Last Haven
Researchers at the University of Oxford, University of Exeter, and the National University of Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine present a new interactive study:
Last Haven: A Citizen Science Project on Nature, Humanity and Difficult Choices
What happens when the last known habitat for an endangered species stands in the way of vital human development? Last Haven, a new interactive study led by researchers at the Department of Psychiatry, funded by NIHR Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre, is examining this dilemma to better understand where people draw the line between nature conservation and human priorities.
The Last Haven project presents participants with different scenarios - imagine the only remaining habitat for tigers is under threat from a lucrative agricultural initiative, or conversely, a hospital being dismantled to create a sanctuary for endangered plants. These hypothetical, thought-provoking cases challenge people to consider their values and beliefs when faced with competing priorities.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/dgh6Y31mRwo?si=j53dVVdtxeK5j7HP
Dr Edmond Awad, Lead Researcher of Last Haven
The trade-offs between conserving endangered species and developing land for human use have real and serious consequences for both nature and for human health and wellbeing. Last Haven explores how people reason through difficult choices using simplified, hypothetical scenarios. By doing this, we aim to understand the underlying values and priorities that shape and drive how people balance human wellbeing and the wellbeing of the natural world.
By exploring these tensions, Last Haven seeks to uncover how individuals and communities weigh ecological preservation against tangible human benefits. The project also raises timely questions about how we, as a society, perceive the value of non-human life in an era marked by climate change and biodiversity loss. It is open to all participants willing to explore how we weigh probabilities, risks, and values when shaping the world for future generations.
Professor Ilina Singh, a Principal Investigator of Last Haven
We have a broad hypothesis that human flourishing and the flourishing of the non-human world are connected, such that the preservation of natural resources is not just good in itself, but good for human mental health and wellbeing. But we don’t think most people have thought through what this means in practice. The Last Haven game tests how people view the interconnection of human and planetary wellbeing – what are they willing to sacrifice; what are they willing to save? In the future, we’ll build on this to identify and understand these underlying drivers and how they manifest in different groups.
To find out more about Last Haven, visit the new website.
Join the Study
It is open to all participants willing to explore how we weigh probabilities, risks, and values when shaping the world for future generations.
Media Resources & Links
Edmond Awad introduces the project in this short video.
or media inquiries, please contact: last-haven-contact@uehiro.ox.ac.uk
Last Haven is part of the ANTITHESES Discovery Research Platform for Transformative Inclusivity in Ethics and Humanities Research funded by the Wellcome Trust [226801].
This project is also supported by the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) Oxford Health Biomedical Research Centre.
