Environmental Studies: Ethics, Ideas and Nature: Conservation

Madden and McQuinn explore what role conflict transformation plays in wildlife conservation. The conservation field is moving closer to a collaborative governance model but what often gets overlooked is the deep analysis needed to fully understand the implications when the project is implemented. There is also a lack of long-term planning and organizations are so quick to make short-term solutions that make them look good. A lot of the time conservation is just physical solutions like a fence or relocation but that doesn’t solve the issue because the issue is mostly a social issue and that is what conservationists work to resolve. When conservation happens, it falters mostly because there is a lack of accountability for history, diversity, and social conflict. An example of this is in Africa they tried to put up a fence to keep the elephants in, but the community was ignored, and the solutions failed and weren’t maintained. To stop this from happening conservationists use conflict transformation which is using conflict to make a change. Conflict transformation focuses on using social, psychological, and systemic issues to make a long-term solution, it focuses on the relationships and strips them down to what the main cause is and works from there.
This reading goes into the inter-working of how conservationists work with conflict that has arisen. It talks about when they do and how they have a system of finding the root of the problem and that if it is not done correctly, the whole conservation efforts will fall apart because there is no common goal. It’s different from our readings in class, those talk more about the actual implications of conservation and what’s being done not how they do it or what it takes to get to that point. - Annotation by Anonymous, Spring 2023

This article brings light to conservation through theology practices. Using this way of thinking broadens the approach to solving environmental issues. As stated, “environmental challenges can certainly not be solved by only scientific or technological approaches but also through religious environmentalism” (Odey 10). Religious environmentalism can be defined in many different ways but, in general it is the combination of environmental perspectives with theological perspectives. By educating on how these views on environmentalism can make a positive impact on the climate crisis and other environmental issues progress can be made faster. The article also touches on how life recycling is an important practice in that is important in conservation.
This article helps to build on the ideas from the previous readings by bringing a theological perspective to conservation topics. The themes of the article are much different from anything else that has been read so far so it brings valuable strategies for sustainability through the use of theology. The author is a female as well which helps to bring new ideas to the topic as well. I would recommend this article to anyone who may want to broaden their scope in regard to conservation using theology. - Annotation by Anonymous, Spring 2023

This paper was written by women in the field of conservation calling for more action in diversifying the field. Gould et al. describe the lack of diversity in the field of conservation and follow up with the benefits of having a more diverse field of study. Gould et al. then describe how the origin of the field had alienated underrepresented groups from the field due to the colonial tones originally taken. The authors propose two different solutions to better diversify the fields: highlighting more historically diverse environmental experiences and broadening the definition of environment. The authors propose these solutions as they would help change the image of the field as well as give people more relatable reasons to join the field.
One of the solutions proposed by Gould et al. is to broaden the definition of conservation of the environment. A similar solution is proposed in “Great Tide Rising” by Kathleen Dean Moore. Moore describes how having multiple reasons to fight climate change is great as “not all of the reasons speak equally powerfully to all people, and that is as it should be.” (pg. 29) Gould et al. want to give more reasons for marginalized groups to join the field of conservation. Overall, I would recommend this source as it encapsulates why the field of conservation is lacking in diversity as well as proposes solutions to the problem. - Annotation by Anonymous, Spring 2023

The authors is a Chinese American environmentalist, provides a report on the lack of diversity and inclusion in mainstream environmental organizations, including those involved in national park conservation. She offers recommendations for increasing diversity and addressing systemic barriers to inclusion in the environmental sector. The author also offers several recommendations for increasing diversity and addressing systemic barriers to inclusion in the environmental sector. These recommendations include implementing diversity and inclusion policies and practices, increasing transparency around hiring and promotion practices, creating more opportunities for mentorship and leadership development for people of color, and engaging in more outreach to diverse communities. - Annotation by Hiep Ngoc Tran, Spring 2023

Indigenous communities have been working and living in nature for a very long time. This article by Annie Sneed analyzes the difference between indigenous communities and other communities within the ideas of conservation. The article is split into two parts. The first part is stewards of biodiversity, and second is a different view of nature. In the first part of the article Sneed summarizes how Indigenous communities have been actively helping their environment. Sneed talks about the diverse gardens that contain up to “500 different species”. It very much shows how in touch with nature these communities are. In the Second part of the article Sneed covers the different mindset and view towards nature that
Indigenous people have. Indigenous people see nature as a give and take relationship where nature and the people are equals. Sneed argues that is why Indigenous people conserve their nature and places they live so well. This source is very different from sources we read in class. In this article we see things that have been working for hundreds of years and are actively working. Having this source will help change people's mindsets about nature and counteract the current culture that we have with nature. I would highly recommend this source to anyone who wants to further expand their ideas on nature. - Annotation by Jackson Elliott, Fall 2023

In this video, the impacts of ecotourism and nature tourism are discussed in the context of the Amazon River Basin. Before breaking down the specific types of tourism, the narrator begins by asking locals in a port city deep in the Amazon their opinions of tourists. The responses are mixed, with some stating they dislike them and believe they only give money to rich while others state that they think that tourists are good for preserving the Amazon and stimulating the economy. Following this, the narrator engages in a resort he labels as “nature tourism” This label is given because the experience gives tourists a chance to experience nature, but not to sit in a realistic environment. The hotel is covered in walkways that tangle through the forest, and it is described how the owner brought in foreign animals for the tourists. The owner also makes it seem like he is a positive for the local Amazonian community, but upon further inspection it is revealed that the terms of their wage labor are abusive. After shunning that experience, the narrator describes an activity that is more like ecotourism. In this activity, the natural beauty of the Amazon is preserved, and the entire community lives with as little impact as possible, including limiting the noise they make. They also travel directly to a indigenous community, where they can directly talk and pay those living there. This article reinforces the idea that it is easy for those in developed nations to impose imperialism and globalism despite the best intentions, an idea that is present in discussions of imperialistic conservation. One such reading that it relates to is Ramachandra Guha’s essay Radical American Environmentalism and Wilderness Preservation: A Third World Critique, which also criticizes the imperialism of ideas in environmental protection. It also brings up a new point, that tourism in general can be harmful, both by destroying the environment and by destroying people's idea of what nature is. It is discussed how trip organizers will often use fake promises of seeing animals to get tourists to come, but when they do come they are often let down. This in turn gives them a bad opinion of nature activities and the Amazon as a whole, which can lead to less money being given to eco-friendly initiatives. Overall, the documentary is very interesting and has natural imagery that is pretty relaxing, so I would definitely recommend it to anyone interested. - Annotation by Anonymous, Spring 2023

Breaking Green Ceilings is a podcast focused on uplifting environmentalist voices from traditionally underrepresented communities including queer and people of color. In this episode, the host, Sapna Mulki, converses with social research consultant Leander Lacy about the interconnections between conservation and social issues. Lacy claims that the goal of conservation is to find the balance between the needs of the environment and the needs of humanity and the only way to achieve this is by incorporating social sciences into the conservation field. An important step in accomplishing this goal, Mulki says, is coming to the realization that humans are a part of nature and part of the solution. Once we realize our place in the environment, we become better at creating holistic approaches to our problems.
In class, we have read several books that arrive at the same conclusion, like in the reading from Braiding Sweetgrass about the creation story of the Haudenosaunee, “Skywoman Falling.” In the story, humanity and the earth are created with the help of both humans and animals, placing us among nature. I think that this podcast does a great job at expanding that idea into environmental and social justice issues. I would recommend both the episode and the podcast as a whole. - Annotation by Anonymous, Spring 2023

Cristina Mormorunni has made it her mission to protect the natural world ever since she saw the negative effects of humankind's treatment of it firsthand during a field trip to the
wetlands in fifth grade. She is now the Regional Director of the Wildlife Conservation Society’s Rocky Mountain Program, and in this article she outlines how Native American perspectives, sciences, and practices in relation to conservation are vastly and unjustly quieted by history. She retains hope, however, that our modern climate crises can be diminished by implementing more practices that rely on Native American schools of thought. The foundation of this approach to conservation is having a peer-to-peer relationship with nature. Other authors analyzed throughout this course emphasize a special relationship between America and its wilderness, such as Roderick Nash, emphasizing how America was shaped by nature that it almost destroyed. Mormorunni enriches this idea further by emphasizing that animals are kin, and the foremost experts on restoration of landscapes and wildlife are those who have lived in harmony with that ecosystem for thousands of years. - Annotation by Jackson Rogers, Spring 2023

This is about an hour and a half video of a program done at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, Maryland. During the presentation, a wide variety of local voices and national environmental activists come together to share great conversations about improvements that can be made to the environment of the city of Baltimore. Furthermore, they discuss the MdEHN, the Maryland Environmental Health Network which aims to educate as well as offer equality as they discuss…. Nature for all, diversity in conservation.
The reason I choose this source as my final contribution is because of how specific it is to the underrepresented voices in conservation. I really found interesting their connections to local action creating global difference. I think this nails the message I was trying to convey in my annotated bibliography. Honestly, I could see this being shown in class. Give it a watch! - Annotation by David Franke, Spring 2023

Vandana Shiva has spent over four decades working to protect the indigenous people of the Indian Himalayas and trying to promote fair, local, and sustainable food sources. Shiva claims that “food is the currency of life”, and she has worked to keep that currency open to all by fighting against big agriculture and the invasion of western crops and methods. Shiva promotes independence and self-sustaining practices that give people the freedom of choice.
While her intentions are not dissimilar to Norman Borlaug, Vandana Shiva is directly working against his legacy. Shiva works to preserve “unique cultural and culinary traditions” and discourages the use of GMO’s and chemicals while promoting older practices like saving seed and planting varieties of crops together. - Annotation by Morgan Phelps, Spring 2023

Conservation efforts in Colombia are being thwarted by the paramilitary and multinational corporations. David Noreiga is a journalist for VICE News and visited Colombia to understand the situation. He is a Colombian-American reporter. VICE has some controversy surrounding the publication, but VICE News is intended to be a current affairs channel. Colombia is an environmentally and biodiversity rich country and contains ecosystems vital for mitigating climate change. The country contains many natural resources that are worth a lot of money. Paramilitaries put a stop to environmentalists and any conservation activism. There is mining, deforestation, and other harmful impacts that conservationists are hoping to prevent. Unfortunately, as Noriega explains, often conservations are disposed of in order for companies to exploit the land. 33 environmentalists in 2021 were murdered in Colombia. Our class often talks and reads about the balance of money and conservation. There is a great divide of the corporations and individuals in Colombia, often being supported by the government, even if not explicitly. Conzalo Cardona was a conservationist who worked with the yellow-eared parrot. He disappeared in January 2021 and his body was found with two bullet wounds to the chest. I would recommend this source because it shows the cost of conservation projects around the world. Conservation in North America versus South
America can look very different. Not only do conservationists have to break glass ceilings, some have to do so by putting their lives on the line. - Annotation by Grace Himpel, Spring 2023

This article focuses on race and nature conservation in South Africa. This article assesses the extent of the impact of race and social equity in conservation, with the aim of promoting sustainable and more inclusive conservation practices in South Africa. It looks at different cases to examine racial equity in conservation. The findings suggest that conservation practices still exclude most of the black population in South Africa. The authors are trying to promote more inclusive conservation practices and to tackle the issue of poverty. Conservation groups need to incorporate indigenous knowledge systems and need to include the previously marginalized in leadership structures. This article also makes recommendations on how conservation can become more inclusive across social and racial lines.
In relation to texts read in this course, this source looks at racial equity in conservation. Specifically, this source is like “The Wrong Complexation for Protection.” This article reiterates the idea that black communities face unequal protection from environmental hazards, and that those communities should be more involved when it comes to decision-making and environmental conservation. I would recommend this source because it tackles two issues: race and nature conservation. This reading shows a unique perspective that I think people would benefit from reading about. -Annotation by Isabella Wingrove, Spring 2023

The Te Mana O Te Taiao Aotearoa New Zeland Biodiversity strategy relates to EVRN 336 in that it touches on some of the ideals and ethics discussed in class. Like the partnership ethic or standards of understanding the natural world that Aldo Leopold mentions in A Sand County Almanac and Other Writings on Ecology and Conservation. This strategy intertwines the values and solutions necessary to maintain the “ Te Mana o te Taiao,” which means “the mana of the living environment.” The culture woven with their proposed solutions is powerful in preserving human diversity by restoring connections with the land. While setting realistic and applicable goals, they recognize the holes missing nuancedly, with a major emphasis that revolves around the Maōri people, who are the indigenous people of Aotearoa, New Zealand.

Looking at conservation in America, The mainstream conservation movement has a history rooted in problematic values. Modern conservation, grounded in evidence and structure, is prevalent worldwide but has overridden indigenous knowledge systems that have effectively preserved ecosystems for ages. Opening the discussion to Indigenous peoples can unify the conservation movement and help create viable solutions that revolve around actions and moral ethics. Indigenous voices in conservation globally can uncover many ways we can address conservation in America by including indigenous peoples in efforts to create relationships that foster care for the earth. The Te Mana O Te Taiao Aotearoa New Zeland Biodiversity strategy is a remarkable model that works in action and theory and from which the contemporary mainstream American conservation movement can use as an example for conservation methods. - Annotation by Sarah Reuben-Hallock, Fall 2023