Conservation and Science

It is only fair to start by saying ‘thank you’ for all the feedback I received after the last issue of the newsletter. It turns out that a lot of you like the idea of the newsletter going out on a different day from the podcast episode. This has encouraged me to experiment with the timing, which is why this issue isn’t arriving at the usual time. Sending the newsletter after the episode is published has another advantage. I can tell listeners what the newsletter will include beyond the episode-related content, so they have a chance to subscribe in time to receive it. Under the previous schedule, by the time someone heard about the newsletter on the podcast, the issue they were interested in was already out and they missed the content they had heard about. So, going forward, the newsletter will go out after the podcast episode.

Second, as you may have heard if you’ve already listened to the latest episode, I want to acknowledge that we missed an episode of the podcast. This was due to my travel arrangements. I usually travel with my laptop and get episodes out even when I’m on the go, but this time it wasn’t possible. I will make it up to you, though, as I’m switching to a weekly schedule. I have quite a lot of material ready to go.

The material I have in mind was recorded at the first learning exchange event of Transition Kerry’s Community Climate Adaptation and Resilience Programme. Over the coming weeks, I will be publishing recorded panel discussions, presentations and keynotes, as well as interview-style episodes with individual participants. If you want to hear more about the programme, I recommend listening to episode 218, where we discuss what it is, its goals and how we plan to follow it in upcoming episodes.

Finally, it is my great pleasure to present a guest essay on native versus non-native species by David Montagnes. David is a retired ecologist and independent author who writes about topics such as biodiversity and climate change. As an independent podcaster who believes in the power of independent outlets to address important ecological and societal issues, I want to draw your attention to his work. His essay also hit quite close to home. Not long ago, I had the questionable pleasure of attending a talk where the very situation David describes actually happened.

You will find links to David’s books at the end of his essay. Remember that if you buy one or both of them, you will support not only David’s work but mine too.

Enjoy this issue!

Empowering Communities to Adapt and Thrive

This is a recording of a panel discussion, ‘Empowering our communities to adapt, thrive and flourish’, held during a learning exchange event as part of Transition Kerry’s Community Climate Adaptation & Resilience Programme. It was hosted by Catríona Fallon, co-founder of the Green Arts Initiative in Ireland and press contact for Transition Kerry, whom you might remember from episode 218. Catríona was joined by three guests, each bringing a different perspective on how local communities can prepare for a changing climate. Brigid O’Connor is an organic sheep farmer and Farming for Nature Ambassador who has been involved in community development for many years. She now runs farm walks that tell the story of the local area’s farming and folklore traditions. Thomas O’Connor, who also joined me in episode 218, spoke about food, farming and ‘Feeding the Kingdom’. Thomas runs Manna Organic Store with his wife Claire and sits on the board of Talamh Beo. Finally, Dr Nuala Rigney, a recently retired GP with more than 30 years of experience in rural communities at home and abroad, spoke about the health effects and challenges of climate change. While in Kerry, I also recorded individual conversations with Brigid and Thomas, which will be published in the upcoming episodes, so stay tuned.

Empowering Communities to Adapt and Thrive

Nothing is Native – Life is Flux

Written by David JS Montagnes

The notion that nature is in balance may be over 2,000 years old, but it’s untrue. Species rapidly evolve, hybridization is common, extinctions occur, landscapes merge and fracture, ecosystems transform, and taxa disperse – on their own volition and facilitated by a wide range of processes.

To what extent, then, can we comfortably label any plant or animal as “native” or an “immigrant”? And what right do we have to judge them as “invasive”? These are human-centred categorizations, often based on our national boundaries and driven by our resistance to change. The less comforting reality is that life is flux, an equally old maxim that resonates with modern ecological theory. In this light, the ambition of many environmental programmes to maintain the status quo or worse to return to a natural balance seems rather inappropriate.

I’m not against human interventions that guide change and manage the environment. It’s in our nature – we are after all the ultimate ecosystem engineers. Climate change is a case in point – we’ve made a mess and now need to clean it up. But should we attempt to reverse shifts in biodiversity that we have indirectly or directly facilitated over the last few millennia? And if so, where do we draw the line?

For instance, rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus), a species introduced in the 1100s, are an established part of British culture and have reshaped the landscape, to the point where they are now a valued keystone species. Should we remove these “immigrants”? Probably not! In contrast, Indian Balsam (Impatiens glandulifera), a more recent introduction (1800s), is vilified as invasive, but it too has become integral in British ecosystems, with our eradication attempts being both questionable and problematic. Possibly in a few centuries Indian Balsam will also be a keystone species and a treasured symbol of British identity. In short, why don’t we reject the use of terms like “native”, “immigrant”, and “invasive” and embrace the flux of taxa – albeit, with management where needed – rather than xenophobically rallying against new arrivals?

Possibly, you already agree with some of these views and feel than I’m quibbling over words. But words are powerful. “Native”, “immigrant”, and “invasive” are part of a politically-charged vocabulary, reflecting attitudes well beyond environmental issues. Inadvertently, by including such terms in our environmental efforts, we may fuel social unrest, especially when they are filtered through the sensationalistic lens of the media. As a case in point, some UK researchers have voiced concerns regarding the dilution of purity of the “native” crab apple (Malus sylvestris) through hybridization with the eating apple (M. domestica), an apple that has itself inhabited the British Isles for 2,000 years. Does this argument for purity not smack of eugenics? And where might such sentiments lead…? We really do need to watch our words!

In an effort to raise awareness, I have explored one model landscape, combining my own artwork and text to attract attention, across all ages and backgrounds. The British Archipelago, having relatively recently been covered by ice, connected to the continent, isolated, and repeatedly repopulated and reshaped, provides a unique environment to illustrate how biodiversity constantly changes. My book, Where Are You From?  An A to Z of our Flora and Fauna suggests that, not surprisingly, many  species that we think of as “archetypically British” came from elsewhere… and argues that’s not such a bad thing! By appreciating that life is flux, I hope to encourage readers to watch their words and be a bit more tolerant and inclusive in their environmental (and personal) views.

Where Are You From? An A to Z of our Flora and Fauna

Of Biblical Proportions: A Triptych on Climate Change

David Montagnes is a retired Reader from the Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool. Recently, he has revived his long-term passion for art, while retaining an interest in ecology. His illustrated books, Where Are You From? An A to Z of our Flora and Fauna (ISBN 979-8304214490) and Of Biblical Proportions: A Triptych on Climate Change (ISBN 979-8257641343), reflect this.

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