Kathleen (Kate) Orchard

St. Christopher Heritage Society

Today's Date: 20 July 2006

1. What interaction with an animal and/or nature in your life has had the biggest impact on you?

I was not allowed to keep a pet when I was young, but I survived on the David Attenborough 'Zooquest' books (I did not have TVin those days) and Gerald Durrell's books, which had a great impact on me.

2. Did you have a favorite place in the great outdoors during your childhood?

I moved around a bit - pre-teens was the wood filled with silver birch trees behind my house (Ashvale, Hants, UK). Teenage by the Thames at Reading (Berks, UK) feeding the swans and ducks and along the Kennet and Avon Canal, catching sticklebacks and cyclops.

Now? Wingfield Forest and river, St. Kitts, Eastern Caribbean

3. As a former zookeeper, I would love to know what your favorite animal is, and why?

A hard question - there are many, but a special favorite is the Leatherback turtle, because I've seen them in their natural habitat, giant adults nesting and little babies hatching. Its the sort of thing I dreamed about when I read those wild animal books as a child.

4. What do you think is the greatest environmental challenge facing us now and what do you think will be the greatest challenge in the future?

Now - Human population increase and the spread of western values of making more money. In the future - More of the same, more habitat loss and degradation and the threat of the only 'wild' things being in zoos and arboretums.

5. If you could give everyone one piece of advice regarding the environment and our natural resources, what would it be?

Reduce, reuse, recycle, recover.