Another good read, this time in the Guardian and this one is about PEOPLE in re wilding.

 

This group are re wilding at a massive scale in the Highlands of Scotland. I have never been, I have relatives in Edinburgh so we always tend to get ‘stuck’ there!

Given the scale of the project they have more than one group of people to ‘get onboard’, landowners, farm hands, hunters communities. So, they talked to them, a lot and got hold of a physiologist. Well, if the Government can do it?

The article explains that re wilding pushes people away because they think they are being excluded from the landscape they love. Science, the tool employed normally to persuade does not always work.

“Howell welcomes conflict in meetings because it’s meaningful, fruitful and makes things happen. When people are aggressive to McDonnell, Howell tells him to get their number and have a cup of tea with them, look around their farm and understand their point of view. “That’s a radically different attitude. I really believe it’s not passive, it demands more of an individual in terms of their creativity and maturity … it’s a true kind of authentic commitment to something larger than himself.”

In a round about way this is one of the things I have started to do with ‘Walk, Talk and Cake’ last Sunday. I was not trying to use my guests land or influence but, we could still learn more from each other.

For many the benefits from rewilding must be something other than biodiversity and carbon sequestration, two of the key benefits I see from this project. This does not interest them, they want economic reasons, farming reasons, hunting reasons. You want better fish in the river, well trees next to a river makes it a better habitat for young fish and more nutrient rich so bigger fish. We are not the same, but one thing I do know the benefits of re wilding are immense,  and benefit us all weather people realise it or not. We all need to value nature for our own wellbeing and future. So, at every scale large or pretty wee by comparison to this 158,000 acre project (!!), we must bring people along with us to achieve our vision.

So, I reckon that will be more tea and cake don’t you?!

And yes, I did make these for last Sunday!

Planting a vision: why the secret to rewilding success is about people, not trees | Environment | The Guardian