Biodiversity Seminar: Tales of Transformation? Critique and Meaning of Biodiversity Narratives

Please note that this seminar will take place on a Tuesday instead of the usual Wednesday.

Preserving biodiversity requires not only political action but also a comprehensive sociocultural change to address indirect drivers of its loss such as values and worldviews deeply rooted in our society. Because narratives are viewed as a potent tool for shaping these values, stakeholders from science and communication have articulated the need for biodiversity stories that bridge the gap between knowledge and action. However, this claim is made without insights into how biodiversity is narrated.

To advance in this field, a more in-depth interdisciplinary examination of the structure and function of existing biodiversity narratives is needed. From a literary and cultural studies perspective, this talk provides an overview of various biodiversity narratives, with a particular focus on cultural perspectives. It explores their significance for a diverse biodiversity discourse and considers how they can contribute to societal transformation. In the second part, I will highlight why a critical examination of biodiversity narratives is essential, especially in the current political context, and discuss why the biodiversity community should take a more active role in shaping and reflecting on biodiversity narratives.

Our public seminars are hybrid, with the option to attend in-person or online.

The Zoom webinar link will be published closer to the seminar date.

The Biodiversity Seminar Series are organized by the WSL Biodiversity Center. Every two weeks, we aim to host a seminar speaker who presents research or outreach on topics relevant to the biodiversity community at WSL. The seminars are public and are usually broadcast online.

To find out more about the WSL Biodiversity Center and a complete list of events, please visit our website. 

Please send an email to events-biodiversity(at)wsl.ch if you would like to be updated on the activities of the WSL Biodiversity Center.