Assigning value to cultural ecosystem services: The significance of memory and imagination in the conservation of Irish peatlands

Abstract Exploring how values are assigned to cultural ecosystem services of peatlands, this paper draws on a process perspective that incorporates relational and pragmatist approaches to conceptualising value. These approaches emphasise how value is established through cultural practices and everyday lived experiences of communities who are interacting with landscapes in dynamic and novel ways. The research proposes a framework for valuing temporal dimensions of cultural ecosystem services to incorporate the dynamic and evolving nature of people’s relationships with natural environments. Using a mixed methods approach, this research reveals how participants assigned value through active processes of remembering the past, engaging and interacting with peatlands in the present, and restoring value for the future through community conservation activities. These experiences influence the formation of memories, identities, values, and emotional connections to places, and thus help in understanding people’s motivations to protect the natural environment. Research evidence is drawn from three Irish peatland case study sites which are recognised for their scientific and community value. The results demonstrate the importance of peatlands for local communities: as carriers of personal and collective memories and histories; as social spaces for health and well-being; and as learning contexts for building social and ecological capacities. Recommendations are made to support inclusion of local, contextual knowledge and cultural and temporal value dimensions of landscapes. This approach represents a broader range of values, recognising new associations between people and peatlands, and supporting communities negotiating the transition to more sustainable futures.