Die neuen Wilden

For a long time, Fred Pearce’s opinion on invasive species was clear: hogweed, raccoons and the like do not belong in Central Europe and threaten the animals and plants that are native here. But what if our established view of nature and ecosystems is wrong? What if genuine nature conservation consists of welcoming invasive species?

In his new book, Fred Pearce embarks on a journey around the world. He comes across dramatic cases, such as that of the infamous Aga toad, one of the invasive species that is conquering Australia at an alarming rate and putting native species under massive pressure. But what applies to individual cases does not apply to the majority. Most of the invasive animal and plant species die or become model immigrants, and in many cases they even enrich the diversity of species.

The book is a controversial critique of xenophobic, backward-looking nature conservation, which presents invasive species as the culprits instead of dealing constructively with the new. Especially in times of rapidly changing ecosystems and climate change, we need resistant species that enrich our biodiversity – and regenerate overused landscapes.

The book is also available as an e-book.

The publication was sponsored by Forum für Verantwortung.