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Short abstract:

In this paper I explore how different scales of planetary care are being negotiated, in the context of seagrass restoration in England. This draws from ethnographic research among volunteers and marine scientists working together on surveying, harvesting, and planting seagrass.

Long abstract:

A number of organisations are planting seagrass meadows on the south coast of England. Mostly these are charities that employ marine biologists and rely on volunteers. The need for restoration is framed by a history of decline, and shifting baselines after a mass die-off in the early 1900s. As well as actively restoring seagrass meadows, local charities aim to increase the coastal literacy of those living by the sea, to engender a care for sensitive habitats and an ownership of restoration projects. The hope is that training local people to survey, plant, and generally champion seagrass will extend projects beyond their limited timescales and funding. At the same time, volunteers provide an effective but temporary labour force in a context where scaling seagrass restoration may ultimately require mechanisation.

Drawing on ethnographic research on the south coast of England over an 18 month period, I explore how volunteers were engaged in a back-and-forth sharing of speculative ideas, often on the margins of organised restoration activities, in which they developed their own thoughts about the future of the coastline. This includes what a restored coastline might look like, who it is for, and who is responsible for bringing it about. At times these ideas challenged those of the projects in which they were engaged. In particular, I discuss the idea of scale, in whether seagrass restoration is for local or global benefit, and scaling, where future expansion is seen to risk people's ability to becoming personally involved.