Sorry, kids. You’ll have to look elsewhere for the definitions of "heron," "acorn" and "otter." The Oxford English Dictionary for children has decided that many “nature words” are no longer particularly relevant for our urbanised youth. Even the venerable and iconic Canadian “beaver” could not escape the editorial ousting.

You remember the beaver? The little mammal whose pelt drove massive intercontinental travel and birthed Canada’s oldest corporation? Not relevant.

Instead, the dictionary is focussing on developing the techno-linguistic capacities of impressionable young minds by replacing the nature entries with “blog,” “MP3 player” and “broadband.”

Anyone who has ever needed help from a five-year old to fix their computer can agree that kids do not need more help grasping the finer points of technology. On the other hand, kids who admit, “I like to play indoors better ‘cause that’s where all the electrical outlets are,” need all the nature entries we can give them.