First it was statues Now wokeism is coming for the birds vancouversun.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from vancouversun.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Now wokeism is going for our birds and insects
A new breed of nature-spotters is lobbying to change the names of species with links to slavery and colonialism
15 July 2021 • 5:00am
The once peaceful pursuit has all of a sudden had the binoculars trained inwards
Of all the havoc gypsy moths wreak – ransacking entire forests by chewing tree leaves bare – the insects are now at the centre of a battle bigger still: nature’s culture war.
The species is now only to be referred to as Lymantria dispar after a review from the Entomological Society of America (ESA), which concluded that some insect names “may be inappropriate or offensive” – in this case, towards the Romani people. The gypsy ant has met the same fate, while the Oriental rat flea, Asian needle ant and the West Indian cane weevil are all subject to revision from the ESA’s “Better Common Names Project”, which is asking for the public’s help in identifying potentially offensive terms.
Campaigners call for bird names with links to colonialism to be changed dailymail.co.uk - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from dailymail.co.uk Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
In this Article
Having featured on the lifestyle brand’s “Nature Needs Heroes” campaign, Timberland reunites with the global birdwatching collective Flock Together in support of its latest “Your Stage” film.
Established in June 2020 by Ollie Olanipekun and Nadeem Perera, Flock Together is a global collective championing visibility for people of color within the outdoors and connecting them with nature.
Built on six core pillars: building community, challenging preconceptions, showing the benefits of nature, championing ecological protection, offering mental health support, and providing creative mentorship for the next generation the collective aims to reclaim and change the narrative of elitism associated with the outdoors whilst addressing the stigma of mental health in the POC community. During the frequent group birdwatching walks, educating, inspiring and support is at the top of the agenda as well as highlighting the invaluable benefits of being around nature th