dr. MD (Mariusz) Bockowski

I graduated with a degree in Environmental Protection (specialising in Environmental Biology) from the Faculty of Chemistry at the Jagiellonian University, and completed an English-language PhD programme in Biology at the Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University. I also have many years of experience in the non-governmental sector related to nature conservation – in projects concerning, amongst other things: the reintroduction and management of protected species populations, the monitoring of valuable and endangered species, the assessment of the impact of forest management on forest ecosystems, the planning of field research and the publication of its results, as well as environmental education.

My research interests have been interdisciplinary from the outset, whilst remaining firmly rooted in the natural sciences. During my studies, I expanded my analytical toolkit to include selected elements of social science methodology by undertaking a series of courses at the Institute of Sociology at the Jagiellonian University. This was necessary to investigate the social and economic aspects of implementing the Natura 2000 network in Poland, and subsequently issues related to the development of a nature conservation system in Poland that would incorporate nature conservation outside protected areas and utilise the concepts of ecological corridors and green infrastructure. My doctoral thesis, in turn, focused on the use of the concept of ecosystem services in modern environmental governance, with particular emphasis on nature conservation practices in the Polish Carpathians. It helped to gain a deeper insight into the perception of the benefits of nature and the preferences regarding the management of natural resources among various stakeholder groups, as well as the views of residents regarding the relationship between humans and nature, its role in nature conservation and attitudes towards protected areas.

For some time now, I have also been directing my interests towards environmental economics and the practical implications that the need for nature conservation has on economic calculations, as well as decision-making and participatory processes. I am particularly interested in this topic in relation to the principles of establishing new and expanding existing protected areas, the issues of habitat fragmentation and ecological connectivity, the management of populations of valuable species, human-nature conflicts, and public participation in nature conservation.

Recently, I have also broadened my interests to include the fields of political ecology and environmental anthropology. As part of my latest project, led by George Iordachescu, I am investigating how new nature conservation regimes, particularly strict nature conservation, shape the relationship between humans and the environment in Europe’s peripheral regions, using the Bieszczady Mountains as a case study. The findings of this research could have a real impact on the shaping of public policies on nature conservation at European Union level.