I am an outdoorsman, podcaster and speaker. I talk and write about the natural environment, biodiversity, conservation, hunting and fishing, rewilding and more. I am particularly interested in wildlife and human-wildlife interactions. I enjoy reading scientific papers on those subjects as much as being outdoors weathering the elements and getting first-hand experiences.
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Who actually does the work of conservation?
Published 8 months ago • 3 min read
Conservation and Science
If you work in conservation, no matter how remotely (for example, you are an IT person), take this survey: CONLAB survey
Every now and then an opportunity comes up to talk to scientists about aspects of conservation that we are aware of but that sit in the background, rarely discussed. And when they are discussed, it's usually only in passing. What I'm talking about here is the labour of all the people whose work is required for conservation to happen. Whether rangers in Africa, local people in India or gamekeepers in the UK. The work is hard, usually underpaid, and there are many power dynamics that are typically not in favour of conservation workers.
When I first came across the work of this episode's guests, after Nick contacted me, I immediately knew this was an important topic that I had to cover on the podcast. I believe that not many nature podcasts cover this angle of conservation. So yes, forward this newsletter to people who would appreciate comprehensive coverage of a wide range of conservation and ecological topics! They'll find it on this show.
To accompany this episode there is also a long and comprehensive list of articles and papers exploring and discussing the topic of conservation labour. Unfortunately, since this is a newsletter, and courtesy of Google, Microsoft, Yahoo and the likes, I won't include all the links here. The more links you have, the more likely your newsletter will end up in spam. So, I would encourage you to go to the show's main page, or simply look at the episode's description (the show notes) on the podcast platform where you are going to listen to this episode. The full list is there.
Finally, I have to say that talking with our guests in this episode challenged my own views on conservation work. Those of you who have been with me for some time might remember that I made a video where I challenged some common notions of who is a conservationist. At the time, the video sparked a heated discussion on social media, as the definition of a conservationist I proposed was quite narrow. This is in stark contrast with what we're discussing here. Perhaps the crucial thing I was missing is the difference between a conservationist and a conservation worker. I don't think we settle this here and now, and as we mentioned on the podcast, going down the semantic rabbit holes quickly becomes unhelpful. So instead of trying to land on one definition or the other, let's just think about it for a moment. And if you would like to share your thoughts on this topic with me, please reply to this email and let me know.
Oh and… don't forget to take the survey!
Conservation Labour with Anwesha Dutta and Nick Harvey Sky
Who are the people doing the actual work of conservation? How many of them are there and what are their working conditions? And whose labour remains invisible in the process? These are not questions that conservation science has spent much time on. Yet without understanding the people behind the work, we lack a complete picture of how conservation functions and who it affects. Today, we take on this largely neglected subject with Dr Anwesha Dutta, principal investigator and project lead of CONLAB (Conservation Labor Project), and Dr Nick Harvey Sky, postdoctoral researcher on the project. Their work sits at the intersection of political ecology and conservation science, and their work is opening up an entirely new line of inquiry.
During our conversation, Anwesha and Nick explain how labour theory can offer important insights into conservation. We discuss the power dynamics between employers and workers, the role of unpaid work, and how race, class and gender shape who gets opportunities in the sector. We also talk about the global survey they are running to capture the big picture of conservation labour worldwide. Nick explains why the survey casts a wide net, seeking responses not just from rangers and biologists but also from IT staff, hotel workers, farmers and anyone whose work supports conservation in some capacity. In fact, one of the aims of the project is to challenge our assumptions about who counts as a conservationist.
We also get into some difficult but necessary territory. Anwesha shares her fieldwork experiences from national parks in India, where a ranger told her that if a ranger is hurt it takes two days to get medical help, but if a rhino is hurt a helicopter arrives instantly. We discuss the militarisation of conservation, the commodification of nature, and the troubling reality that in many parts of the world conservation labour is informal, seasonal and precarious. Nick talks about the so-called 'passion tax', where love for nature is exploited to justify poor pay and conditions. Both guests leave us with a clear message: conservation must be compassionate, careful, and embedded in an ethics of care for people and for the planet.
I am an outdoorsman, podcaster and speaker. I talk and write about the natural environment, biodiversity, conservation, hunting and fishing, rewilding and more. I am particularly interested in wildlife and human-wildlife interactions. I enjoy reading scientific papers on those subjects as much as being outdoors weathering the elements and getting first-hand experiences.
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