Cultivating identity through private land conservation

Abstract Private land conservation is driven by a variety of influences. As a voluntary action undertaken by landowners, it is influenced not only by external factors such as financial incentives, but also by personal and psychological factors. Using William James’s concept of the “extended self”, this study investigates how protected land becomes a part of landowners’ identity. The study is based on narrative interviews with 27 landowners who had purchased or created a privately conserved area in one of 13 countries. The analysis highlights three facets of these nature reserves that enable incorporation into a landowner’s sense of self: place, possession and project. Drawing on Breakwell’s identity theory, Belk’s analysis of possessions, and Little’s project analytic theory, findings illustrate the various functions land serves in the expression and development of identity. The present research draws attention to aspects of land as possession and land as project, which have received little attention in conservation research. This study points to new directions for inquiry into the relationship between land, nature, identity and self and to practical applications for program design, including implications for knowledge sharing, toolkits, networks and communication.