Rewilder’s Toolkit: some texts that got me thinking critically about a radical new future for human life and the planet.

These are some texts that I read while studying Environment, Development & Policy at the university of Sussex that I feel helped formulate my own ideas on rewilding as a conservation strategy. There are definitely more out there that are explicitly about rewilding, but I feel these helped me form my own personal opinion. To follow up, the works of Franz Vera, Sergey Zimov, David Foreman, Josh Donlan et al. and Mauro Galetti have helped form some of the earlier writings on rewilding.

Feral: Searching for Enchantment on the Frontiers of Rewilding- George Monbiot

The first text on rewilding I read. I was turned on to Feral by a piece written by Monbiot in the Guardian, which I think was an adapted excerpt in the run-up to the books launch. Monbiot has written fairly extensively on environment and society, with a previous book, HEAT, focussing on climate change. This book offers an extensive and emotive look at rewilding in a holistic British landscape, selecting areas of several interpretations of rewilding to complete a vision for Britain. Examples and anectdotes emerge from within and outside of Britain, mapping Monbiot’s formation of a wild future.

I enjoy the wild path Monbiot writes, but have more recently become critical of his approach. Whereas I enjoy a more holistic, and Marxian perspective to approaching ecology, Monbiot starts from the off with emotion; he enjoys imaginings of prehistoric hunting, encounters with surprising predators and more. For a vegetarian interested in rewilding, the hunting aspect of humanities past that Monbiot glorifies offers something gristly to chew around and query in my own interpretations of wilderness. A good critique can be found in Simon Fairley’s ‘Rewilding and Food Security,’ which critiques Monbiot’s sweeping statements about sheep grazing and meat importation in Wales.

Twilight of the Mammoths: Ice Age Extinctions and the Rewilding of America- Paul S Martin

A more academic approach focussing on the natural history of large mammals that no longer exist in the Americas, from giant ground sloths to elephants. Martin’s key theories about human interactions with these creatures and their eventual demise takes its focus to archaeology and archaecology, but Martin makes provident allusions to the modern state of wilderness and the balanced spread of species missing in North America.

Rewilding the World- Caroline Fraser

Fraser’s text is formative for three reasons: first, it offers a truly global look at rewilding, taking the reader on a journey from continent to continent; secondly, despite the global view, Fraser retains a contextually relevant look at the shareholders who face to lose or win from conservation strategies; and thirdly, Fraser brings to light many, many projects that do not label themselves as rewilding, but that do fall under many of the ideals of rewilding, and so may go ignored or unheard of within the rewilding canon.

One Straw Revolution- Masanobu Fukuoka

Although not a natural history or outright rewilding book per se, Fukuoka’s touchstone book on re-naturalising farming has been hugely influential for organic agriculturalists worldwide. While I approached this text for an interest in agriculture, I feel that Fukuoka’s vision of a natural approach to agriculture is a key part of the rewilding vision, especially considering the demonization of agriculture by rewilding (such as in George Monbiot’s Feral) and similar theories such as deep ecology. It’s also important to be reminded of the realities of our reliance on the natural world, that without it’s fruits, human existence on this world would be short.

A Sand County Almanac & Sketches Here and There- Aldo Leopold

One of the first deep ecology texts, this collection of Aldo Leopold’s writings including ‘Thinking like a Mountain,’ wherein he recalls shooting one of the last few wolves in (park name) and ‘The Land Ethic,’ where Leopold lays out a new way of thinking about human-nature relations. Leopold writes that we should include the land in our ethical treatment of other beings. This text includes evocative observations of wildlife from Leopold’s beloved weekend cabin.

The Ecological Thought- Timothy Morton

Before turning my attentions to the environment I earned a degree in English Literature, where I was turned over the ecocritical writings of Morton. This is the least literary and most philosophical of all of his works, and is essential a modernised deep ecology with some variations and additions. It was a great read and is truly opening- it opens dialogue about human- animals relations, greater connectivity between all things, and sets the scene for a truly ecological future.

Half-Earth- Edward O. Wilson

I admire Wilson’s care and fondness for nature, but do not agree with his approach. I put this text here as one that helped form what I believe in, as reading Wilson’s proposition to leave half the planet to nature, as well as his reliance on economics and technology, did not sit well with me. The ideas presented in this text are important to familiarise yourself with because they form the backbone for hegemonic and generally accepted conservation practice. The idea that humans need to be taken out of nature is similar to the thinking of 19^th century writers such as Muir, whose desire for unspoiled wilderness parks eventually led to the expulsion of native Americans who had been living there for centuries.

My First Summer in the Sierra- John Muir

Muir is almost a mythic figure when it comes to wilderness writings. This early text, demonstrating Muir’s infectious love for all things wild and free has influenced many for centuries, including American writers Ralph Waldo Emerson and Henry Thoreux. As sublime as Muir’s vision is, it’s important to remain critical of dramatic mythisization of nature in his writing; William Cronon’s piece ‘The Trouble with Wilderness: Or, Getting back to the Wrong Wilderness’ is useful in deconstructing wilderness as a mythic creation.

Degrowth: A Vocalbulary for a New Era- Ed. Giacomo D'Alisa, Federico DeMaria and Giorgos Kallis

Not focussed on the environment or rewilding, this collection of short essays, laid out like a dictionary, challenges the capitalist myth of infinite growth on a finite planet by offering new and present solutions, which are essential for an integrated and healthy recovery for wildlife and wilderness.

Gaia: A New Look at Life on Earth- James Lovelock

Unfortunately I never got to finish Lovelock’s seminal text, but the glimpse I got in the half I read has infected by thinking since. Often apocalyptic in scope, Lovelock’s premise that life is a planetary function and mechanism of Earth is beautifully demonstrated with analogy and atmospheric data. Lovelock’s later writings would predict human’s extinction closer and closer, but maintains that life will ultimately balance out and continue no matter what. Lovelock himself is a celebrated independent scientist, who, until his death, wrote regularly for a number of publications.

Also Worth Reading-

Silent Spring- Rachel Carson: unfortunately I never finished this text. Carson’s book challenging the use of chemicals in agriculture eventually resulted in new legislation to protect people and wildlife from the harmful effects of chemical pesticides and herbicides, and is a great example of a direct challenge to hegemonic practice for a better integrated future for humans and wildlife.

 

Where do Camels Belong- Ken Thompson: I’m reading this book now. Thompson lays out a brilliant history and discussion of what invasive species are, ultimately querying our views of ‘native’ and ‘invasive.’ This querying is useful for arguments concerning reintroductions.

Wildlife in the Anthropocene- Jamie Lorimer: quite dense in places, this

collection of Lorimer’s writings gives us the theory and philosophy behind conservation realities. Good chapter on rewilding at the Oostvaardersplassen in Amsterdam, looking into what defines something as ‘wild’ and ‘domestic,’ and if it really is so black and white.