Desert Channels — The Impulse to Conserve.

Abstract

AUSTRALIANS have pretty much all the science we need to conserve our landscapes, what lacks is the will and motivation to make it happen. This book challenges the assumption of many conservationists that science is, or should be the primary consideration in land management. Instead conservation is presented as a value — an impulse. Science is a key facet but no more important than the culture, history, economy or social context of the people and the place. Reading a bit like an extended National Geographic article, the book is presented in four parts entitled “Place”, “Landscape”, “Biodiversity” and “Livelihood”. Between each part is an artistic interlude of illustrations and within each chapter are standalone sidebars, captioned images and a soundtrack — the collective work of almost 50 contributors from diverse backgrounds and varying interests. The academic imperative to reference has been retained, but not in the heavy-handed scientific style. Each piece has a feeling of individuality; “this is where I come from, this is my experience, this is what I have learned and this is what I think.” Scientists are well represented amongst the contributors, but the scientific method is afforded no special prominence. The book is a collection of stories by self-professed conservationists — historians, biologists, painters, pastoralists, activists, palaeontologists, sociologists, traditional owners, photographers, students, agronomists, anthropologists, journalists, poets, public servants, archaeologists and more.