Ben Garlick

Before moving to York in January 2017, I studied Geography at Cambridge University and both my Masters and PhD in Human Geography at the University of Edinburgh. My PhD research explored the historical animal geographies of osprey (Pandion haliaetus) conservation in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Scotland. My thesis narrated and explored the ways in which humans and ospreys in Scotland are historically intertwined – involved – with each other. Through five stories, chronicling the militarised nest-defense of ‘Operation Osprey’ at Loch Garten (begun in 1956), as well as later initiatives to manage the birds on Speyside, my thesis explored complex ethical questions concerning the human-animal relations that arise amidst attempts to ‘secure’, know and foster a successful species re-colonisation.

You can find out more about what I am up to by following me on social media (Twitter or Instagram) under the handle @geographicalben.