Humans - Exceptionalism v Coexistence
We pay a price for thinking ourselves separate from nature
The human race seems convinced that all other animals and plants are stuck in the present. We’ve believed that we alone have the ability to remember the past, learn from it and apply these lessons to the future. We’ve thought ourselves exceptional, and in the process, we uncoupled from the natural world.
Film and print media too have unwittingly endorsed the idea that we’re somehow separate from nature. They’ve done this by bringing us images from different corners of the earth untouched by humanity. So, we’ve unconsciously associated nature exclusively with places that are ‘truly wild’, far away from human habitations.
Even many conservationists became entrenched in the idea that humans should not interfere with natural spaces. Yes, it’s a tantalising thought. But this view of nature conservation is problematic for 2 important reasons:
One, it supports a belief that conservation can be carried out in these ‘ truly wild’ spaces alone.
This is not true.
Two, it assumes that there are enough wild spaces left on earth for the approach to matter.
There aren’t.
Humans have spread out in all directions. We are everywhere. So today, not only is living with nature an option, it is the only viable future.
Conservation, in order to work, must now be carried out where humans live. We mean conservation in human-dominated areas and private property too.
Conservation in the realm of coexistence would not only integrate humanity back into the ecosystem but would also allow us to deal with conflicts with an educated life view. Just as the pristine landscapes need to be conserved, native diversities within our backyard need conservation. Coexistence and not separateness is the future.
Digging deeper
When I was a little boy, growing up in south Bangalore in a suburban house built on 2600 square feet, we had a lush backyard with coconut trees, and a pond that was home to many curious creatures. In front of the house, across the street there grew a gigantic Gulmohar tree. In the months of May and June, the flowers would bloom into a canopy, throwing a tranquil, protective shade over our part of the street.
That was then.
Recently I discovered that the Gulmohar is an ecologically hostile tree. It didn’t belong there, not on our street, not in our city, and in fact nowhere in the country. It was an alien. Our Gulmohar tree was an invasive species with murder on the mind. Gulmohar trees grow rapidly (and beautifully!) and stifle native plants and trees.
This revelation was for me (the city-dweller country-dreamer that I am) a call to unlearn everything I thought I knew about nature, and about conservation in particular. It was the jerk I needed to question the things I thought I knew.
I realised that beauty, as we commonly understand it, could well be choking our ecosystems. Looks can be deceiving, our old perceptions need to be updated.
In truth, the towering eucalyptus trees don’t belong in the Nilgiris. Coffee is not native to Coorg, and the list goes on. They’re there because of us.
How do you perceive nature? Where do you get your facts from? How scientific is your view? We’d like to plant these questions in your mind today.
Nature doesn’t want to be beautiful, it wants to be purposeful. Where there’s purpose, there’s an interconnectedness, there’s peace and violence, but a sense of calm and balance pervades.
It’s not only our perception, but also conservation that is in need of renewal.
Here I list a few myths and missteps that city-dwellers like me have - at some point or the other - harboured.
Nature is optional in cities, and really important only in ‘ecologically significant’ areas.
The propagation of the belief that nature and humans cannot co-exist
The notion of scenic and pristine nature popularised by films and documentaries
Leaving the stewardship (or conservation) of nature to a few specialised individuals.
With reference to that last step, what do you think conservation means? Would you like to get involved in nature conservation?
Do you agree that coexistence is the key? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section.
⛰️More stories to follow in this space.
Story by : Sushant Chandra