Care from a distance

Drosera intermedia in Berlin swamp renaturation treatment

Abstract

This paper deals with renaturation projects in the Kleine Pelzlaake, Krumme Laake Ost, Krumme Laake West and Teufelsseemoor bogs, located in the south-east of Berlin. With the help of Drosera intermedia, a bog plant, this paper explores relations and ways of care that arise in the context of three different conservation measures: the target species list that is part of the Berlin Concept for Flora Conservation, the maintenance of conservation cultures in the Berlin Botanical Garden, and soil conversion in the aforementioned bogs. These three processes are each composed of different technosocial practices that involve things, non-human living beings and people. Through these practices, Drosera intermedia is enacted in multiple ways. Each of these versions of the plant shows that withdrawal and distance are essential features of the care practices in the field. This highlights the importance of detachment in the face of a strong interconnectedness of more-than-human and human life for urban conservation.