Nächster Coffee Talk mit Dr. Sebastian Garbe: „‘This is Nature Protecting itself’ – Forest Occupations Against Sand & Gravel Extraction in Germany” | 02. April 2025

Foto: Sebastian Drue

02. April 2025

6 Uhr (MST/Nordamerika) / 14 Uhr (CET/Deutschland) / 15 Uhr (EET/Finnland)

Titel: „‘This is Nature Protecting itself’ – Forest Occupations Against Sand & Gravel Extraction in Germany”

Vortragender: Dr. Sebastian Garbe (Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Applied Sciences Fulda)

Der Vortrag und die Diskussion laufen online und auf Englisch.

Inhalt:

In recent years, forest occupations have become one of the most prominent and visible protest strategies within Germany’s climate justice movement. While some occupations have sought to protect forests from the expansion of open-cast lignite mining and the construction of motorways, a more recent occupation south of Frankfurt is resisting the expansion of a sand and gravel pit operated by a local company. 

Departing from that occupation and building on ongoing ethnographic field research in the region, this talk takes up a variety of threads from this case study as an example of contemporary socio-ecological conflicts that revolve around protecting forests from sand and gravel exploitation. One thread points towards forest occupations as a protest strategy grounded in a distinct relational ontology of human-forest relationships. By focusing on sand and gravel as natural resources lying beneath forests, another trace explores the importance of introducing the conceptual framework of extractivism and the commodification of nature to contexts in the Global North. Finally, this case study also helps to showcase some of the effects of open-cast sand and gravel mining on local forests, the local population and the local climate justice movement. 

Instead of presenting final research results, this talk invites the audience into ongoing ethnographic field research in the forests south of Frankfurt, following various threads laid by this case study.

To join the event, please use the Zoom Link: https://uni-jena-de.zoom-x.de/j/65854920539

Meeting-ID: 658 5492 0539; Kenncode: 008070

Coffee Talks Human-Forest-Relationships

Let’s sit, have a coffee and talk in the scientific café! The “Coffee Talks HFR” give room for open and relaxed discussions on current research subjects related to human and society relations to forests. It warmly welcomes all interested in forest-related research to join the online sessions.

Each session lasts 1,5 hours. It starts with a 20-30 minute presentation of a guest speaker. After the presentation, with coffee or tea at hand, participants have plenty of room for an open discussion and exchange.

The “Coffee Talks HFR” take place three to four times per term on Wednesdays at 6 am MST / 2pm CET / 3pm EET.

Guest speakers wanted!

If you are interested in contributing to the “Coffee Talks HFR”, please contact either jana.holz(at)uni-jena.de, jodie.asselin(at)uleth.ca or tuulikki.halla(at)uef.fi with info on your subject (title and short abstract) and a preferred date.

The interdisciplinary and international scientific “Coffee Talks HFR” have a long tradition. In 2021, a cooperation between the Finnish research project Human-Forest Relationships in Societal Change and the German research group Mentalities im Flux (flumen) launched and hosted the “Scientific Coffee Sessions HFR”. Since then, they hosted more than twelve sessions with speakers form interdisciplinary social science background and international participants. In 2024, the network broadened and the event got a new name: “Coffee Talks HFR”.

The “Coffee Talks HFR” are hosted by: