Netzwerk Naturwissen invited nature lovers and environmental activists to the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin to watch ‘The Nature Makers’, a documentary that explores the tensions in practical conservation efforts. The film portrays environmental activists and raises the pressing question: To what extent are drastic measures justified to save endangered species in fragile ecosystems in the USA? What kind of nature do we want to preserve, and how?

The 70-minute film shows scenes from the Grand Canyon and the American prairie, where biologists use unconventional rescue methods such as helicopters and bulldozers to maintain their vision of a balanced nature. The screening was followed by a lively discussion moderated by network member Teresa Erbach of RIFS-Potsdam.

The debate highlighted the complex issues that arise at the intersection of human intervention and the conservation of natural ecosystems. It focused not only on conservation methods, but also on overarching questions: How does practical conservation change our relationship with wilderness? What does wilderness mean? And what visual language does the film use to depict the subject?

For more information about the format, visit Netzwerk Naturwissen on Tour.