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An innovative experiment is shedding light on how wildlife experiences a polluted environment, offering a unique perspective to a Somerset community eager to transform its local landscape over the coming three decades. The study aims to immerse humans in the sensory and physical challenges faced by wild animals as they deal with habitat loss, pollution, and other human-related pressures.
Wild creatures often encounter numerous hazards in modern landscapes, including restricted access to fresh water, scarcity of food due to habitat degradation, and overwhelming noise and pollution from machinery and traffic. To better understand these difficulties, a group of volunteers participated in an initiative where they were trained to adopt the viewpoint of various animals native to the area, such as red deer, kestrels, earthworms, otters, and salmon. As Phil Tovey, who spearheaded the project, explained, the goal was to go beyond typical ecological inquiries and engage with the lived experience of animals. “It’s not that they are wild animals and therefore they suffer, it’s that they suffer because of particular things that we have done, and are continuing to do, to make their life a lot worse,” he noted.
Among those involved, Jake Lawy immersed himself in the life of an Atlantic salmon, confronting the realities of swimming in contaminated, low-oxygen waters. Reflecting on his experience, he said, “When I put myself in the position of the salmon, I saw the impacts in my local area. We could turn off street lights close to the river, remove old weirs. I think we have a cultural blindness to the harm we cause wild animals, but once you see it, you can’t unsee it.” This depth of insight was mirrored across the volunteer group, with participants describing disorienting environmental changes from the perspective of other animals—for example, the altered scent landscape caused by an earthwork or the overwhelming vibrations felt by an earthworm near a farm generator. Tovey emphasized, “Everyone, in their own way, tapped into something they didn’t expect.”
The project, known as the *Risks Beyond Human Eyes* study, was conducted by the University of the West of England in partnership with the Accelerator for Systemic Risk Assessment (ASRA), which Tovey directs. It moves beyond traditional biodiversity assessments that primarily count animal populations by focusing on the quality of life and the particular challenges individual animals face. The findings—mapping out these human-induced risks—have been compiled into an online database. Inspired by this research, the local community has embarked on an ambitious 30-year campaign to restore the River Tone, guided by Tovey’s military experience. This campaign uses strategic planning adapted from a Ministry of Defence framework for complex operations, reflecting the seriousness of the task ahead. “This is really serious operational planning,” Tovey remarked. “The only other time I’ve ever seen it on this level is in a bunker in operations overseas.”
The campaign’s approach is rooted in nonviolent methods, taking cues from the Global Nonviolent Action Database to escalate tactics strategically if earlier efforts do not succeed. Tovey highlighted the underestimated power of community initiatives: “There’s a tendency to view community groups as impoverished and marginal and nice – but definitely not effective or to be taken seriously. But they have the capability to drive change. We’ve re-established that: this is your place, these are your animals, and they live here in the same way you do.” This evolving strategy exemplifies a growing recognition that addressing environmental issues requires not only scientific insights but also deep empathy and long-term planning at the community level
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