreds if new people names, I may only know a few. Presumably, hopefully, the new names represent individuals with an equal interest in nature-beauty and nature interpretation as their predecessors and will keep the nature-cause alive.
During my naturalist job-days in the Bay Area, during the 1960-70-80 era, I was a front-runner in the natural history world of Oakland, giving nature slide shows/lectures/nature hikes and generally knowing the names of most people in parks, museums, bird clubs, camera clubs, and the like. But 25 years after retiring to Oroville, CA, it's a brand new list of environmental people than what I was connected with in the Bay Area. Most of my nature buddies of yesteryear have retired or died, and certainly are less active, but the spirit of love for nature mostly remains intact, often expressed in lower key, but still valuable contributions can be made to the understanding of nature.
Name and position changes loomed vividly when I studied the bio agenda for this year's 19th annual Snow Goose Festival. I led Feather River bird walks for the event, gave slide shows and designed the first festival poster for the first festival that started in 1999, and continued my contributions for 13 years. But the number of field trips and workshops has about tripled, and an impressive list of highly qualified young folks has stepped in, and I'm glad to see the interest in life's more worthy pursuits continued. I'm sure the old pioneers of nature advocacy, like John Muir, Theodore Roosevelt, Borland, Peterson, Carson, Audubon, and other scientific giants would be delighted, and welcome the “new names.”
The first Snow Goose field trip that I led convened at the Feather River Nature Center in Oroville—in dense fog! [The FRNC site was unavailable this year because the flood-damaged road hasn't been fixed.] It's go rain or shine on the field trips, and fog rather stymies the important use of binoculars, but like magic on that day, a pair of bald eagles landed in a tree over the parking lot as people were parking, and everyone got good looks before the magnificent birds moved on! I was handed a list of 22 names, all new to me, and made some new friends. Field trips bring nature and people, and sometimes eagles, together!
Sometimes you wonder where all these named people come from! I glance at the M-R newspaper obituaries every day, and I am astounded at the number of quaint names I had not even heard of before! A random sampling: 1-24-18, Trovao, Hixson, Bunman, Viverito, Balliet, Jeuken. Some might think that “Burress” is rather odd. But the naming of these last names is shrouded in antiquity and mystery. First names are a lot easier to savor. How many billions of names have thus been contrived? Did Neanderthal people have a personal name? In what language was “Adam and Eve?” “The beginning of understanding starts with a name,” say the Chinese. However, hear what Rachael Carson has to say about names:
“It is not half so important to know as to feel. If facts and names are the seeds that later produce knowledge and wisdom, then the emotions and the impressions of the senses are the fertile soil in which the seeds must grow.”
“It is possible to compile extensive lists of creatures seen and identified without ever once having caught a breathtaking glimpse of the wonder of life.”
“Those who dwell, as scientists or students, among the beauties and mysteries of the earth are never alone or weary of life. Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts.”
--Rachael Carson