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MAKING WILDLAND PAY: Knepp, 6th meeting REWILDING MIDDLE ENGLAND: Cropston, 5th meeting SCARY OR WHAT?: Cirencester - 4th meeting WILDLAND IN WALES: Machynlleth, 3rd meeting |
Home| About the author | Have your say | Links | Site Map These pages document my notes from meetings of the Wildland Network that I attended since being involved in the founding of the network back in 2005. I chose not to go to the Findhorn meeting in 2008, other than to the associated fieldtrip to Carrifran Wildwood (see a description in Woodland creation - in need of strategic direction and larger scale). There is an obvious void in the evidence base, in informed and uninhibited discussion, and consequently in policy formulation for wildland and rewilding in Britain, along with a strong advocacy role. It is a void that WN should have adequately filled, but it has lacked any clear vision on how it could succour and make the most of the momentum for wildland that was generated from those meetings, risking that "natural capital" by potential marginalisation through seeking to pursue above all else an anti-wind turbine agenda. It also failed like many others in Britain to recognise the significant events that were happening in the rest of Europe that led to the EU resolution on Wilderness, and the subsequent meeting in Prague (see Wild Europe). It came down to differences of opinion on approach amongst the co-ordinating group that I withdrew from earlier this year. It is uncertain that efforts being made to revitalise WN by trying again to formalise its existence will succeed. I met some remarkable people through WN meetings, to go with the remarkable people I continue to "meet" through telling the stories about local communities and the landscapes they love and want to defend. They watch organisations come and go, but they wont stop their championing of wild nature. Mark Fisher 26 August 2009 www.self-willed-land.org.uk mark.fisher@self-willed-land.org.uk |
