TY - JOUR AU - Nygren, Nina V. AU - Peltola, Taru PY - 2014/09/01 Y2 - 2024/03/29 TI - Yllätyksen politiikka liito-oravakartoituksessa JF - Alue ja Ympäristö JA - A&Y VL - 43 IS - 2 SE - Artikkelit DO - UR - https://aluejaymparisto.journal.fi/article/view/64816 SP - 4-16 AB - <p>Implementation of nature conservation policies is highly dependent on fieldwork: key habitats and endangered<br>species need to be identified and located in order to protect them. In Finland, mapping the whereabouts<br>of Siberian flying squirrels, a species strictly protected by the EU Habitats Directive, has become an<br>important part of land use planning and forestry during the past 15 years. In this article, we analyze the<br>fieldwork practices of both professional flying squirrel surveyors and forestry experts who identify and<br>locate flying squirrel habitats. Our focus is on the affective, embodied nature of fieldwork through which<br>flying squirrels come into being. Based on our analysis, we discuss the micropolitics of policy implementation.<br>We point out that although the flying squirrel gets articulated through epistemic standards guiding<br>policy implementation, the animal should also be regarded as an actor in its own right. In particular, the<br>agency of the animal is manifested in its potential to surprise and question the epistemic standards applied<br>in policy implementation. We argue that paying attention to the experience of surprise is crucial because<br>it highlights alternative ways of policy implementation.</p> ER -