It was not that long ago that people did their best to keep wild animals out of inhabited areas. Some species were even exterminated. However, we are now seeking to create ‘wilderness’ areas again in many locations. ‘But in doing this, we must also learn to deal with the troublesome or unpleasant side of nature, which includes such animals as the wolf, the beaver and the oak processionary caterpillar,’ argues environmental philosopher Martin Drenthen. Drenthen has an aversion to the term ‘sustainability’. “This term is often used as an excuse to keep on doing what we’re doing instead of looking at how we can really do things differently.” According to the philosopher, we need to move away from the anthropocentric idea that everything revolves around our own interests and think more about how we can coexist with animals and plants. “It’s easy to love elements of the natural environment that are perceived as adorable, beautiful or useful,” he says. “But if you really want to protect nature, you also have to deal with that side of nature that is troublesome or disruptive, and that includes the wolf and the beaver.”Mankind as the crowning glory of creationDrenthen claims that our relationship with wild nature, which is often complicated, can be explained by modern Western thinking, which perceives mankind and nature as separate entities. In pre-modern Europe, people were fascinated by nature. The wolf, for example, was regarded as a sacred animal in many cultures. But the advent of Christianity gave rise to the idea that mankind was the crowning glory of creation, and that nature was consequently at the service of human beings.“This idea continued to prevail well into the twentieth century,” says the philosopher. “However, the introduction of environmentalism brought some changes. Current surveys have shown that many Europeans tend to think of themselves more as being in partnership with the natural environment.” Unfortunately, this often doesn’t progress beyond what Drenthen refers to as a ‘Sunday morning faith’. “Although we say that we should treat the earth differently, in reality we still find it completely normal that we’re able to dominate the natural world.”Coexistence“But,” he continues, “it’s a stage one alert. The biodiversity crisis has demanded that we start doing things differently in order to ensure that the world remains liveable, for both ourselves and for the other species on this planet. Of course, a level of tension will always exist between specific human interests and the interests of animals, just as there is conflict and contention in civilised society. We’ve created institutions that make it possible for people to coexist harmoniously, without having to carry a weapon when they walk down the street. We also need these types of institutions so that we can coexist with other species.”These days, wildlife management often focuses on controlling the number of wild animals and where they are allowed to go. Drenthen: “This is despite the fact that the number doesn’t correlate one-to-one with the source of irritation. There are certain types of animal behaviour that cause such inconvenience. And this is partly caused by human behaviour. In the case of the wolf, there is also an increasing demand for the ‘management’ of the wolf population, which in practice is just another word for pulling the trigger.” Drenthen and his co-researchers aim to use the Wildlife NL research project to develop a new form of wildlife management; instead of focusing on control, this form focuses on the coexistence of human beings and animals, which will help people realise that rather than existing outside of the natural world, they are actually part of the ecosystem.BeaversDrenthen cites the example of the food forest in Groesbeek, where beavers are also found. The beavers themselves are useful in combatting drought, but when their dams push up too much water, the farmers suffer because the land eventually becomes too saturated. The regional water authority tries to control the water level by removing the beavers’ dams or they use technical means to safeguard the flow of water.“Food forest farmer Wouter van Eck takes a different approach,” says Drenthen. “Instead of focusing on control, he basically negotiates with the beavers on the shared use of space.” The food forest is surrounded by a type of buffer zone, where the beavers are allowed to gnaw away at trees and build dams, whilst they leave the rest of the food forest alone. And each week, Van Eck removes some of the branches from the dam so that the water level remains sufficiently low, and the beaver then rebuilds the dam itself. As a result, this has created a kind of dynamic balance between the farmer and the beaver. And because beavers are territorial, they also make sure that other beavers that could cause a nuisance can’t get anywhere near the dam.Drenthen claims that this is sustainability in the good sense of the word: “If you create the landscape so that both humans and animals are able to live there comfortably, this means that you need to be prepared to create space. It won’t always be possible to find such an ideal solution. When important human interests are at stake, it may be necessary to remove, or relocate, an animal, but we should try to avoid having to do this wherever possible.”You have a part to playOur society is facing major challenges. Radboud University wants to contribute to a healthy, free world with equal chances for everyone. With 'Je bent nodig' (You have a part to play), Radboud University aims to reach people who want to contribute to that goal. Would you like to actively contribute or read more about sustainability in our education and research? Visit www.jebentnodig.nl for more information.Photo: Karsten Russ