Many thanks for sharing this. I had a couple of quick comments. While in no way doubting the significance of your experiences, I think that everyone sometimes gets dismissive, reluctant acknowledgements when passing others out in the countryside. Partly I think it's the famous British reserve and partly it’s the incongruous situation of being out in the wilds, trying to escape from humanity, and then being forced to walk very close to someone else – often a total stranger, miles from civilisation. Do you look down at your shoes and ignore the other person? Do you attempt a quick matter-of-fact greeting or do you go for the opening gambit to try to start a friendly conversation? It can be awkward at best, especially for the type of person who often seeks solitude by walking in the countryside.
I also wanted to comment on the parallels you draw with the language about ‘invasive’, ‘non-native’ plants and racism because I think these are dangerous. Humans and wildlife are totally different things and language and attitudes that would be unacceptable when applied to humans are entirely appropriate when it comes to wildlife. Seeking to ensure that non-native, non-indigenous, invasive plants and animals do not take the place of native species is a legitimate concern and is completely separate from attitudes towards people. To give an even clearer example, killing a Mink is not ‘murder’ (though animal rights campaigners may seek to co-opt the term in order to further their cause). To turn the question around – would you be unhappy with the following language? ‘We must seek to eradicate the non-native, invasive American Mink in order to protect vulnerable ground nesting birds.’ And if so how would you suggest this could be re-phrased?
Ian, your comments do indeed ‘doubt the significance’ of Claire’s lived experience and it is insulting to suggest the problem is hers in the way she may act towards others passing in a wood! Please reflect on why you find it appropriate to question the validity of Claire’s feelings so quickly. Claire invited us to reflect and interrogate the language used in horticulture, she did not offer up herself to do the work for us.
Hi Elise, On the first point I'm conscious that we tend to be a reticent lot in Britain and I've had my share of awkward, unfriendly encounters out in the countryside. I can see why such encounters might be especially unsettling to those who already feel unwelcome but they will not necessarily have anything to do with race - though of course some might have that element. That's all I was saying and I was thinking about the behaviour of other people not the author of the piece, though I could have expressed that more clearly.
I think the second point is reasonable. Claire was suggesting (I think) that we should avoid some of the language currently used to describe non-native species and so it's reasonable to ask how we can adapt. Personally I think its fine to use language for wildlife that would be totally inappropriate when applied to people. But if it's being suggested that's not okay then we need some new language that would be acceptable. Otherwise the danger is these issues just get seen as too tricky to discuss.
Thank you, excellent blog, growing is an act of defiance, it allows us to remove ourselves from reliance on the system and what is made available to us by the supermarkets. When Caribbean people arrived in this country, many took up the opportunity to run allotments to grow the veg that they couldn’t buy in the supermarkets. They may not have been the face of the royal horticultural society but their heart was in that soil. I tried to find an article about the history of black allotment owners but all I could find was this. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/6ft2-easton-man-reigniting-jamaican-2949846.amp
Many thanks for sharing this. I had a couple of quick comments. While in no way doubting the significance of your experiences, I think that everyone sometimes gets dismissive, reluctant acknowledgements when passing others out in the countryside. Partly I think it's the famous British reserve and partly it’s the incongruous situation of being out in the wilds, trying to escape from humanity, and then being forced to walk very close to someone else – often a total stranger, miles from civilisation. Do you look down at your shoes and ignore the other person? Do you attempt a quick matter-of-fact greeting or do you go for the opening gambit to try to start a friendly conversation? It can be awkward at best, especially for the type of person who often seeks solitude by walking in the countryside.
I also wanted to comment on the parallels you draw with the language about ‘invasive’, ‘non-native’ plants and racism because I think these are dangerous. Humans and wildlife are totally different things and language and attitudes that would be unacceptable when applied to humans are entirely appropriate when it comes to wildlife. Seeking to ensure that non-native, non-indigenous, invasive plants and animals do not take the place of native species is a legitimate concern and is completely separate from attitudes towards people. To give an even clearer example, killing a Mink is not ‘murder’ (though animal rights campaigners may seek to co-opt the term in order to further their cause). To turn the question around – would you be unhappy with the following language? ‘We must seek to eradicate the non-native, invasive American Mink in order to protect vulnerable ground nesting birds.’ And if so how would you suggest this could be re-phrased?
Ian, your comments do indeed ‘doubt the significance’ of Claire’s lived experience and it is insulting to suggest the problem is hers in the way she may act towards others passing in a wood! Please reflect on why you find it appropriate to question the validity of Claire’s feelings so quickly. Claire invited us to reflect and interrogate the language used in horticulture, she did not offer up herself to do the work for us.
Hi Elise, On the first point I'm conscious that we tend to be a reticent lot in Britain and I've had my share of awkward, unfriendly encounters out in the countryside. I can see why such encounters might be especially unsettling to those who already feel unwelcome but they will not necessarily have anything to do with race - though of course some might have that element. That's all I was saying and I was thinking about the behaviour of other people not the author of the piece, though I could have expressed that more clearly.
I think the second point is reasonable. Claire was suggesting (I think) that we should avoid some of the language currently used to describe non-native species and so it's reasonable to ask how we can adapt. Personally I think its fine to use language for wildlife that would be totally inappropriate when applied to people. But if it's being suggested that's not okay then we need some new language that would be acceptable. Otherwise the danger is these issues just get seen as too tricky to discuss.
Beautifully written and thought provoking.
A beautifully poetic and illuminating piece of writing. Thank you Claire for sharing your experience.
Thank you, excellent blog, growing is an act of defiance, it allows us to remove ourselves from reliance on the system and what is made available to us by the supermarkets. When Caribbean people arrived in this country, many took up the opportunity to run allotments to grow the veg that they couldn’t buy in the supermarkets. They may not have been the face of the royal horticultural society but their heart was in that soil. I tried to find an article about the history of black allotment owners but all I could find was this. https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/www.bristolpost.co.uk/news/bristol-news/6ft2-easton-man-reigniting-jamaican-2949846.amp