This is Archaeology - Archaeology and nature recovery: how the past can help us build a more biodiverse present and future 

We are living in worrying times. Habitat destruction and biodiversity loss present a huge threat to the species, places and landscapes we love. In the face of this global challenge, it is easy to feel helpless or sidelined-as an archaeologist, I have regularly wondered how, and if, I can make a positive contribution to the biodiversity loss we are seeing all around us.

This may seem a huge challenge, but in this talk I want to deliver a message of hope, founded on the belief that archaeology has a set of ‘superpowers’ that can uniquely contribute to nature recovery. Taking inspiration from a range of Oxford Archaeology’s current work related to nature recovery, I will outline three ways that archaeology can play its part. Firstly, I will discuss how our detailed understanding of environments in the past can play a potential role in shaping current and future habitats. Secondly, I will explore the wide range of species and habitats that historic and archaeological sites can support, and the opportunities there are to enhance these sites for nature recovery. Finally, I will think about how we write about humans, animals, plants and environments in the past, and how these narratives can inspire people today to think differently about the world around them.  

Nick Overton

Nick is a Project Officer at Oxford Archaeology, where he is involved in a range of projects related to archaeology and nature recovery, including Biodiversity Net Gain, Rewilding and Landscape Recovery. Before this role, Nick was a lecturer in Archaeology at the University of Manchester, where he taught archaeological practice, zooarchaeology, European prehistory and human-environment relationships in the past. He is passionate about exploring how our understanding of the past, and the physical remains that make up archaeological sites can make positive contributions to nature recovery. 

This event is part of the CBA's This Is Archaeology monthly online lecture series. You can find out more about this and other upcoming events in the series on the This is Archaeology page on the CBA website.