16.05.2017: Friederike Gesing

16 Mai 2017, 18h, Rotunde im Cartesium

Working with Nature in Aotearoa New Zealand: An ethnography of coastal protection

This talk opens up a conceptual perspective on coastal natures emerging from coastal protection practices. To work with nature and not against it: this sociotechnical imaginary provides a shared understanding of alternative, soft coastal protection for a growing community of practice. Based on long-term fieldwork in Aotearoa New Zealand, Friederike Gesing draws on close ethnographic encounters with dune restoration volunteers, coastal management experts, surfer-scientists, and Maori conservationists. Understanding their soft protection projects as sociomaterial practices, she shows different coastal naturecultures in the making, emerging as do-it-yourself protection, native landscape, threatened public space, or nature enhanced through soft engineering.

Friederike Gesing (University of Bremen, artec) is senior researcher in the research area of sustainable development and environmental governance. For her excellent dissertation he was rewarded the Bremer Studienpreis 2016.

Find all information on the flyer.