I’ve been working pretty hard to tell you what I mean by “Conservation Gardening” (See What is Conservation Gardening and The Language of Conservation Gardening), but now I need your feedback, so thank you in advance for the suggestions you’ll leave in the comments below.
I have been told that the word “Conservation” feels like homework or denotes a government agency, think “conservation easement” “conservation water district”, and that a better description for the work I’m doing is “Ecosystem Gardening.”
I was resistant to any change at first because I’ve been working for several years to develop and define this concept, but I have to say that I really like this term.
An ecosystem is a group of parts that make up a larger whole where everything is connected. Since what I am focused on here is the creation of welcoming habitats for wildlife, restoring ecosystem function, sustainable practice, and conservation of natural resources, this new term seems to be a much better fit.
Yes, everything IS connected, and my goal is to teach folks how the choices that they make on their own properties can have a positive (or negative) impact on the world around them.
As I’ve thought about making this change, I’ve really come to like it, and will be changing my use of language here accordingly.
I’d love to know what your thoughts are. Please let me know in the comments below.
And while you’re here, could you also give me some help by taking this short survey. That will help me determine how to best meet your needs. Thank you so much.
© 2009 – 2010, Carole Brown. All rights reserved.
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I like ecosystem gardening better, at least after I read your explanation. Originally I’d have gone for Wildlife Gardening in preference to conservation, but this is about much more than attracting wildlife to the garden.
Alison Kerr´s last post ..He Who Can, Does
Either! They both sound great.
Michelle´s last post ..Dacey Community Fields
When I hear conserve, I think save, or not to waste. When I hear ecosystem gardening, I think balance/harmony. Any way to combine the two?
I prefer “Ecosystem Gardening”, since I tend to use the word frequently when I tell people about my habitat. Just my .02
Thank you all for your input! Ecosystem Gardening it is. I’ll be moving the site to a new domain soon, but for now we’ll just start using the new language.
To me, conservation means taking care of something–protecting it. Work may be involved, but it’s important work (as you well describe in your blog). Here’s hoping the name change helps more people see how biodiversity and human health are connected!
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