COS 174-5 - Conservation Matters, From One Generation to Another

Abstract: The earth's vegetation is part of a web of life in which there are intimate and essential relations between plants and the earth, between plants and other plants, between plants and animals. Sometimes we have no choice but to disturb these relationships, but we should do so thoughtfully, with full awareness that what we do may have consequences remote in time and place. (Rachel Carson, Silent Spring, 1962)

Many of us had a "save the world" mindset on graduation day. We were not aware of obstacles and opportunities that lay ahead in conservation work. We learned quickly we did not know what we did not know, especially how to get things done in the real world. For example, you don't change environmental law by hiring a lawyer,. You don't save endangered species by caging the species. You don't change minds by telling people what they have done wrong. As a restoration ecologist I sought experts who: were willing to share insights, demonstrated a land ethic, knew how to navigate regulations and policies at all levels, knew where resources lay, and were change-agents themselves. That multidisciplinary network helped me with roadside restoration, plant remnant protection, public awareness and more. Two years ago I recognized the value of all this network has accomplished. I contacted each and asked for an essay explaining why and how they did it. The result is a compendium of a hundred scientists, practitioners, educators and policymakers who shared their lessons learned. They represent nearly 50 disciplines connected to plant conservation issues. The matters of conservation are many and require interdisciplinary coordination. There are no neat lines on a map within which we work when working with plant and wildlife conservation. Each contributor explains how they colored outside the lines, formed partnerships, created new tools or became political to solve environmental issues. Their lessons inform and inspire future decision-making.
This is the book missing from our required reading list for real world work in conservation. With it, our generation would have been better prepared to "change the world" on many local, state and federal issues. Conservation work crosses disciplinary, political and natural world boundaries, It requires solutions that connect the public and private sectors as well. This collection of essays crosses all those lines. This scientific network was and continues to be connected out of necessity because we work in a world connected by reality.