In chapter 8 of Rambunctious Garden, Marris illustrates a foreign concept of “designer ecosystems.” She describes it as a created ecosystem that “is not emulating any baseline at all but building de novo to achieve a particular goal (126).” Instead of recreating the speculated baseline of an ecosystem years back before human interference, the focus is rather on designing a system with a specific benefit in mind to be earned. Some of the benefits might include supporting humans, increased biodiversity or removal of the unwanted in the ecosystem. In chapter 9 titled Conservation Everywhere, Marris presents many of the ideas she discussed in the previous chapters such as rewilding, assisted migration and embracing exotic/invasive species. All these ideas within the scope of the previous conservationists’ approach to nature and novel ecosystems are new and different, even a little bit difficult to embrace. However she argues that “they are all at some level about making the most out of every scrap of land and water, no matter its condition (135).” And she goes on to say, “To make the most of our protected areas, we must think beyond their boundaries…” As she had done throughout her book so far, Marris once again challenges her readers to approach nature and conserving it in a new way.
I completely agree with Marris that the first step to conserving and saving the already too damaged nature is to view it in its context right now. That it should no longer be about the restoration of a pristine wilderness but about making more of nature from what remains. Marris briefly mentions that often nature documentaries depict nature as an isolated thing. She claims that they intentionally “edit out any trace of the modern world, tricking viewers into thinking there is a place out there, somewhere, where cheetahs and polar bears and penguins romp free (150).” A place completely untouched is also the exact picture I draw in my head when I hear the word “nature”. I picture a far far away place with no traces of human beings. Completely isolated and protected from the modern world. But no such place exists anymore.
Many plants, birds and animals can be found near us right in the city. Marris mentions that 227 different bee species inhabit New York. There are 474 plants, close to 2,000 insects and over fifty birds in the back garden of a gardener in Leicester. Even street trees commonly spotted are homes to a variety of birds, wasps and cicadas. Simply put, “Street trees are nature (151).” The key point Marris makes is that “if conservation is to take place everywhere, we must all learn to see nature as the background to our own lives and not just as islands far away (151).” Though it might be a long process, I think it’s worth trying.
