My Vision For Nature - Scotland

Around this time last year, I stood in a stiflingly hot classroom in front of expectant, watchful eyes as I attempted to teach a group of P5 children about the difficulties of conservation.

The revelation that there was a possibility of a wolf reintroduction had been met with great enthusiasm; the question “would you like to see wolves back in the highlands?” was answered with vigorous nods and cries of “it would be SO COOL!”

“But what if one of these wolves gets into your back garden and eats your rabbit?”

A few moments silence, while the cogs turned. Then: “It would still be cool.” “They could eat my wee sister if they liked!”

I then explained that, whilst it would be super awesome to see these majestic predators back in the wilderness where they once roamed free, not everyone would be so happy about one munching on a little sister sandwich. Farmers, for one, risked losing livestock, their livelihoods, and, quite possibly, their safety. The eyes glazed over as little minds digested this information. Then one boy piped up: “Then why don’t we knock down the massive shopping centre and build a reserve there? We don’t need that. But the wolves need a home.”

If only grown-ups had that kind of brutally simple attitude to problem solving. For a 7-year old, the natural world still holds a special lustre that cannot be replaced; the joy of exploring the wilderness, the excitement of the idea of a wolf can bring, can’t be outdone by clothes stores and housing developments. Okay, so farmers have good reason for not wanting a fearsome predator on their land, but the wolves – and other wildlife – are also entitled to a home. At 7, the adult emotions of fear and cynicism haven’t yet set in. It would be so simple to reintroduce wolves. And SO cool.

Realistically, if wolves are to be reintroduced into Scotland, it won’t be for a good while – we aren’t ready. But as the concept of re-wilding continues to gain momentum, something exciting is happening here. The idea of more wilderness and seeing Scotland’s native fauna return to its rightful place is most often met with positivity and excitement. From Caledonian pine forest to beavers, raptors to the Eurasian lynx, the future seems hopeful.

It may have been a sad day for conservation when David Cameron became re-elected; reading the policies of the conservatives is depressing to say the least. But just like many of my fellow AFON members, I am an eternal optimist. I would like to point out that the story in Scotland is very different – opinions and attitudes are changing for the better, with an overwhelming shift to the SNP during the election. The Scottish Governments Climate Change Act is nothing if not ambitious, with targets to reduce carbon emissions by 42% by the 2020, and 80% by 2050. The latter figure is stated in the SNP’s manifesto as being a ‘minimum’, and they are leading the movement to improve this by investing heavily in low carbon transport and renewables. And – although I would love for this not to be the main driving force – the benefits to the economy and tourism from re-wilding means that a lot of support is being offered for related ventures.

Mainly, however, Scotland is fighting for its voice to be heard – just like we, as conservationists, are fighting for nature to be heard. One of SNP’s taglines is ‘Let’s lock out the Tories’ which is a feeling shared by many across the UK, including (judging by my twitter feed following the election) a great deal of my fellow wildlife enthusiasts.

I’m not saying we’ve got it covered: there’s a lot of work to do. Conservation conflict is just as – if not more – rife in Scotland. Groups of people – politicians, ecologists, estate owners – can become polarised as a result of different points of view that become embedded within society over time, and as a result we constantly bump heads. Instead, we need to work alongside gamekeepers and stakeholders, not to tell them that their opinions are wrong, but to understand why they think the way they do. I’ve actually found a lot of gamekeepers to be very amicable and often open to change; it’s that initial prejudice and mistrust that we must overcome in order for nature to have a future.

For me, that’s my vision: to work together and find shared solutions towards mutual goals. To not see a parties’ manifesto as wrong or a gamekeepers attitude as incorrect, but to use them as a means to finding a long-term strategy that benefits all. Somewhere within us all is a 7-year-old who thinks simply, without prejudice or old grudges, and still treats nature with the respect and awe it deserves. My vision for nature is that one day, we all learn to listen to them.