Emma Marris uses the concepts of ‘Designer Ecosystems’ and ‘Conservation Everywhere’ to illustrate her perspective of what humans should do about nature. Her book, Rambunctious Garden, says it very clearly. Human beings should not reserve nature for a closed off section in the wild, but rather incorporate the wild into their everyday lives. Marris uses perspective from well-respected scientists such as Hobbs to strengthen her argument for Designer Ecosystems. Marris then goes on to praise the work of Ilkka Hanski, a researcher from Finland who has quite a unique garden.
Designer Ecosystems, what are they? In many ways they sound like what they are. They are habitats, wildlife, flora that are designed through effort. Hobbs says that many ecologists will like a certain species if it is native to the land. “Depending on whether you say it was native or not native they like it or don’t like it,”
(Location 2452). To him it was a game. Too many ecologists rely on baselines for “pristine wilderness.” The idea behind designer ecosystems can be described in these lines when Hobbs says, “You are not going to get the previous ecosystem back, but you can still aim for something that is valuable,”
(Location 2480). Hobbs is talking about an area where the soil was so salted that the eucalyptus tree was no longer able to survive. The possibilities of what to do with this soil now seem endless. Hobbs flirted with the idea of turning the land into a prairie that could feed the native birds and also serve as biofuel. Such transformations, though not 100% pristine could serve a great compromise to natural and human needs. These efforts of designer ecosystems are one way conservation is happening everywhere.
Chapter 9 in Rambunctious Garden talks about what conservationists and ecologists are working on globally. In Seattle, the Duwamish River has become part of the ‘industrial waterway.’ Surprisingly enough, there are signs of life in these toxic waters, although there appear warning signs to not eat any fish caught in the river. Activists are trying to improve rules and regulations to get more conservation value. One way is with private landowners. If a landowner chooses to not develop his land, he will be the beneficiary of a large tax break.
Other strategies for conservation are prevalent throughout Europe. One such is agri-environment. This strategy involves reworking farms so they are suited for greater species. Europeans are protecting farmland birds by rolling back on monoculture and herbicides. They are using the land more efficiently. Marris goes on to say that this rural ecology shift is great but as of 2009, more than half of the Earth’s population lives in cities. That is why we are now moving into a period of Urban Ecology. Now, wastelands will be used for plants and it all starts at the top. Big companies will have to be innovators, starting with green roofs and utilizing unused space for planting more diverse, thriving species. We need to see nature as the background of our own lives.
