Landscapes of the mind - British Geological Survey

How does the landscape change over time and what does that mean to and for us? Our view of the landscape and the actions we take to use and value it are steered by a complex mix of factors.

Increasingly, decision makers are gathering around issues about the Earth, our environment and the nexus with society. Do we want fracking or wind farms in this place? Should a mine be opened or closed? Should we bury our waste here? Are we doing enough about climate change? Addressing these complex questions requires a holistic approach to both understanding the problem and the actions we take to solve it.

Decision making requires an evidence base, but this has to be greater than the sum of its parts, requiring knowledge across seemingly disparate aspects of science and society.

‘Landscapes of the mind’ is a network of people with a common interest in landscapes, particularly those in Scotland! We are a diverse and growing group from historians to musicians, archaeologists to metalworkers. We are interested in how we all bear witness to the evolution of Scotland’s landscape from our different perspectives, particularly the balance between landscape conservation and adaptation to changing culture, communities and societal needs.

Our network aims to contribute to an evidence base to support decision making about landscape as well as open up dialogue about the contribution and importance of the arts in environmental research. Increasingly, local-to-global challenges are being addressed by integrating knowledge from seemingly disparate disciplines, including the arts, even if collaborations between artists and ‘other’ researchers are slow to be endorsed.