In my lecture I will draw on my ethnographic study of the everyday life of an ancient woodland nature reserve in which I focus on the contribution that nonhuman entities make to its social life. I will explain how I have drawn on the theoretical concepts of Pierre Bourdieu, Donna Haraway, Tim Ingold and A. N. Whitehead to unpack the complex entanglement of the reserves human and nonhuman lives. In addition I will also argue that exploring the ‘naturalists’ relationship with ‘nature’ has the potential to make a valuable contribution to the study of human/nonhuman interactions.

**Please come prepared to take part in a short ‘Nature Walk’ around campus**

Slides here

Essential reading

Carson, Rachel. (1964) Silent Spring, London: Hamish Hamilton. Chapter 8: And No Bird Sings p: 84- 105 here

Leopold, Aldo. (1994) A Sand Country Almanac: And Sketches from Here and There. London: Oxford University Press. Thinking Like a Mountain: p: 129 – 133 here

White, Gilbert. ((1977 [1788-9]) The Natural History of Selbourne. London: Penguin. Richard Maybe’s Introduction: p: vii-xxii here