With this paper, it is illustrated that a focus on entrepreneurship training in the nature and wilderness sector is relevant for diverse organisations and situations. The first curricula on nature entrepreneurship are currently being developed. In this paper the authors describe a project that focusses on educating the next generation of nature entrepreneurs, reflect on the Erasmus Intensive Program ‘European Wilderness Entrepreneur’ and the Wild10 World Café on nature entrepreneurship training. Sharing and learning from experiences is highly recommended to further develop and strengthen the curricula while considering the dynamic context of nature conservation and restoration of ecological processes.
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In this article we focus upon a division between generalized schools of philosophical and ethical thought about culture and conservation. There is an ongoing debate playing out over conservation between those who believe conservation threatens community livelihoods and traditional practices, and those who believe conservation is essential to protect nonhuman species from the impact of human development and population growth. We argue for reconciliation between these schools of thought and a cooperative push toward the cultivation of an environmentally-focused perspective that embraces not only social and economic justice but also concern for non-human species. Our goal is to underline the ethics and tangible benefits that may result from combining the cultural data and knowledge of the social sciences with understanding of environmental science and conservation. We highlight instances in which social scientists overlook their own anthropocentric bias in relationship to ecological justice, or justice for all species, in favor of exclusive social justice among people. We focus on the polemical stances of this debate in order to emphasize the importance of a middle road of cooperation that acknowledges the rights of human and nonhuman species, alike. In conclusion, we present an alternative set of ethics and research activities for social scientists concerned with conservation and offer ideas on how to reconcile the conflicting interests of people and the environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biocon.2015.01.030 https://www.linkedin.com/in/helenkopnina/
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The international Wadden Sea is an estuarine tidal area along the North Sea coasts of The Netherlands, Germany and Denmark. It is characteristic for regions with sandy coasts and a medium tidal range. Fifty barrier islands separate the Wadden Sea from the North Sea, and an offshore transition zone to the North Sea. The tidal flats of the Wadden Sea form the largest unbroken stretchof mudflats worldwide. The present form of the Wadden Sea is still mainly the result of natural forces, although since the Middle Ages man has changed the Wadden Sea landscape by building dykes and reclaiming land. The Wadden Sea is an important nursery area for fish, a foraging and resting habitat for seals, and a foraging habitat for migrating waders. The Wadden Sea, including large parts of the islands, is a fully nature protected area and designated as a natural World Heritage site in 2009 (Wolff, 2013). The research group Marine Wetlands Studies at Stenden University is focusing on the sustainable development of tourism in the area. Current research has the purpose to get insight in to the effects of the World Heritage Status, in particular the natural values of the area, on future tourism development.
For the general public harbour and grey seals are the symbol of the Wadden Sea. The Wadden Sea is an ideal environment for seals: sandbanks that fall dry at low tide are important for rest and for suckle pups. However, the total population of harbour seals has first stabilized and later decreased in recent years, while the annual number of pups born has increased, but the mechanisms underlying this mismatch remain unclear. Furthermore, the harbour seal population has declined since 2022, but the cause of this decline is also unknown. The objective of the proposed study is to increase our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the population trends of harbour seals currently observed in the Dutch Wadden Sea. The study will be carried out by a consortium, involving key players involved in seal conservation and research in the Netherlands. Furthermore, to ensure that the research is embedded in the international context, the Common Wadden Sea Secretariat is a partner in the consortium. The consortium partners have concluded that essential monitoring data on harbour seals is missing and therefore we propose to investigate and report on four themes: (1) mapping of governance, stakeholders and data landscape, (2) identifying mechanisms underlying the observed population numbers, by reviewing available evidence and exploring possible mechanisms, (3) evaluation and improvement of harbour seal monitoring and (4) communication and advice for governance. We will share our findings through reports, scientific papers, infographics, conference presentations, workshops, and proposed monitoring protocols. We will synthesize and communicate our findings targeting four specific groups: (1) the general public (2) the scientific community, (3) educational institutions, and finally (4) the ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Quality (LNV), providing them with advice on how to advance research, conservation and management of the harbour seal population in the Dutch Wadden Sea.
