’It’s like the sweetest sunshine you’ve ever tasted’: Understanding the affective dimension of private land conservation

Background/Question/Methods

Land conversion due to agriculture, forestry and residential developments is one of the leading causes of species losses worldwide. Government policies for conservation of public lands alone are unlikely to stem these dynamics. Therefore, private land conservation is increasingly seen as an essential part of reaching conservation goals. Especially properties of non-farming, private landowners are interesting for conservation purposes. However, little is known about the conservation attitudes and values of this heterogeneous group. To help closing this knowledge gap, we inquired into the affective relationships of private landowners with their land and its natural environment. The participants of this study were 13 non-farming, private landowners in the Niagara Escarpment area, Ontario, Canada. Using a phenomenological approach, this inquiry was based on open-ended, in-depth interviews with these landowners. Interpretation of significant interview passages led to the emergence of themes that were used for the structural and textural description of these relationships.

Results/Conclusions

The results indicate that private landowners can have strong, affective relationships with their land. These relationships are often associated with childhood histories of rural living and joyful childhood encounters of the natural world. Combined with these experiences is a gratitude for basic elements of material welfare based on previous hardship, which in adult life can lead to non-materialistic attitudes. The emergence of elements of environmental activism and pro-environmental attitudes in adult life is often associated with previous encounters of environmental degradation. These relationships can lead to a keen interest in nature that becomes part of the personal identity. This interest can be expressed in a feeling of belonging to the land and the experience of a shared human-natural space. A feeling of connection with the land often becomes a reason for gratitude and cause of great pride, leading to the desire to protect the land from harm and exploitation. In conclusion, it appears that private landowners can harbor a well-developed conservation ethic that governmental conservation programs should build on more strongly to achieve improved conservation outcomes.