More on otters in Jakarta
I had some really good feedback on a previous blog about a family of Asian small-clawed otters that I had seen in Jakarta. A Jakarta resident wrote to me that he had observed relatively large numbers of otters for some time near his home in south Jakarta, not far from the area where I live.In fact, the otters were at one time so common that they used to keep him awake at night with their whistling calls. He used to watch groups as...
Urban Ecology in Jakarta
It never fails to cheer me up to see an unusual species in an unusual place. Among all the doom and gloom in conservation it is nice to see a species beat the trend. For a while I have been fascinated by the Tree Sparrow (see my blog on the Church Bird of Borneo), a species in decline in its native Eurasia, but abundant here in Indonesia where it was introduced. I observe them regularly from behind my desk that looks out over our...
Fear and conformity in conservation
Conservation is like guerrilla warfare. But are the similarities flattering for conservationists? No matter how big, conventional and entwined with power conservation organizations get, they still have the posture of guerrilla groups. While conventional warfare seeks to reduce an opponent’s capability through head-on confrontation, guerrillas seek to undermine the opponents’ strength and their public support. Guerrillas...
Liberally Green
Conservation is traditionally associated with left-wing politics. The distinction between left and right dates back to the days of the French revolution when those supporting radical changes in society where seated on the left side of parliament. Left-wing politics tend to strive for a more egalitarian society, achieved through cooperative, mutually respectful collaboration.Right-wing politics may see social and economic hierarchies...
Degradation is in the Eye of the Beholder
In the discussion about where oil palm and other plantations should go we talk so easily about degraded lands. But the concept is not straightforward. When the US and Europe cleared their forests a few centuries ago, they did so to “improve” the land. Forests were seen as a source of lumber, best to be cleared and replaced by annual crops with which a lot more money could be made. We have learned since then, and now...
Chinese Whispers in Indonesian Conservation
Why do we measure deforestation rates in number of football fields lost? This is causing major confusion.
Avatar Firmly Keeps the Con in Conservation
Erik Meijaard explains why he thinks that Avatar-like solutions are particularly helpful in conservation.
