Ecological restoration in Australia: environmental discourses, landscape ideals, and the significance of human agency
2010
Trigger, David S. | Toussaint, Yann | Mulcock, Jane
In the relatively young postsettler society of Australia, restoring nature to a pre-European ideal prompts a range of responses. We consider first the case of farmers in the southwest who reinterpret restorationist ideals as commensurate with continued productive land use. A local native species, the iconic malleefowl, is construed as a flagship for revaluing nature in a way that remains consistent with farmers' interests and sense of identity. Farmers position themselves, rather than scientists or Aboriginal people, as key stewards for managing agricultural landscapes. In comparison, restoration ideals for northern Australia center on attempts to keep "still wild" nature and Aboriginal culture intact. The invasive cane toad is reviled as "alien" in conservation-minded discourses; yet, where it has become familiar, it is also accorded positive symbolic meanings. This article illustrates the critical importance of qualitative cultural analysis in understanding the complexities of human agency in environmental management.
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