Cultural dimensions of conservation decisions

SPENCER WOOD

University of Washington, Seattle, WA USA

spwood@uw.edu

Link to seminar: https://umontpellier-fr.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_UlY_sXtGSlmh4HSyehKdHw

Ecosystems provide numerous intangible benefits to people, such opportunities for spiritual enrichment and aesthetic appreciation.  Nature also shapes worldviews, art, and rituals, among other aspects of culture.  Despite acknowledging the interconnectedness of nature and culture, conservation and environmental management struggle to consider cultural impacts in policy and during decision-making.  Often, this is due to the lack of approaches for measuring and integrating interdisciplinary perspectives in practice.  This seminar will summarize several empirical studies, all of which developed novel approaches for measuring the potential effects of environmental management decisions on cultural dimensions such as aesthetic appreciation, feelings of awe, subjective wellbeing, and indigenous knowledge.  The studies – spanning a range of geographies, ecosystems, and people – serve as practical examples to guide future conservation efforts and provide insights into cultural consequences of environmental management.

Watch previous seminars on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrX4IsZ8WIFcDa0ZmC7rcQg