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This article explores discursive struggles between ideologies of nature development and nature conservation in the context of the Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA) in Uganda. Based on the concepts of critical discourse moments and discourse coalitions, the article offers a nuanced perspective on nature policy in a specific, though not unique, context. The purpose of studying tensions between different positions in nature policy from a critical discourse perspective is to increase the awareness of the role of language use in the struggles. Moreover, the study aims at enhancing the understanding of different interests and thus reducing the conflict potential regarding the MFCA. This article explores discursive struggles between ideologies of nature development and nature conservation discourses in the context of the Murchison Falls Conservation Area (MFCA) in Uganda. Based on the concepts of critical discourse moments and discourse coalitions, the article offers a nuanced perspective on nature policy in a specific, though not unique, context. The purpose of studying tensions between different positions in nature policy from a critical discourse perspective is to increase the awareness of the role of discourse coalitions in the struggles. Thus, the study aims at enhancing the understanding of different interests by creating awareness about the conflict potential regarding the MFCA.

Dutch nature policy towards 2030-2050 sets the ambition of healthy and robust ecosystems, which are in harmony with social and economic activities. Resilience is mentioned as a criterion for a healthy, robust system. But when is a system resilient, and how do you assess this? How can we operationalise the complexity of resilience in such a way that it can be easily applied by the various stakeholders in policy practice? In this article, we introduce an approach to arrive at an integrated assessment of resilience in a socio-ecological context, as advocated by nature policy. Based on a number of clarifying questions, we propose a step-by-step plan that helps operationalise the concept of resilience in each context for policy in a structured manner.

Nature policies can be a major source of long-term debates, in which actors involved define problems differently and are unable to formulate (co-constructed) solutions. Especially issues about the well-being of animals raise heated debate among stakeholders. Though debates over nature policies often span longer periods, they are most likely dealt with on the short term. Policy makers will attempt to solve acute issues, which requires minimal political effort. However, these short-term solutions do not necessarily solve theissue as a whole. This paper analyzes conflicting frames about nature in the Dutch Oostervaardersplassen, and presents an analysis ofhow the different issues are debated, and framed, over a period of 23 years. Gaining in-depth insight into these frames shows linkagesbetween media attention to issues and policy change. This research shows how diverse and unstable the debate has been over 23 years,by using Punctuated Equilibrium Theory to understand the policy process, and by analyzing the evolution of frames in the media withan Evolutionary Factor Analysis. With the combination of both Punctuated Equilibrium Theory and the Evolutionary Factor Analysis,we can relate issue framing to policy change. This shows that policy is adapted, following rising attention. However, at first the attemptsfor adaptation by policy makers will be minor, as stability is favored over change, until a certain threshold whereafter policy is changedradically. The article will provide more insight for stakeholders, scientists, and policy makers into the complexity of these kinds ofwicked problems. Nature policies can be a major source of long-term debates, in which actors involved define problems differently and are unable to formulate (co-constructed) solutions. Especially issues about the well-being of animals raise heated debate among stakeholders. Though debates over nature policies often span longer periods, they are most likely dealt with on the short term. Policy makers will attempt to solve acute issues, which requires minimal political effort. However, these short-term solutions do not necessarily solve the issue as a whole. This paper analyzes conflicting frames about nature in the Dutch Oostervaardersplassen, and presents an analysis of how the different issues are debated, and framed, over a period of 23 years. Gaining in-depth insight into these frames shows linkages between media attention to issues and policy change. This research shows how diverse and unstable the debate has been over 23 years, by using Punctuated Equilibrium Theory to understand the policy process, and by analyzing the evolution of frames in the media with an Evolutionary Factor Analysis. With the combination of both Punctuated Equilibrium Theory and the Evolutionary Factor Analysis, we can relate issue framing to policy change. This shows that policy is adapted, following rising attention. However, at first the attempts for adaptation by policy makers will be minor, as stability is favored over change, until a certain threshold whereafter policy is changedradically. The article will provide more insight for stakeholders, scientists, and policy makers into the complexity of these kinds of wicked problems.

While the “natural capital” approach is generally including geology, the “ecosystem services” approach is often excluding it either consciously or unconsciously. This is regrettable as it means that the total importance and value of nature to human society is being undervalued. This paper explains these issues and outlines 25 major ways in which geodiversity benefits people. It also argues that geodiversity and biodiversity should be treated as equal partners when developing nature policy, and makes proposals to progress this.

An ecological assessment framework for conservation targets in Natura 2000 sitesIn Dutch nature policy, the designation orders for Natura 2000 sites formulate the site-level conservation objectives for habitat types and species of the Birds and Habitats Directives. For the further implementation of the management plan process, a method was developed to determine the site-level conservation status more specifically (how far are we now?) and to formulate site-level conservation targets (how far can we get?). The criteria for assessing the site-level conservation status were derived from the EU Standard Data Form. The method was evaluated in pilots in inland sand areas in the provinces Limburg, Noord-Brabant and Gelderland. Ecologisch beoordelingskader voor doelbereik in Natura 2000-gebiedenIn het Nederlandse natuurbeleid zijn in de aanwijzingsbesluiten van de Natura 2000-gebieden de gebiedsdoelen voor habitattypen en soorten van de Vogel- en Habitatrichtlijn geformuleerd. Voor de nadere uitvoering van het beheerplanproces is een methodiek ontwikkeld om het actuele doelbereik in Natura 2000-gebieden nader te bepalen (hoever zijn we nu?) en om het beoogde doelbereik concreet te formuleren (hoever kunnen we komen?). De criteria voor de beoordeling van doelbereik zijn afgeleid van het EU Standaardgegevensformulier (Standard Dataform). De methodiek is geëvalueerd in pilots op de hogere zandgronden in Limburg, Noord-Brabant en Gelderland.

The evaluation of the Nature Pact in 2017 showed that the intended nature policy would only lead to about 65% of the target range of the Birds and Habitats Directive in 2027. In 2019 the Dutch Parliament asked for a further exploration of the remaining task in order to achieve a higher target range. This analysis of all VHR species and habitat types confirms the earlier picture and indicates for which VHR species and habitat types the provinces have a special responsibility. An indication is given per province for which measures in which ecosystems should be given priority. It is also indicated with which other provinces could best be cooperated to achieve a favorable conservation status. Uit de evaluatie van het Natuurpact in 2017 bleek dat het voorgenomen natuurbeleid slechts zou leiden tot ca. 65% doelbereik van de Vogel- en Habitatrichtlijn in 2027. De Tweede Kamer heeft in 2019 gevraagd om een nadere verkenning van de resterende opgave om tot een hoger doelbereik te komen. Deze analyse van alle habitattypen en VHR-soorten bevestigt het eerdere beeld en geeft aan voor welke habitattypen en VHR-soorten de provincies een bijzondere verantwoordelijkheid hebben. Per provincie wordt een indicatie gegeven welke maatregelen in welke ecosystemen prioriteit zouden moeten krijgen. Ook wordt aangegeven met welke andere provincies het best kan worden samengewerkt om een gunstige staat van instandhouding te realiseren.

Wageningen Environmental Research (WENR) has described governance characteristics of nature policy and adjacent policy areas for nature in large waters, such as water policy and spatial policy. It was investigated which similarities and differences there are between the various policy areas and which lessons can be learned from this. This has resulted in a list of do’s and don’ts. The main conclusion is that the goals of the individual policy areas and the major landscape challenges, climate, biodiversity and energy, cannot be achieved effectively and sustainably without transcending (“system”) vision and coordination. One of the recommendations is to coordinate the major social and landscape design tasks at a national level on the basis of a joint vision: The Programmatic Approach to Large Waters PAGW, the Nature Profit Plan for Large Waters, Netherlands 2120. Wageningen Environmental Research (WENR) heeft governance-kenmerken van natuurbeleid en van aangrenzende beleidsterreinen voor natuur in grote wateren beschreven, zoals waterbeleid en ruimtelijk beleid. Onderzocht is welke overeenkomsten en verschillen er tussen de diverse beleidsterreinen zijn en welke lessen hieruit zijn te halen. Dit heeft geresulteerd in een lijst van handelingsopties en handelingsvalkuilen. De hoofdconclusie is dat de doelen van de individuele beleidsterreinen en de grote landschappelijke opgaven, klimaat, biodiversiteit en energie, niet effectief en duurzaam zijn te realiseren zonder gebiedsoverstijgende (‘systeem’)visie en afstemming. Een van de aanbevelingen is om op nationaal niveau vanuit een gezamenlijke visie de grote maatschappelijke en landschappelijke ontwerpopgaven af te stemmen die uit dezelfde beleidsarena komen: de Programmatische Aanpak Grote Wateren (PAGW), het Natuurwinstplan Grote Wateren, Nederland 2120. De beleidsarena waterveiligheid richt zich meer op het Nationaal Water Programma (NWP) en het Deltaprogramma (DP). Het Integraal Rivier Management (IRM) zit ertussenin

In mid-2020 the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) and Wageningen University & Research (WUR) published an interim report on the Nature Outlook 2050. This contained two reference scenarios to inform the strategic choices to be made in the government’s nature policy: ‘Business as Usual’ and ‘Higher Ambition’. Estimates have been made of the effects of both scenarios on the objectives of the Birds and Habitats Directives, as well as their possible effects on the delivery of ecosystem services. The present report describes the technical background to these scenarios and the calculated indicators and explains the reasoning behind the methods used. The choices and assumptions made during the development of the scenarios are described. Consideration is given to the uncertainties surrounding these assumptions and the available knowledge, and what these uncertainties mean for the results and the policy messages contained in the interim report. Medio 2020 is er door PBL & WUR een beleidsrapport uitgebracht met de tussenrapportage van de Natuurverkenning 2050. Hierin zijn twee referentiescenario’s uitgewerkt die de strategische keuzes in het natuurbeleid kunnen voeden: Business as Usual en Hoger Doelbereik. Voor beide scenario’s is ingeschat wat het effect zal zijn op de doelstellingen ten aanzien van de Vogel- en Habitatrichtlijnen. Ook is gekeken naar de mogelijke effecten op de levering van ecosysteemdiensten. Het voorliggende rapport beschrijft de technische achtergrond van deze scenario’s en de berekende indicatoren en dient als borging van de gebruikte methoden. Keuzes en aannames die bij het ontwikkelen van de scenario’s zijn gemaakt, zijn beschreven en er wordt stil gestaan bij de onzekerheden in aannames en beschikbare kennis. Daarbij wordt aangegeven wat deze onzekerheden betekenen voor de resultaten en beleidsboodschappen uit de tussenrapportage.

This report concerns the internal and external congruence of Dutch nature policy arrangements between 1975 and 2018. The conclusion is that the internal congruence increased during this period, but that this led to a narrowing of nature policy and a focus on specific protected areas and species under EU law. This is one reason why the external congruence with policy arrangements in fields such as agriculture, water and recreation has generally reduced in recent years. Continuing with the current narrow nature policy will probably have negative consequences for the legitimacy of this policy.A possible solution is to keep the current narrow nature policy intact, but at the same time attempt to develop a much broader nature policy with better possibilities for policy integration with other policy arrangements. It is however uncertain how far this would also increase the legitimacy of the narrow nature policy. A radical renewal of EU nature policy would seem to offer a way forward, but is not feasible in the short term. Dit rapport gaat over de interne en externe congruentie van het Nederlandse natuurbeleidsarrangement tussen 1975 en 2018. De conclusie is dat de interne congruentie in deze periode weliswaar is toegenomen, maar dat het natuurbeleid hierdoor wel steeds smaller is geworden en gericht is op specifieke Europese natuurgebieden en soorten. Mede hierdoor is juist de externe congruentie met beleidsarrangementen als landbouw, water en recreatie in de laatste jaren vooral afgenomen. Doorgaan met het huidige smalle natuurbeleid heeft waarschijnlijk negatieve gevolgen voor de legitimiteit van dit beleid. Een andere oplossing is het voeren van een breed natuurbeleid gericht op vermaatschappelijking naast het smalle natuurbeleid, maar het is onzeker in hoeverre hiermee de uitvoering en legitimiteit van het smalle natuurbeleid verbetert. Een radicale vernieuwing van het Europese natuurbeleid lijkt een mogelijke uitweg te bieden, maar is op de korte termijn moeilijk te realiseren.

The aim of this project was to identify how the National Climate Agreement ties in with nature policy. The results show that the provincial governments and other parties look to ‘piggyback’ onto other, existing policies when implementing the National Climate Agreement, and that effectively embedding climate policy into other policies and existing policy instruments poses a real challenge. The potential impact of implementing climate policy measures on biodiversity depends on the detail (location, design and management). Greater coherence between nature and climate policies can be achieved by aligning plans for the delivery of the National Climate Agreement and nature policy more closely with each other’s objectives. Het doel van dit project was om in beeld te brengen hoe het Klimaatakkoord en het natuurbeleid elkaar raken. Resultaten laten zien dat provincies en andere maatschappelijke partijen voor de uitvoering van het Klimaatakkoord aanhaken bij bestaande beleidsdossiers, waarbij het nog een opgave is om het klimaatbeleid ook daadwerkelijk in te bedden in het andere beleid en de bestaande beleidsinstrumenten. De score van het potentiële effect van de uitvoering van de maatregelen van het Klimaatakkoord op biodiversiteit is afhankelijk van de invulling van de maatregel (locatie, inrichting en beheer). Er is meer samenhang mogelijk tussen het natuur- en klimaatbeleid door de uitwerking van de plannen uit Klimaatakkoord en natuurbeleid meer af te stemmen op elkaars doelen.

Relational values reflect the qualities of the relationships between humans and nature, such as care, social bonding, place attachment and spiritual meanings. In this perspective article, we argue that understanding relational values is vital for nature conservation, and we identify how incorporation of these values may function as leverage points for achieving more effective nature policy. We discuss the distinctive features of the concept of relational values and elaborate how relational values strongly influence people’s perceptions of, engagement with and action for nature. Relational values can also provide important deep leverage points for policy interventions aiming to support citizen’s contribution to nature conservation, to strengthen biodiversity policy and the relationship between people and nature. Based on three realms of leverage (re-think, re-structure and re-connect), we distinguish six routes through which relational values can be integrated in policies and practices of nature conservation: (1) incorporation of pluralized meanings of nature; (2) the uptake of relational language in policy discourse; (3) a prioritization of landscape-based policy; (4) empowering citizens in nature conservation; (5) re-orienting nature education to stimulate people’s personal bond with nature; and (6) using digital technology to stimulate new relationships with nature.

The implementation of a National Ecological Network poses a significant challenge to the Dutch government. The establishment of this ecological network has led to conflicts among various interest groups in the public sphere, each of which defends its own interests. In this struggle for recognition communication fulfils an important role. This article contends that the discourse about nature is driven by deep frames, is comprised of values and is rooted in world-views. The insight that worldviews play a role elucidates the various positions in the debate and shows normative dimensions in communication. This article argues that the network society, more than ever, requires the government to be explicit about its normative choices.

Scholars observe an increased involvement of citizens in green space governance. This paper focuses on green self-governance, in which citizens play a major role in realizing, protecting and/or managing green space. While existing research on green selfgovernance focuses mostly on specific cases, we aim to contribute towards a large overview via an inventory of 264 green self-governance practices across The Netherlands. With this, we discuss the relevance of green self-governance for nature conservation and its relationship with authorities. In our analysis, we show that green self-governance practices are very diverse: they pursue a wide variety of physical and social objectives; employ a multitude of physical and political activities; involve different actors besides citizens; mobilize different internal and external funding sources; and are active within and outside of protected areas. While green selfgovernance can contribute towards protection and management of green space and towards social values, we highlight that this contribution is mostly of a local relevance. Most practices are small scale and objectives do not always match those of authorities. Although we speak of self-governance, authorities play an important role in many practices, for example, as financial donor, landowner or regulatory authority. In this, self-governance is often not completely ‘self’.

The most binding nature protection policy in the Netherlands and EU primarily designates areas based on ecological value, ensuring their sustained protection. Of less concern to these policies are the current and future needs of the average citizen, experiencing increases in education, income and health. This paper argues that although existing policies protect biodiversity needs, the spatial-emotional needs of this increasingly ‘satisfied’ population is of similarly high importance. Drawing upon tourism, planning and psychological research, we analyze the spatial and emotional characteristics of favorite natural places in the Netherlands selected on the Hotspotsmonitor survey by N = 1,715 members of a Dutch nature conservation organization. Content analysis of the open question, “Why is this your favorite place?” identified three categories: peace & quiet, let’s explore and peak. These were mapped using GIS to identify predominant hotspots and compared against the most binding nature protection policy – Natura 2000. The important societal benefits of augmenting ecologically based nature protection policies with emotional valuation are discussed.

The European Union (EU) has recently published its first list of invasive alien species (IAS) of EU concern to which current legislation must apply. The list comprises species known to pose great threats to biodiversity and needs to be maintained and updated. Horizon scanning is seen as critical to identify the most threatening potential IAS that do not yet occur in Europe to be subsequently risk assessed for future listing. Accordingly, we present a systematic consensus horizon scanning procedure to derive a ranked list of potential IAS likely to arrive, establish, spread and have an impact on biodiversity in the region over the next decade. The approach is unique in the continental scale examined, the breadth of taxonomic groups and environments considered, and the methods and data sources used. International experts were brought together to address five broad thematic groups of potential IAS. For each thematic group the experts first independently assembled lists of potential IAS not yet established in the EU but potentially threatening biodiversity if introduced. Experts were asked to score the species within their thematic group for their separate likelihoods of i) arrival, ii) establishment, iii) spread, and iv) magnitude of the potential negative impact on biodiversity within the EU. Experts then convened for a 2‐day workshop applying consensus methods to compile a ranked list of potential IAS. From an initial working list of 329 species, a list of 66 species not yet established in the EU that were considered to be very high (8 species), high (40 species) or medium (18 species) risk species was derived. Here, we present these species highlighting the potential negative impacts and the most likely biogeographic regions to be affected by these potential IAS., We identified 66 species, that are currently absent from the EU, which pose a very high, high or medium threat to biodiversity and ecosystems. The species span a range of functional groups, with primary producers being numerically dominant. Escape from confinement is the pathway considered to be the most likely route of introduction for many species, particularly among plants and vertebrates.

This essay explores the diverse forms of social engagement with nature, against the background of cultural identity. Cultural identity, used here as an umbrella term for the connections people feel with their environment, is a factor in the local nature conservation initiatives taken by people and businesses. Conversely, for some groups in society the landscape can represent a cultural identity with which they have no affinity at all. The report is based on a literature study and aims to contribute tothe public debate on the objectives of nature policy. This is illustrated by a few examples of innovative forms of public engagement with nature. A broad public debate that emphasises engagement with nature (whatever idea of nature that might be) and respect for everyone’s opinions is essential, not only to ensure that nature policy commands widespread support, but also to inspire cultural identity with nature. Dit essay onderzoekt de veelvormigheid waarmee natuurbetrokkenheid kan worden getoond tegen de achtergrond van culturele identiteit. Culturele identiteit, hier gebruikt als verzamelnaam voor de binding van mensen met hun omgeving, speelt een rol bij de maatschappelijke initiatieven voor natuurbescherming die burgers en bedrijven in hun leefomgeving ontplooien. Aan de andere kant kan het landschap voor bepaalde bevolkingsgroepen ook een culturele identiteit vertegenwoordigen waar ze juist geen binding mee voelen. Het rapport is gebaseerd op literatuuronderzoek en beoogt een bijdrage te leveren aan de maatschappelijk discussie over de doelen van het natuurbeleid. Enkele voorbeelden van vernieuwende vormen van burgerbetrokkenheid bij de natuur illustreren dit. Een brede maatschappelijke dialoog met nadruk op respect voor ieders mening, en op betrokkenheid bij de natuur (welke natuur dat ook moge zijn), is niet alleen wezenlijk voor een breed gedragen natuurbeleid, maar ook voor de culturele identiteit die daardoor mede kan worden geïnspireerd.

The way people or organizations describe or depict nature conveys their view of nature. In the Dutch discourse, views of nature are mostly conceived as socio-cultural constructs regarding the character, value, and appreciation of nature. Views of nature tell us how we perceive nature and how we want to relate to it. Likewise, they shape our preferences for certain types of nature. Views of nature function as frames and provide an interpretive and reflective context for our experiences with nature. Views of nature are also digestions of meaningful experiences. It is through communication that we become aware of such experiences. We argue that meaningful experiences have religious depth. On the basis of this argument any discourse on nature contains, in a sense, religious subtexts. We examine the Dutch discourse on nature.

The implementation of a National Ecological Network poses a significant challenge to the Dutch government. The establishment of this ecological network has led to conflicts among various interest groups in the public sphere, each of which defends its own interests. In this struggle for recognition communication fulfils an important role. This article contends that the discourse about nature is driven by deep frames, is comprised of values and is rooted in world-views. The insight that worldviews play a role elucidates the various positions in the debate and shows normative dimensions in communication. This article argues that the network society, more than ever, requires the government to be explicit about its normative choices.

Vermaatschappelijking van natuur is de afgelopen jaren een belangrijk thema geweest in beleid en onderzoek. Dit rapport biedt een overzicht en analyse van studies naar vermaatschappelijking van natuur die in de periode 2014 tot en met 2017 voor het Planbureau voor de Leefomgeving en het ministerie van Landbouw, Natuur en Voedselkwaliteit zijn uitgevoerd bij Wageningen University & Research. Het merendeel van de studies is erop gericht om inhoudelijke vragen te beantwoorden, zowel op het thema governance als op het thema maatschappij. Daarnaast zijn er studies die methodes ontwikkelen voor evaluatie van (beleid voor) vermaatschappelijking, en onderzoeken die vooral procesbegeleiding tot doel hadden. Dit rapport geeft een overzicht van al deze studies. Er wordt ingegaan op de concepten, analysekaders, methoden, actorgroepen, en onderzoeksvragen die worden geadresseerd en de voornaamste bevindingen van de studies. Het rapport gaat ten slotte in op kennishiaten en mogelijke resterende kennisvragen over vermaatschappelijking van natuur.---In recent years the increase of societal involvement of nature and the deinstitutionalisation of nature policy has become an important theme in research and policy. This report provides an overview and analysis of studies into the this topic carried out by Wageningen University & Research for the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) and the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality in the four years from 2014 to 2017. Most of these studies set out to answer specific questions on issues relating to governance and society. The other studies were either on developing methods for evaluating the increase of societal involvement in nature or research mainly to support process management. This report gives an overview of all these studies. It examines the concepts, analytical frameworks, methods, actor groups and research questions addressed in the studies, the main findings of the studies, and the knowledge gaps and possible research questions concerning the societal involvement of nature and the deinstitutionalisation of nature policy that remain to be answered.

To inform the Assessment of the Dutch Human Environment (Balans van de Leefomgeving), PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency needs a quantitative measure of the size and scope of green citizens’ initiatives and their impact. The need for this information reflects the ambition of many government authorities to bring the wider community, including individuals, into closer contact with nature and involve them more in nature policy. This report describes a methodology for monitoring green citizens’ initiatives. Further indicators and main findings are given of the methodology used in a pilot project and a baseline assessment. Vanuit de betrokkenheid van de Balans van de Leefomgeving is het voor het Planbureau van de Leefomgeving (PBL) van belang om een kwantitatief beeld te krijgen van het geheel van groene burgerinitiatieven en hun impact. Deze behoefte vindt plaats tegen de achtergrond van de wens van veel overheden om de samenleving, waaronder burgers, meer te betrekken bij natuur en natuurbeleid. Dit rapport beschrijft een methodiek om groene burgerinitiatieven te monitoren, en geeft indicatoren en ervaringen die zijn opgedaan bij het uitvoeren van de methodiek in de pilot en de nulmeting.

Social media are playing an increasingly important role in public debate. The aim of this analysis is to get a clear picture of how the subject of nature is represented on social media and how this affects the public debate on nature in the Netherlands. A range of software was used to collect social media posts about nature. These posts were then analysed using a combination of quantitative and qualitative methods at different levels (macro, meso, micro). The results show that nature is a live issue online and that it generally has positive connotations. At the same time, the confluence of different ideas about what nature really is can sometimes lead to heated discussions and a polarised debate. For a long time now the influence of this digital debate has extended beyond the online domain into the world of practical conservation management and nature policy. Social media spelen een groeiende rol van betekenis in het maatschappelijk debat. Het doel van deze analyse is om inzichtelijk te maken hoe het onderwerp natuur wordt gerepresenteerd op social media en hoe dit van invloed is op het maatschappelijk debat rondom de natuur in Nederland. Met behulp van diverse software is berichtgeving over natuur op social media verzameld. Deze berichten zijn vervolgens geanalyseerd via een combinatie van kwantitatieve en kwalitatieve methoden op verschillende niveaus (macro, meso, micro). De resultaten laten zien dat het onderwerp natuur online springlevend is en dat het overwegend positieve connotaties oproept. Tegelijkertijd leiden verschillende ideeën over wát natuur precies is bij tijd en wijle ook tot heftige discussies en een gepolariseerd debat. De invloed van dit digitale debat beperkt zich al lang niet meer tot het online-domein maar strekt zich ook uit tot de offline-praktijk van natuurbeheer en beleid.

In the Dutch province of Limburg not all natural areas are accounted for by the Model for Nature Policy (MNP) when assessing the realized nature targets in the Dutch Nature Network, for example in the studies for the evaluation of the ‘nature pact’ or Dutch governmental nature policy. Also the province has a long border with Germany and Belgium and the effect of their natural areas is not included in the evaluations. The MNP was therefore applied to calculate the effect of nature outside the official Nature Network and foreign nature on the viability of populations and species. When Limburg alone is assessed the viability of species and populations increases, especially if the extra natural areas are included. However, on a Dutch nation-wide scale the effects of both extra nature and foreign nature on species viability is negligible. This is due to the fact that the species that benefit in Limburg are already viable on a Dutch scale. The number of viable populations does increase, also in a national scale. In de provincie Limburg komt veel natuur voor die niet standaard wordt meegenomen bij beoordelingen van de realisatie van natuurdoelen in het Natuurnetwerk Nederland met het MNP, zoals voor de evaluatie van het Natuurpact. Daarnaast heeft Limburg veel natuur die grenst aan buurlanden, het effect daarvan is ook niet meegenomen in veel studies. Met het MNP is daarom het effect van het toevoegen van de natuur buiten het NNN en het buitenland op het aantal potentiële populaties en het duurzaam voorkomen van soorten doorgerekend. Als er alleen naar Limburg wordt gekeken, dan neemt in beide scenario’s het aantal duurzame soorten toe. Echter, op landelijke schaal is het effect nagenoeg afwezig, omdat vooral soorten toenemen die landelijk al duurzaam zijn. Het aantal populaties van die soorten neemt wel toe, ook landelijk.

Encouraging societal engagement with nature has become a goal of Dutch nature policy in its ownright. As such, there is a growing need to evaluate policies for societal engagement. However, lessexperience has been gained on evaluating this type of policy than, for example, policies for protectingand promoting biodiversity. The Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) asked StatutoryResearch Tasks Unit for Nature & the Environment of Wageningen University & Research to develop ananalysis & evaluation framework for policies that seek to foster societal engagement with nature. The framework can be used for the reflexive evaluation of the Nature Pact (Natuurpact) and of theAssessments of the Dutch Human Environment. This report contains a multiple analysis & evaluation framework that can be used to compile specific analysis & evaluation frameworks for policies that seek to foster societal engagement with nature. The framework is presented in the form of a set of cards in the Appendix. The main body of the reportcontains the conceptual underpinnings and explanatory manual. Maatschappelijke betrokkenheid bij natuur is een doel geworden in het natuurbeleid. Om beleid te kunnen evalueren dat daarop is gericht, is het nodig te reflecteren op aannames onder beleid en evaluatiemethodes. Dit kan bijvoorbeeld betekenen dat doelen, waarden, kennis en inzichten van maatschappelijke actoren een plek zouden moeten hebben in de evaluatieaanpak. Dit rapport zet een aantal evaluatiebenaderingen naast elkaar en biedt een handvat voor het zelf samenstellen van een analyse- en evaluatiekader in de vorm van kaarten.

The way people or organizations describe or depict nature conveys their view of nature. In the Dutch discourse, views of nature are mostly conceived as socio-cultural constructs regarding the character, value, and appreciation of nature. Views of nature tell us how we perceive nature and how we want to relate to it. Likewise, they shape our preferences for certain types of nature. Views of nature function as frames and provide an interpretive and reflective context for our experiences with nature. Views of nature are also digestions of meaningful experiences. It is through communication that we become aware of such experiences. We argue that meaningful experiences have religious depth. On the basis of this argument any discourse on nature contains, in a sense, religious subtexts. We examine the Dutch discourse on nature.

Based on in-depth interviews, this article presents findings of a study centred on public communication regarding Tiengemeten, a Dutch island previously occupied by farmers. An answer is sought to the question of how visitors to Tiengemeten evaluate, according to their own experiences, the discourse of people involved in Tiengemeten from a policy and communication perspective. This study showed that visitors’ experiences do not always match the emotions appealed to in public communication materials. It is also suggested that people involved from a policy and communication perspective should refrain from using ‘heavily value-laden’ phraseology. For reasons of trust, this article suggests aligning public communication with genuine experiences of visitors. This is also necessary for avoiding scepticism of visitors as policy makers and communication professionals run a risk that public communication regarding nature becomes counterproductive.

Based on in-depth interviews, this article presents findings of a study centred on public communication regarding Tiengemeten, a Dutch island previously occupied by farmers. An answer is sought to the question of how visitors to Tiengemeten evaluate, according to their own experiences, the discourse of people involved in Tiengemeten from a policy and communication perspective. This study showed that visitors’ experiences do not always match the emotions appealed to in public communication materials. It is also suggested that people involved from a policy and communication perspective should refrain from using ‘heavily value-laden’ phraseology. For reasons of trust, this article suggests aligning public communication with genuine experiences of visitors. This is also necessary for avoiding scepticism of visitors as policy makers and communication professionals run a risk that public communication regarding nature becomes counterproductive.