Last week, members and associates of Gardening the Globe gathered for a workshop at Uppsala University. The workshop signaled the start up of work package 3 of the project, which is called “Cultivating eradication”.
In “Cultivating eradication”, we explore how socio-natures are produced through practices of removal or eradication of organisms and species. Through a set of different case studies, we investigate how species in the wrong place and in wrong numbers are often eradicated to enhance the cultivation and growth of other species. We investigate how such choices related to cultivation or eradication often result from negotiations between different actors, but also from different conceptions and valuations of nature.
The plan is to do close empirical studies of attempts to control or combat invasive alien species, garden weeds, animal diseases and other organisms. In the workshop, the participants presented preliminary ideas and empirical material, covering
- unwanted bushes in a protected mining landscape
- the importance of ownership in environmental landscape management
- shy reindeer and the disciplining of humans and muskoxen
- the use of rotenone to “weed” unwanted fish species and to get rid of unwanted parasites
- the structures and practices that are needed to keep pigs free of disease
- neighborhood campaigns against slugs
- the role of deanimalization in campaigns targeting marine invasive aliens
Uppsala, of course, showed itself at its best. A huge thanks to Uppsala University and Anders Ekström at the department of history of science and ideas for hosting us!
All photos by Karin Lillevold