Making Nature Do As It Is Told.

From the new book by George Monbiot.

Conservationists sometimes resemble gamekeepers. They regard some of our native species as good and worthy of preservation, others as bad and in need of control. Unlike gamekeepers, they don't use the word 'vermin' to describe our native wildlife. Instead they say 'unwanted , invasive species'. They seek to suppress nature, to prevent successional processes from occurring, to keep ecosystems in a state of arrested development. Nothing is allowed to change: nature must do as it is told to the nearest percentage point. They have retained an old testament view of the world: it must be disciplined and trained, for fear its wild instincts might otherwise surface.The result is back-to-front conservation.

I actually believe the links between conservationists and gamekeepers are very strong. All starts from the top in this industry and who do you find when you look for the person in government responsible for what they call 'wildlife conservation'?  A grouse moor owner and employer of gamekeepers!