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How do we philosophically resolve the dilemma of research actively harming the species being researched?

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The phrase that really struck me in this book was “rivers are close to immortal. For thousands of years they have sparkled and rippled and glistened in morning fogs. They will continue long after we all are gone. A river is not a flow of water any more than I am a circulation of blood. A river is the rush and bustle of the life that water creates.”

This book reminded me that maybe our sense of something being missing when we go out into nature is because our (or my) focus is different. We no longer view nature in the same way as previous generations who got to see rivers as bustling with life outside our own, we no longer know what nature is in the same way that they did, we feel the loss, but we cannot be sure what we have lost. This quote reminded me to be more mindful in nature and of what I feel that nature actually is. Is it the elemental parts like the running water or patient rocks? Or is it the rushing movements of animals scattering across the forest, the sound of a dragonfly? This book has reminded me of what it’s like to be in a landscape which is full of life, rather than in a natural landscape without any movement but the flowing stream. It reminded me to observe not only what biodiversity is on an academic level, but what biodiversity feels like. And to study sustainability as a way to fight to preserve this sensation.

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I also really liked the question "What are we preserving?"

Is it only what we relate to/think is cute/care about, or nature how it used to be, or...? And only when it is convenient for us as humans?Take the bever as an example in the Netherlands, once a native species and then it couldn't be found here anymore. After years the bever was finally back in the Netherlands, and Staatsbosbeheer was very happy about it (we had this in NLH), but now the bevers are disrupting ecosystems because they build their dams and even break our dykes, which puts our societies in danger. So now do we want to get rid of the bever again or should we preserve it still?

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I liked in chapter one how he talks about how the water vole for grandparents was so normal to see in the nature, and that people nowadays think it's normal that they're hardly there anymore. With much wildlife this is the case, that the 'norm' shifts. I remember when I was younger when I would be in the car with my parents, after an hour the front window would be full of dead insects. Nowadays there are hardly any dead insects, because many have gone extinct. For youths now this has become the norm, so they are not worried about this.

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Tom writes "the interaction between research, knowledge, animals' conservation status, and their individual well-being is extremely complicated." I believe this quote beautifully summed up many of the main points he was making throughout the book, while acknowledging the many nuances of this work. However, for those who have done more fieldwork in conservation, I'm curious how they feel about it and does it resonate. Do some parts of the statement weigh more than others or was he missing something?

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The struggle in conservation is a real thing! I felt deeply connected and identified with this book because I’ve experienced many of the situations explained here. Trying to save a species from extinction is not an easy task. Not only do you have to collect all the necessary data to prove what you’re trying to preserve, but you also have to secure your own funding, which, in many cases, is minimal, as the authors mention. You have to manage and become a magician just to survive. You deal with harsh weather and difficult social situations.

Most people don’t care about conservation. If they see a trap or a tool they don’t understand, they just steal it or throw it away. Field research is hard, and you have to be convinced it’s what you truly want to do. As the author said, you just do it, even without any guarantee of success.

The most important thing in this book is realizing that this is a real issue for nearly all wild populations around the world. All numbers are below what they used to be in the past. Some species have the data to prove their decline, but the majority haven’t been studied enough, so the real numbers will remain a mystery. How can a researcher study and try to conserve a species if only a few people care? It’s so sad and a clear sign that many species will be extinct in just a few years.

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I really loved the first chapter, "Wild Hope" because it is like he was saying that he dreams (or hopes) that he could bring back the natural world to how it should be. This showed why he was doing what he was doing. Do you have a favorite chapter?

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The book emphasizes the importance of restoring natural habitats, reducing agricultural and urban pollution, and reintroducing key species such as beavers. What other strategies does it propose for river conservation, and how can they be applied in other contexts?

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When conducting research, a primary goal is to do no harm. This is predominantly in regards to your participants, but on page 71 he reflects broadly on the harm that researchers put themselves through when conducting research. I found this reflection refreshing and also a good reminder to myself.

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What did people think of his writing style? I found the book engaging and I actually finished this one, but the way he interupts his sentences with footnotes drove me crazy. I found the repeated use of footnotes to really disrupt the flow of the book.

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How do you feel about the use of buzzwords like "nature-based solutions" in conservation? I feel like they make things so vague corporations are able to use them for their convenience

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What makes fieldwork in rivers different from other water communities or communities from other ecosystems in general?