Conservation's All about Having a Blether and Getting People on Board

Abstract

A 'blether' is a colloquial Scottish term signifying 'a lengthy chat between friends', and this paper draws its inspiration from the conservationist who suggested that 'having a blether' and 'getting people on board' is what conservation is all about. Contributing to scholarship on conservation conflict and on convivial conservation, this paper explores the 'who', 'where' and 'when' of 'having a blether', seeking to understand what might cultivate and contribute to cooperative relations between conservationists and other land-managers. It draws on feminist political ecology and anthropologies of conservation to provide a framework with which to unpack the personal, spatial and temporal dimensions of conservation relationships, and applies this to a case study in the Cairngorms National Park in Scotland. Considering the 'who' in conservation relations, led to looking beyond professional affiliations to highlight the importance of intersectional identities and interests, as expressed through personal connections and emotions. Considering the 'where' of cooperation for conservation, so-called 'informal' and 'everyday spaces' were found to be highly significant as shared sites in which productive relationships can be built. Considering the 'when' of conservation relations revealed their emergent nature, and of the building of understanding and appreciation through shared pasts and experiences. This paper promotes the need to open up and move beyond stereotyped stakeholder groups, to consider what promotes not only commonalities but also appreciation of differences. It also draws attention to the political and structural forces that mediate conservation relations and shutdown opportunities for greater cooperation and inclusivity. Ultimately, this paper highlights the need for dialogue and for listening to diverse others with care and attention, seeing the ideal and practice of 'having a blether' and 'getting people on board' as a way to promote cooperative -or convivial -conservation.

The value of listening and listening for values in conservation

“…Identity, and hence positionality, is not however fixed, rather it emerges out of relationships with other people, places and processes; as such they are dynamic and ever ‘in‐the‐making’ (Sundberg, 2004). Relationships of listening in conservation, through on‐going respect and reciprocity, can lead to trust and even friendship for example (Staddon, in press), thus the positionality of the listener shifts to one where the speaker may share more of their feelings, providing the listener with greater understanding and appreciation of others.…”

“…Exploring cooperation between Welsh farmers, Wynne‐Jones (2017) provides an example of ‘the kitchen table’ as an important space where farmers are brought together, nurturing less formalised interactions and increasingly habitual expectations of openness, generosity and care. Discussing conservation in the Scottish Highlands, Staddon (in press) reveals the importance not only of conservationists spending time with farmers in their fields, but also of the shared everyday spaces in which their relationships, and mutual understanding and respect are built, such as in the nearby pub or at the local school. One conservationist stated that 'conservation's all about having a blether and getting people on board’; a ‘blether’ being a colloquial Scottish term signifying a lengthy chat between friends, often with no particular focus or tangible outcome.…”