Abstract
The Wadden Sea is a busy environment in which multiple species share a limited space. Humans use the area for recreation and economic purposes, while it also represents an ecologically valuable space as one of the largest intertidal areas in the world. Sharing the Wadden Sea with multiple species is recognized as a challenge by a seal rehabilitation center in the Netherlands, who cares for seals and their habitat, the Wadden Sea. To diminish harmful effects of human-seal interactions, the seal rehabilitation center educates their visitors to care for the Wadden Sea through at least three different educational practices (seal releases, beach cleanups, and through an exhibition at the visitor center). By taking a relational perspective to analyze these educational moments, it becomes apparent that different “natures” are brought into being. That is, by creating different experiences in multiple circumstances, relations between what is experienced or enacted as being part of the Wadden Sea environment changes. An important focus in this article is the diverse positions humans take up in relation to the Wadden Sea as they are encouraged to care for it and the seals. Instead of taking a human and nature distinction as a starting point, I will show that these educational practices produce fluid and dynamic relations between “humans” and “nature,” enabling multiple engagements with the sea and those who inhabit it.
Highlights
At the World Natural Heritage designated Wadden Sea, “nature” has been a complex and contested concept, especially regarding the positions of humans and their influences in this environment
As a call for an integrative approach to “nature” is growing in the Wadden Sea Area while the opposition between nature and culture still seems strong, it is relevant to take a close look at how nature conservation is practiced
The tendency of nature conservation organizations to draw on a nature/culture dichotomy is quite entrenched if not constitutive for nature protection (De Koning and Steins 2019; Walsh 2020)
Summary
From September 2018 to January 2019, the seal center welcomed me as a researcher and volunteer to help care for the seals and join the educational projects. In response to these objects as well as to the seals in rehabilitation Based on these experiences and conversations, I focus my analysis of the visitor center on the displays that encouraged most of the interaction between visitors and guides. While I got acquainted with most of the employees and volunteers on an individual basis, the visiting public was diverse and dispersed and interactions too limited to get an intimate knowledge of their experiences This means that my analysis will not focus on the experience of visitors in particular but is written from a shared experience between seal center staff and volunteers. While reactions on the posts themselves were scarce, during my stay several staff members mentioned my blogs and related to them, often in positive ways This showed me how my experiences were shared, at least within the context of the seal center
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
