Exploring the cohabitation between wildlife and beavers
The aim of the Transdisciplinary Seminar on the Environment, held over two weeks in November at the Faculty of Social Sciences, was to take an in-depth look at a topical environmental issue, based on the testimonies of those involved. This year's 23-24 edition explored cohabitation with wildlife and beavers.
The seminar is aimed at students from the Sociology and Anthropology master's programs, as well as the Integrated Management of Health Risks master's program (Faculty of Veterinary Medicine). The diversity of profiles is at the heart of this meeting, bringing together some twenty participants from a wide range of academic backgrounds, including sociologists, anthropologists, doctors, veterinary surgeons, ecologists and biologists.
For this year's event, the teachers presented them with a new case study (in 22-23, the subject was flooding in the Walloon Region in July 2021): the cohabitation of humans, wildlife and beavers in the Walloon Region.
François Mélard: "The issue of cohabitation with wildlife has taken on a new urgency in view of the challenges posed by the loss of biodiversity and our dependence on renewed ecosystems. An interest in beavers is essential following their reintroduction to Belgium at the end of the 90s and their rapid colonization of our waterways. The particularity of the beaver is that it is both a fully protected species (neither its population nor its habitat can be harmed) and a "problem" species... Making room for them is not self-evident when they come into competition with the development of our lifestyles (construction in flood-prone areas, planting near riverbanks, development of fishing practices in ponds, etc.). So the question is, under what conditions is this coexistence possible? This question, asked by many stakeholders, is also relevant for many other wild species (including those classified as "harmful").
Stakeholders concerned by these issues of cohabitation, by their management, their effects and their evolution, particularly since the floods of July 2021 in Wallonia, were invited to testify to the specificity and constraints linked to their practices. Students and supervisors had the opportunity to meet a panel of speakers ranging from senior government officials involved in the management of living resources, to naturalist associations, scientific experts and local residents.
Caption: François Mélard introducing Mr. Olivier Rubbers ("Guide's bureau" association), one of the witnesses heard during the seminar.
François Mélard: "It's often futile to try and find out who holds the truth... When it comes to management, it's often in the in-between that the keys to understanding lie. It's important not to be too quick to censor points of view that sometimes evade our first impressions. As Andy Stirling, a sociologist of science, puts it, it's a question of "keeping the complexity of situations in the first instance "*. And, in the end, to trace the different ways in which this coexistence can be envisaged, and their advantages and weaknesses. This is an essential professional skill
A one-day field trip was also organized during the first week of the course, to gain first-hand experience of the realities and complexities on the ground. The aim was for participants to anchor in real-life situations testimonials or knowledge that would otherwise have remained abstract.
Each speaker's presentation was followed by a question-and-answer session, a moment for individual reflection and, finally, analysis in sub-groups.
Each sub-group was supported throughout the seminar by a pair of supervisors from different disciplines. This year's seminar included the exceptional participation of three international observers from Colombia: Prof. William Andres Martines Dueñas and Prof. Astrid Lorena Perafan from the Universidad de Madgalena and Prof. Kelly Escobar Jimenez from the Universidad del Atlantico. Recipients of an ERASMUS+ grant, they attended the seminar and interacted with participants and supervisors. They also took part in Masterclasses as part of the "Sociologie de l'acteur-réseau" and "Etudes sociales des Sciences et des Techniques" master courses during ULiège's Climate Fortnight.
Stirling, A. Keep it complex. Nature 468, 1029-1031 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1038/4681029a
Illustration : Nolwen Vouiller, Faculty of Social Sciences
