Rewilding – Departures in Conservation Policy and Practice? an Evaluation of Developments in Britain

Rewilding has been hailed as ‘radical’ and ‘agenda-setting’ in the challenge it poses to mainstream conservation. This paper questions whether that is still the case, or if rewilding is now being mainstreamed and with what consequences? Our analysis focuses upon developments in Britain, up until 201...

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Main Authors: Sophie Wynne-Jones, Graham Strouts, Callum O'Neil, Chris Sandom
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wolters Kluwer Medknow Publications 2020-01-01
Series:Conservation & Society
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.conservationandsociety.org/article.asp?issn=0972-4923;year=2020;volume=18;issue=2;spage=89;epage=102;aulast=Wynne-Jones
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author Sophie Wynne-Jones
Graham Strouts
Callum O'Neil
Chris Sandom
author_facet Sophie Wynne-Jones
Graham Strouts
Callum O'Neil
Chris Sandom
author_sort Sophie Wynne-Jones
collection DOAJ
description Rewilding has been hailed as ‘radical’ and ‘agenda-setting’ in the challenge it poses to mainstream conservation. This paper questions whether that is still the case, or if rewilding is now being mainstreamed and with what consequences? Our analysis focuses upon developments in Britain, up until 2018, discussing what changes have become manifest and the barriers and restraints that have been observed. As such, we evaluate the extent to which rewilding – in practice - departs from longstanding conservation sensibilities. Discussion is structured around three key questions— Who is now involved in rewilding across Britain? What they are seeking to do, in terms of how nature is conceptualised and managed (or not)? In what ways do their objectives involve people and human-centred aspirations? Our findings reveal three key differences from current conservation approaches. First, rewilding is associated with a proliferation of new actors, new mechanisms of finance and new spaces of conservation interest. Second, rewilding as an approach exhibits clear novelty in its stated aim to be nature-led and, despite challenges, attempts to work through ongoing negotiation and experimentation. Finally, rewilding is currently being advocated and pursued as an agenda for people and nature, which moves beyond earlier nature conservation paradigms of protecting nature from human influence. However, it remains to be seen whether rewilding advocates can realise their ambitions to popularise and create peopled wild spaces across Britain's landscapes.
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spelling doaj.art-81b2766eed0d4653aa6737521ebd54162022-12-22T01:17:06ZengWolters Kluwer Medknow PublicationsConservation & Society0972-49232020-01-011828910210.4103/cs.cs_19_32Rewilding – Departures in Conservation Policy and Practice? an Evaluation of Developments in BritainSophie Wynne-JonesGraham StroutsCallum O'NeilChris SandomRewilding has been hailed as ‘radical’ and ‘agenda-setting’ in the challenge it poses to mainstream conservation. This paper questions whether that is still the case, or if rewilding is now being mainstreamed and with what consequences? Our analysis focuses upon developments in Britain, up until 2018, discussing what changes have become manifest and the barriers and restraints that have been observed. As such, we evaluate the extent to which rewilding – in practice - departs from longstanding conservation sensibilities. Discussion is structured around three key questions— Who is now involved in rewilding across Britain? What they are seeking to do, in terms of how nature is conceptualised and managed (or not)? In what ways do their objectives involve people and human-centred aspirations? Our findings reveal three key differences from current conservation approaches. First, rewilding is associated with a proliferation of new actors, new mechanisms of finance and new spaces of conservation interest. Second, rewilding as an approach exhibits clear novelty in its stated aim to be nature-led and, despite challenges, attempts to work through ongoing negotiation and experimentation. Finally, rewilding is currently being advocated and pursued as an agenda for people and nature, which moves beyond earlier nature conservation paradigms of protecting nature from human influence. However, it remains to be seen whether rewilding advocates can realise their ambitions to popularise and create peopled wild spaces across Britain's landscapes.http://www.conservationandsociety.org/article.asp?issn=0972-4923;year=2020;volume=18;issue=2;spage=89;epage=102;aulast=Wynne-Jonesrewildingconservation governanceanthropocenefuture-naturebiopolitics
spellingShingle Sophie Wynne-Jones
Graham Strouts
Callum O'Neil
Chris Sandom
Rewilding – Departures in Conservation Policy and Practice? an Evaluation of Developments in Britain
Conservation & Society
rewilding
conservation governance
anthropocene
future-nature
biopolitics
title Rewilding – Departures in Conservation Policy and Practice? an Evaluation of Developments in Britain
title_full Rewilding – Departures in Conservation Policy and Practice? an Evaluation of Developments in Britain
title_fullStr Rewilding – Departures in Conservation Policy and Practice? an Evaluation of Developments in Britain
title_full_unstemmed Rewilding – Departures in Conservation Policy and Practice? an Evaluation of Developments in Britain
title_short Rewilding – Departures in Conservation Policy and Practice? an Evaluation of Developments in Britain
title_sort rewilding departures in conservation policy and practice an evaluation of developments in britain
topic rewilding
conservation governance
anthropocene
future-nature
biopolitics
url http://www.conservationandsociety.org/article.asp?issn=0972-4923;year=2020;volume=18;issue=2;spage=89;epage=102;aulast=Wynne-Jones
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