The Amateur Outdoorsman

Can Conservation and Farming Coexist? Africa’s landscapes have always been shaped by a dynamic relationship between wildlife, people, and ecosystems. From the vast wooded grasslands where megafauna roam to the mixed farming systems where livestock graze alongside wild herbivores, humans and nature have evolved together for millennia. Yet, traditional perspectives often frame conservation and agriculture as being at odds, as if humans and nature exist separately (Schulte To Bühne, Pettorelli, and Hoffmann, 2022). However, a shift in thinking is gaining traction—one that recognizes humans as an integral part of natural systems. Rewilding has emerged as a strategy to rejuvenate ecosystems by reintroducing keystone species and rebuilding ecological functions (Svenning et al., 2016). Meanwhile, regenerative agriculture takes a nature-aligned approach, revitalizing soil health, enhancing biodiversity, and promoting sustainable livelihoods (Keesstra et al., 2018). Both positive steps forward ...

What Exactly Is the Matrix (No, Not the Movie)? When people talk about habitat fragmentation, the conversation often focuses on the bits of nature that are left behind — the fragments . These are the patches of forest, wetland, or grassland that somehow survive when human activity carves up the landscape. But there’s something just as important that often gets ignored: the matrix — the land between those fragments. The matrix is everything that fills the space between natural habitats — farms, roads, towns, industrial zones, and even low-intensity grazing land. And matrix quality — how friendly or hostile that land is to biodiversity — can make or break the health of a fragmented landscape (Fahrig, 2003; Haddad et al., 2015). The Matrix is Everywhere — But It’s Not All Equal Imagine you’re a dung beetle (stick with me here) living in a fragment of Renosterveld in the Klein Karoo. If the farmland next to you uses regenerative grazing practices, keeps some natural vegetation intac...