In the concluding chapter of Rambunctious Garden, Emma Marris sends us off into the world with a new perspective. Having gone through the multiple and conflicting issues surrounding conservation through out the previous chapters, Marris presents her clear-cut idea of what concepts to take away from the book and which initiatives to support and follow.  She does this by laying out a set of seven goals to be taken into consideration by the human population Marris’ seven goals are direct. However, they also come with their pros and cons- as did many of the other issues in Rambunctious Garden, leaving us to somewhat fend for ourselves when searching for her resounding message.

Marris’ list of goals goes as follows; Protect The Rights Of Other Species, Protect Charismatic Megafauna, Slow The Rate Of Extinctions, Protect Genetic Diversity, Define and Defend Biodiversity, Maximize Ecosystem Services, and Protect The Spiritual And Aesthetic Experience of Nature. A few of the these concepts that stood out more to me were the last three having to do with biodiversity, ecological services and the aesthetics of nature. In my opinion these three summed up natures true overall value to us as a dominant species as well as to our ecosystems and the other species that reside within them. However, each of these goals has its trade off and not one is more important than another.

When speaking on biodiversity Marris mentions how defending biodiversity would allow us to defend a multitude of other ideologies such as species diversity, genetic diversity and population diversity. This broad almost indefinability of the term has its pro as well as its cons. Protection of biodiversity gives way to protecting ecosystems and their interconnections rather than just trying to save a particular species. However, because biodiversity is so undefined, the lines between which species are allowed in one system versus another are no so clear, leaving us to wonder why we should protect an ecosystem’s biodiversity that is forever changing.

Marris’ goal #6 to maximize ecosystem services, I felt to be the most relatable to the humans of this anthropogenic era. Many people inherently feel that although nature may be valuable in its existence, humans are somehow entitled to reap the benefits of its services. This is why suggesting the conservation of an ecosystem to preserve a tangibly valuable resource and/ or ecological service would be most effective in gaining support. Marris also explains that despite some selfish reasons for jumping on board, by preserving ecological services, we also as a result preserve biodiversity as well as a host of other environmental causes.

Lastly, Marris appeals to our sense of aesthetics and deriving pleasure from nature by asserting that we protect nature as a whole, just to experience it. Although this point seems vague and somewhat illegitimate because there I no way to quantify the pleasure derived from experiencing or interacting with nature, I agree with its validity. Ultimately if we do not seek to actively conserve what we enjoy, it will be gone or severely diminished.  With all of this said, I really enjoyed how Emma Marris ended her list of goals. With all this said and done, Marris implores us to just embrace the change in nature, whether we want to make major conservational changes or to embrace the natural cycles slowly making their own mark on the landscape. Following her aforementioned goals or pursuing a more specific tract of settling a smaller environmental issue Marris wants us to embrace what has become our rambunctious garden in hopes that we learn to appreciate nature more along the way.

Emma Marris concludes Rambunctious Garden by suggesting there is a multitude of environmental decisions to be made that are influenced by a variety of factors. Given the amount of time, money and effort many of these processes require, there is undoubtedly going to be debate and controversy regarding which progressive action is best. I agree with Marris that reaching a “common goal” can be difficult since “no single goal will work in all situations” (154). Considering the variety of sources, of both utilitarian and intrinsic belief, and the wide range of opinions these sources feel strongly about, reaching a common goal can be “extremely difficult” (154). I agree with Aldo Leopold’s idea regarding how humans should perceive nature, specifically the importance of reaching the point when “taking care of ourselves becomes the same thing as taking care of the environment” (154).  If we, as a population, recognize that our existence is directly connected to both animal and plant species, perhaps we will learn that we can in fact coexist and that we have no option but to respect and appreciate the nature that surrounds us. We can then progress to make this coexistence possible by experimenting with the various processes Marris introduces, such as rewilding and assisted migration. Marris makes a valid point when she says that we must refrain from “shying away from the occasional bold experiment” (170) and work together to preserve biodiversity. This is only feasible if we are progressive and willing to try new things.  To compromise with those that oppose radical change, we could perhaps begin by testing our methods on a smaller scale and then, if successful, extend their implementation. Although I agree with the majority of Marris’ goals, I oppose that which focuses on solely protecting “genetic diversity” as it seems rather impractical if it implies practices, even if not as radical, as “bluebirds existin[ing] only as frozen tissue samples” (162).  One particularly interesting concept in chapter ten that illustrates the complexity of our ecosystem is that concerning elephants and the importance of having a balanced number of species in an ecosystem. Prior to this reading, given the rarity of elephants, it had never occurred to me that in some places too many elephants in an area have been of concern.  The consequences of having too dense of an elephant population can be detrimental to the ecosystem, threatening the continuous growth of crops and wildlife. This case illustrates both the complexity and interrelated nature of ecosystems. By studying elephant populations and the specific needs of their habitat, for example, we can recognize the importance of treating each ecosystem with a unique perspective without generalizing from one to the next. By doing so, we can work with local populations to meet goals that are both specific and more feasible in that particular region.  It is often human nature to be concerned with those things that are relevant to us, as is demonstrated by Marris’ discussion of ecosystem services. We must therefore emphasize that both animal and plant species directly relate to each and every one of us as we live in what Leopald refers to as “the grand web of life” (154). In parallel to the anthropocentric mindset, we cannot think of nature as a separate entity and must do what Marris suggests in the beginning of her book and “admit our role and even embrace it” (2). Marris concludes her book with a powerful message, emphasizing, “it is our duty to manage” nature and that we can do so for “different ends” (171). But in order to do so, we must be optimistic and recognize all possibilities with an open-mind, understanding that “aesthetic and spiritual values,” among others, “are not limited to native or pristine-seeming places” (168).