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Our Neighbor the Beaver: Anthropomorphism to Facilitate Environmental Mediation in Rural France.

Our Neighbor the Beaver: Anthropomorphism to Facilitate Environmental Mediation in Rural France.

Authors :
Kohler, Florent
Andrieu, Dominique
Bois, Evelyne
Cloiseau, Gilles
Drelon, Stéphanie
Eggert, Christophe
Guetemme, Geneviève
Luglia, Rémi
Pughe, Thomas
Serrano, José
Source :
Human Ecology: An Interdisciplinary Journal; Jun2023, Vol. 51 Issue 3, p513-528, 16p
Publication Year :
2023

Abstract

The European Beaver came close to extinction in France at the beginning of the twentieth century. It has since been reintroduced across the country but its gradual expansion has caused conflicts linked to its behavior, exacerbated by strict enforcement of laws against poaching or the destruction of beaver dams. We conducted field research in 2021 in three municipalities, two in the Loire basin and one in the Seine basin. Using a reconciliation ecology perspective and participatory science methodology, we investigated the dynamics of beaver rejection and approaches to defuse them by emphasizing the anthropomorphic characters of the beaver. During successive meetings with study participants, we attempted to mitigate attitudes of human/nature opposition by presenting humans as part of ecosystems, engaged in social relations with other living beings using the concept of "neighborhood," which specifically places these relationships and has proven to be more readily adopted than the more abstract concepts of ecosystem, habitat, or biotope. We used a three-stage process of reconciliation/reconnection/protection to raise environmental awareness and concerns. Our results can provide guidelines for environmental agents and officers to engage local populations in conservation efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
03007839
Volume :
51
Issue :
3
Database :
Complementary Index
Journal :
Human Ecology: An Interdisciplinary Journal
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
169703303
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1007/s10745-023-00406-z