Backyard wilderness: an interdisciplinary investigation of the urban ecology of Lethbridge
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Date
2025
Authors
Armstrong, V. Leila
University of Lethbridge. Faculty of Arts and Science
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Publisher
Lethbridge, Alta. : University of Lethbridge, Dept. of Psychology
Abstract
A century ago, nature was seen as unpredictable, dangerous, and chaotic, and the goal was to tame it, map it, and exploit it for its resources. Increasingly, this campaign was replaced by the need to protect and preserve. Nature is now often seen as a pristine retreat, a virgin wilderness in need of our stewardship. Both views share the perception that we exist outside of nature and act upon it. In this thesis, I address this dichotomy and advance Anna Lowenhaupt Tsing’s work on assemblages and collaborative survival. I consider art as research in two chapters, Chapter 2, “The Nature-Culture Divide: Making Change at the Unruly Edges,” and Chapter 3, “Beyond Boundaries.” These lay the foundation for the art-making components of the project, which are reported in Chapter 6, “Backyard Wilderness: the art.” Following this, I describe a camera trap study and two surveys conducted in Lethbridge, Alberta, in which I asked a series of questions regarding the prevalence of wildlife in the city, and resident attitudes toward wildlife. Finally, as noted above, my art project, Backyard Wilderness examines the narratives we construct around our relationships with urban wildlife with the goal of advocating for coexistence. Coexistence doesn’t have to be a simple celebration of the creatures that rummage through our trash cans or spray our dogs. Instead, cohabitation can be a realization that urban wildlife enhances our experiences of our yards and gardens and helps us to embrace more sustainable practices.
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Keywords
Urban ecology , Urban wildlife , Coexistence , Nature-culture divide , Collaborative survival , Lethbridge