2/2
Contrasting the perspectives of @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social, the UK Government, and the MPs on the representation and agency of #swifts
Had a critical mass of conservationists begun using these arguments, policymakers would have needed to engage with them, too.
Pictures showing the cultural significance of swifts
Photos showing swift towers and swift nest boxes
Photos showing swift bricks
1/2 Presenting at #BOU2026 our paper on the debate on mandating #swiftbricks in the UK as a case of #Multispecies #Justice & #Sustainability #conservationscience #BirdEcon project
Paper published in npj Urban Sustainability: doi.org/10.1038/s429...
Context: martinew.canalblog.com/archives/202...
5/5 The campaign focused on moving from the consumptive use of birds towards the appreciation of the birds' rights to live in the wild and for people to develop meaningful relationships with them. It emphasised relational values on top of intrinsic and instrumental ones.
4/5 The @rspb.bsky.social campaign and the broader debate on feather fashions exemplify early attempts to shape people's relationship with birds.
3/5 This study is based on an analysis of around 200 leaflets, reports, academic and popular science articles, letters and other documents, mostly associated with the @rspb.bsky.social, covering three decades from 1889 to 1921.
2/5 The campaign against feather fashions was instrumental in creating the @rspb.bsky.social and an important issue for other conservation organisations.
🪶1/5
Presenting at #BOU2026 my paper on eradicating #feather #fashion in the UK at the turn of the 20th century #conservationscience #BirdEcon project
Paper published in People and Nature:
doi.org/10.1002/pan3...
🪶
This is part of the #BirdEcon project: A bird’s-eye view of how the natural environment fits into economics Searching for alternative paradigms by analysing bird conservation narratives
At #BOU2026 I'm presenting a poster with preliminary findings on the arguments used to support #bird #conservation used by bird conservation organisations around the world.
Based on 66 interviews with people from 39 bird conservation organisations!
Welcome to #BOU2026 “Birds and people: challenges and opportunities of coexistence” the BOU’s 2026 annual conference.
For the next 3 days we’ll be in-person at the University of Nottingham, online on Zoom, and posting here on Bluesky.
Follow the #BOU2026 feed to stay updated.
#ornithology 🪶 🧵1/3
Call for abstracts is now open for #ESPEurope2026!
Share your research and innovations to help advance ecosystem services knowledge for a nature- and people-positive Europe.
Submit your abstract to: LINKING ECOSYSTEM SERVICES AND NATURE CONSERVATION NARRATIVES
espconference.org/europe2026/c...
Here is the formal link to the job ad:
pp.uni.lodz.pl/index.php/in...
We are hiring a postdoc in the Social-Ecological Systems Analysis Lab. Strong experience in social science methods. Fluency in Ukrainian/Russian. Some work will be carried out in Ukraine. The project focuses on urban greening, civic ecology, resilience
Deadline: 24 Dec
Job start: February
30-months
It is really good to check historical case studies, too! Like the 19th century feather fashions. The campaign to eliminate the feather trade by the early @rspb.bsky.social and others was eventually successful and driven by 5 key arguments, most imporantly relational values: doi.org/10.1002/pan3...
I explored the story of the @rspb.bsky.social campaign against feather fashions in detail doi.org/10.1002/pan3...
Feather fashions involved using not only feathers but also wings, skins, heads and whole bodies. And they were not limited to egret feathers, but involved all species of birds!
"The changing values of #feathers and their wearers: The transformation of British society's relationship with #birds at the turn of the 20th century"
@peopleandnature.bsky.social
@rspb.bsky.social @rspbaction.bsky.social #BirdConservation #BirdEcon @everyheron.bsky.social
doi.org/10.1002/pan3...
My review of 'Nature needs you' by @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social has just been published in Environmental Values.
While the #TheFeatherSpeech campaign on #swiftbricks remains at a stalemate, you can read here why I consider Hannah's book so important.
journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...
Broadening the debate on nature-based solutions and biodiversity net gain to cover non-biological components and nonhuman interests would help to make human-built infrastructure less detrimental to nonhuman beings.
Broader exposure to arguments regarding nature’s representation and agency, particularly those rooted in non-Western and non-anthropocentric worldviews and value systems, might increase the opportunities to include them in political debates.
Although the debate was initiated by an activist-conservationist @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social who figuratively gave voice to #swifts, when confronted with formal politics, the questions of representation and agency of swifts moved to the background.
Nonhuman interests and politics
We analysed the debate on mandating #swiftbricks in the UK through the lens of #multispecies justice: #TheFeatherSpeech by @hannahbournetaylor.bsky.social, the Government's response, and the parliamentary debate. Debate dominated by human perspectives on sharing space
Invito a partecipare a uno studio sul legame tra
BIRDWATCHING E CONSERVAZIONE DEGLI #UCCELLI
Indagine condotta da ricercatori del Regno Unito, Polonia e Finlandia. Abbiamo bisogno di risposte dall'Italia!
Per partecipare e maggiori informazioni: link o QR:
forms.office.com/e/wTCy8ghY9U
A polite request from a team of researchers from the universities of Cambridge, Lodz, and Helsinki to fill out a questionnaire on #birdwatching and #birdconservation - to all #birders, #birdwatchers, #twitchers, #birdphotographers and #birds observers - #UKbirding :)
forms.office.com/e/wTCy8ghY9U
A polite request from a team of researchers from the universities of Cambridge, Lodz, and Helsinki to fill out a questionnaire on #birdwatching and #birdconservation - to all #birders, #birdwatchers, #twitchers, #birdphotographers and #birds observers - #UKbirding :)
forms.office.com/e/wTCy8ghY9U
We're interested in opinions regarding #avian conservation, regardless of your #birdwatching skills.
@themarshtit.bsky.social @davgar51.bsky.social @jobirding.bsky.social @dorsetbirdclub.bsky.social @westmidbirdclub.bsky.social @ntbirdclub.bsky.social @nenbc.bsky.social @cumbriabirdclub.bsky.social
Dear #Birdwatchers, whether you are coming to the @globalbirdfair.bsky.social or not, please take part in our survey on #birdwatching and #bird #conservation.
The survey takes 20-30 minutes & is fully anonymous. It also offers interesting opportunities for self-reflection.
@yolobirder.bsky.social
Search is on to find the 2025 Young Birder of the Year
Know a young birder? Why not encourage them to take part in this year's event
✅Great experiences
✅Great prizes (inc. free RBA subs for all entrants)
✅FREEE ENTRY to @spurnbirdobs.bsky.social MigFest
www.rarebirdalert.co.uk/v2/Content/S...
