The November 2016 Faculty Spotlight features Dr. Mary Pollock, professor of English, who will speak about Gerald Durrell and Green Imperialism.
Date: November 17, 2016
Time: 12:00 pm- 1:00 pm
Location: Faculty Lounge
Please RSVP at this link for lunch.
Click here for a complete schedule of Faculty Spotlight Series
“Gerald Durrell, Wildlife Conservation, and Green Imperialism”
Spanning the second half of the twentieth century, Gerald Durrell’s career as a writer and wildlife conservationist anticipated the conflicts and convergences within the wildlife conservation community of the Global North. Field science has converged with conservation activism, and “Green Imperialism” is gradually giving way to an understanding of the necessary connections between conservation and humanitarian efforts.
A skillful and knowledgeable naturalist, by the 1970s, Durrell had begun to depend on conservation biologists to help establish a captive breeding zoo for endangered animals, develop a successful reintroduction program, and found a professional journal devoted to zoo keeping and conservation practices. Indeed, Durrell operated at the leading edge of the curve: by the turn of the twenty-first century, most field scientists who studied endangered species also realized that their research required active involvement in conservation efforts.
This evolution is reflected in the more than thirty volumes Durrell published in his lifetime; a second significant thread in these books is an evolution of ideology—a change of heart.
Although Durrell’s early animal collection activities were extractive, by 1960, his fears about the decimation of species in environmental hot spots were expressed in “green imperialist” terms—that is, by wishing to impose the conservation values and methods of the Global North onto the Global South. Twenty years later, Durrell became a leader in cooperative conservation efforts that benefited local people and required their knowledge. For example, Durrell’s wildlife conservation school (now affiliated with the University of Kent), founded in 1979 and integrated with the zoo, trains wildlife experts from the environmental hotspots where they are needed to protect endangered species. Much of the financial support for these students is supplied by better funded students from the Global North.
After Durrell’s death in 1995, the Durrell Foundation has continued to be a major player in international wildlife conservation efforts.
Professor Pollock is the Nell Carlton Professor of English. She is currently working on a new biography of Gerald Durrell, a prolific writer of travel narratives and encounters with endangered animals. This project aligns with her continuing interest in English literature, environmental issues, and nature writing. She is a recipient of the Hand Award for Scholarship and past occupant of the Nell Carlton Chair in English.
Faculty Spotlight Series
The Faculty Spotlight Series at Stetson University is a monthly showcase of faculty research, creative inquiry, and other scholarly engagement to the campus community. Presenters are recipients of grant awards through the Stetson Summer Grant Program.
Click here for a complete schedule of Faculty Spotlight Series.