THE 2018 ROYAL HISTORICAL SOCIETY COLIN MATTHEW MEMORIAL LECTURE

We often think of the British countryside as 'natural' but it is anything but. Not only its fields and hedges, but also its woods, heaths, moors, and fens are largely the product of human activities - of complex systems of management, changing over the centuries. Historians thus have a vital role in nature conservation.

We need to understand the specific processes that created habitats in order to ensure their survival into the future. But we also need to interrogate ideas about 'the natural' more generally - for many current problems in conservation are a direct consequence of a failure to appreciate the essentially human character of the environment.

A lecture by Professor Tom Williamson, University of East Anglia 17 October 2018

The transcript and downloadable versions of the lecture are available from the Gresham College website:
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/historical-wildlife-environment-england

Gresham College has been giving free public lectures since 1597. This tradition continues today with all of our five or so public lectures a week being made available for free download from our website. There are currently over 2,000 lectures free to access or download from the website.

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