Thoughts on Conservation

Author - Lucas Bainbridge, volunteer

Lucas Bainbridge, a Sixth Form student from London, shares his thoughts on conservation, why we should protect the natural world and why his generation must act. Lucas has an interest in conservation and is planning to study geography at University; he is volunteering for Action for Conservation.

What is conservation? Conservation is the idea that we should not deplete something; whether that be in nature, say an animal or plant, or energy or indeed most quantifiable matter. Conservation should not be a subject tossed aside, it is something that directly affects us all in ways we may or may not be aware of.

“A society is defined not only by what it creates but also by what it refuses to destroy” – John C. Sawhill

A common theme that resurfaces when considering the topic of conservation is the idea that it is simply ‘helping the environment’. Well, to a certain extent it is. However this only encompasses one part of conservation; by definition it is the idea of not depleting a resource. Therefore, the nature of this resource will ultimately change the effect that conserving this stock has on the world. If it is indeed conservation in the Amazon Rainforest, then this will benefit the environment, but we must not forget the ramifications on human population this will indefinitely have. Reducing the programmes of ‘slash and burn’ as well as others, will not only help certain rainforests rejuvenate, but it will also allow sequestration of carbon dioxide (if on a large enough scale), so we must be careful how we throw about the word conservation and its implicit meaning; whilst it may have an effect on the natural world, we must not look past the basic idea that we as homo sapiens are still animals and inhabitants of the natural world.

We have a great many scales of conservation, with contributors from all corners of the world. This could be a local project; near my hometown of Woodford, there is a project called Recycles[1], run by the Salvation Army and supported by the Borough of Redbridge. This is one type of conservation, promoting the recycling of bicycles, meaning that heavily used resources are not simply discarded, but reconditioned and then sold again. On the other hand we have national initiatives, sometimes introduced by the government, but often assisted by many Non-Governmental Organisations. For example in Indonesia, there are large scale reforestation schemes such as is happening in the Lamandau River Wildlife Reserve in Borneo, where saplings are planted and the local people are educated in preserving their local wildlife habitats and ecosystems[2].

Another interesting aspect to conservation is the timescale. Through different historical documents we have found that the beginning of what appears to be conservation or resource management, dates back to the early religious and philosophical writings. Certainly we have evidence of 18th century conservation in parts of then British India. How is it then that several centuries and potentially millennia later, predictions estimate that “up to 50% of all species on the planet will disappear with the next 50 years”?[3]This is a disastrous thought, and we need to act now. There are brilliant examples of modern innovation. One of my favourites is Ecologist Lian Pin Koh’s[4] use of drones to monitor and help conservation efforts. We need further innovations and efforts from the next generation, my generation, if we really want to make a difference.

In my opinion conservation should not be a part of economic-fed resource management, but self-inspired thought towards our natural environment. That is not to say that resource management is not important, but instead that there should be a sense of obligation for us all to help out in any way we can. There are many sceptics, and those who generalise about the environment, but I find this quote deals with this perception rather nicely:

“The last word in ignorance is the man who says of an animal or plant: "What good is it?" If the land mechanism as a whole is good, then every part is good, whether we understand it or not / to keep every cog and wheel is the first precaution of intelligent tinkering”

– Aldo Leopold, ‘A Sand County Almanac’

References

[1]http://www2.redbridge.gov.uk/cms/leisure_and_libraries/leisure_and_culture/things_to_do/sport_health_and_fitness/sport_health_and_fitness_all/sports_and_leisure/cycling/bike_recycling.aspx

[2] http://taronga.org.au/conservation-grants-program-2012-2013/largescale-reforestation-indonesia-friends-national-parks

[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conservation_biology

[4] https://www.ted.com/talks/lian_pin_koh_a_drone_s_eye_view_of_conservation?language=en

Rewilding is a captivating concept and somewhat of a hot topic in the area of conservation; it essentially involves allowing nature to take back the reins in selected areas or landscapes.

George Monbiot is probably the most prominent contemporary figure in relation to rewilding; he is an English environmental activist and writer. He has a great deal of enthusiasm about the possibility that we could return areas of Britain to a fruitful and unbridled nature. He has a very appealing dream, one where humans and nature are not two separate entities, but irrevocably intertwined. I rather enjoy this idea, and believe there is much to benefit from rewilding. Many of us, living our hectic metropolitan lives are not aware of the significance or, more importantly, the joy that can be had in experiencing a more wild nature. Fundamentally it is this, I think, that is one of the greatest merits of this notion.

There is a certain degree of scepticism, and sometimes hostility, with regards to rewilding. A lot of worry centres on the idea that ‘megafauna’, large animals of all varieties, would be brought back, free to roam the streets, risking the lives and security of communities. However, if we pay close attention to the leading conservation biologists and leading ‘rewildists’, most will in fact sensibly allay these fears and acknowledge that for some species it is not viable to re-introduce them yet or indeed at all. Perhaps it is useful instead to focus on the many positive, current examples of rewilding here in the UK. The reintroduction of the Eurasian Beaver in Scotland[i] is a particularly exciting one. The website for the Scottish Beaver Trial states:

“There are few species which have such significant and positive influences on ecosystem health and function”

These beavers are known as ‘keystone species’, as they are able to create the conditions for other creatures to flourish; not only this, but they have been found to boost local tourism and in some cases their damns have actually reduced flood risk. With this in mind, whilst it may not be the same as re-introducing lions into London, it is a starting point, and one that most will not object to. There is however, a long way to go, with ambitious projects such as Rewilding Europe[ii] pushing the boundaries. This strategy hopes to create 10 new wildlife sites across Europe, or one million hectares of land by 2022.

However, we must address some of the scepticism towards such movements. We, as humans, are part of nature. In such a fashion we should be alive to the fact that without many of the key ecosystems and species that are around us, our stability and security, in the very broadest sense, is at risk. If you take a keystone cog out of the mechanics of an ecosystem, you may just find that it is fundamental to the sustained supply of animals to the remaining levels of the trophic system.

To illustrate this point, I turn again to George Monbiot and his example of how, through many highly complex interconnections, the loss of whales can in fact lead to a decreased amount of sequestered carbon dioxide in the oceans[iii]; this of course threatens us with an increased risk of global warming.

There is a lot more to be said about rewilding, many more stories of successes and I am sure some of failure. It is a contemporary concept, that is not to say the idea has not been around for long, but the physical movement is in its primitive stages. Therefore, I am sure we will see a great many fascinating accomplishments from leading conservationists and environmentalists in the not too distant future.

References

[i] http://www.scottishbeavers.org.uk

[ii] http://www.rewildingeurope.com

[iii] http://www.ted.com/talks/george_monbiot_for_more_wonder_rewild_the_world