Abstract

People’s relations with birds changed at the turn of the 20th century. Until then, people had been acculturated to exploitative use as a general way of interacting with nature. At the turn of the 20th century, birds started to be seen as creatures living their own lives and deserving their own rights. The use of bird feathers in fashion became a particularly hot topic that illustrates how and why the perceptions of birds changed. It was vividly debated in the media, streets, shopping environments, and many other occasions. Campaign against feather fashions was essential for creating the RSPB and an important issue for other conservation organisations. The®SPB campaign and the broader debate on feather fashions are prime examples of the different attempts to change people’s relationship with birds and illustrate how clashing values led to a broader transformative change. By analysing this historical case through the lens of modern debates on the value of nature, I study how a specific social practice (wearing a feather bedecked garment) was connected to multiple other practices within a campaign that skilfully addressed multiple stakeholders. This case study shows that conservation is not a linear story of continuous improvement or refinement of ideas but rather a cyclical one, with the same arguments reappearing in new contexts, fitting into the broader system of socio-economic priorities.