S5E3: Feral and Invasive Species with Lauren van Patter

The Animal Turn

Claudia talks to Lauren van Patter about the concepts of feral and invasive species. They touch on the differences between the two concepts and consider how issues of colonization, reproduction, and human control lead to the categorization of some animals as biosecurity threats.

Date Recorded: 21 September 2022

Dr. Lauren Van Patter is the Kim & Stu Lang Professor in Community and Shelter Medicine in the Department of Clinical Studies at the Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph. Lauren is an interdisciplinary animal studies researcher with a background in Environmental Sciences and Cultural Geographies. She has researched urban coyotes and feral cats in Canadian cities as well as free roaming dogs in rural Botswana. Lauren is a co-editor of the volume ‘A Research Agenda for Animal Geographies’, and has published in peer-reviewed Veterinary, Animal Studies, Geography, African Studies, and Wildlife Management journals. Connect with Lauren on Twitter (@levanpatter) or on her website.

Claudia (Towne) Hirtenfelder is the founder and host of The Animal Turn. She is a PhD Candidate in Geography and Planning at Queen’s University and is currently undertaking her own research project looking at the geographical and historical relationships between animals (specifically cows) and cities. She was awarded the AASA Award for Popular Communication for her work on the podcast. Contact Claudia via email ([e-mail]) or follow her on Twitter (@ClaudiaFTowne).

Featured: Animal Liberation by Peter Singer; Zoopolis: A Political Theory of Animal Rights by Will Kymlicka and Sue Donaldson ; Managing Love and Death at the Zoo: The Biopolitics of Endangered Species Preservation by Matthew Chrulew; Anishnaabe Aki: an indigenous perspective on the global threat of invasive species by Nicholas Reo and Laura Ogden; Managing Love and Death at the Zoo: The Biopolitics of Endangered Species Preservation by Mathew Chrulew ; Some “F” words for the environmental humanities: feralities, feminisms, futurities by Catriona Sandilands
Animal Highlight: Crabs
Featured: Crab by Cynthia Chris
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Chapters

1. S5E3: Feral and Invasive Species with Lauren van Patter (00:00:00)

2. Introduction (00:02:34)

3. Welcome (00:02:35)

4. How did you come to be interested in animal studies? (00:04:52)

5. Feral Species (00:08:55)

6. [Ad] Wild Times: Wildlife Education (00:12:45)

7. (Cont.) Feral Species (00:13:24)

8. Invasive Species (00:13:25)

9. Agency with these concepts (00:17:21)

10. Biosecurity and ideal ecologies (00:21:45)

11. Humans, extermination and protection (00:28:01)

12. Invasive Logic and Colonization (00:33:50)

13. Blame and Feral Cats (00:37:52)

14. Dimensions of Safety and Embracing Ferality (00:43:05)

15. Reproduction (00:48:40)

16. Quotes (Matthew Chrulew) (00:51:57)

17. Quote (Nicholas Reo and Laura Ogden) (00:57:29)

18. Should we do away with these concepts? (00:59:17)

19. What are you working on now? (01:01:17)

20. Animal Highlight: Crabs (01:03:20)

21. Closing (01:13:05)