Land-Connectedness: a holistic heritage framework of understanding and care of more-than-human everyday landscapes

There is an increasing consensus of the need to shift human-nature imaginaries as “cultural human-nature relationships in Western societies are both a root cause of current unsustainable patterns of development, and the crux to embarking towards a more sustainable society” (Colding et al., 2020, p3). Critical scholarship has argued that the first step to convivial conservation may be reintegrating nonhumans into our lives to foster a kinship ethic towards the environment (Wolch & Emel, 1998). This paper argues that the first step should also include reintegrating the human into nature in equal measure. 

Rotherham (2017) contends that cultural severance is the ‘most serious threat for nature conservation of 21st century’. A place-based holistic heritage approach that accounts for human and nonhuman entanglements offers a tool to rebuild connectivity with nature and the land.

Building on the concept of 'nature-connectedness' as a driver for care of nature (Martin, et al., 2020), this paper presents Land-Connectedness as a novel term and framework through which to better understand the deep connections we have to the places we live. 

Land-connectedness encompasses all aspects of the land - recognising the intertwining of nature and culture, human and nonhuman through millennia of co-evolution and co-shaping in the landscapes, flora and fauna, language, names, stories, practices and traditions that give each place its unique 'sense of place'.

​Presenting work-in-progress evidence, the doctoral researcher Victoria McMillan's paper will consider the ways this deep connection, or land-connectedness, is made, how it is maintained and strengthened and what implications this has on people's actions towards caring for the places they live and wider climate action. Thus, exploring the affective logics that ground scholarly concepts within everyday experience and the potential for conviviality within lay human-nature ontologies.

The talk will be delivered online via Teams on 27 April 2022, 2-3pm (link to join).