Guest Speaker at Yale University and the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative Webinar

Thanks to everyone at the Northern Rockies Conservation Cooperative, Dr. Susan Clark, Ben Williamson, and Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies for the opportunity to speak with the NRCC community and Yale graduate students during this webinar featuring NRCC Research Associate. It was a wide-ranging conversation covering topics such as fostering conservation ethics in outdoor recreation, the role of environmental education in higher education, and the challenges faced by policymakers living far from the land and the lives of rural people. Check it out here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkEmDE8CrzQ

We had a wonderful, thoughtful discussion centered around the purpose of education and how that typically differs between the humanities and sciences (though at its root, it shouldn’t! Keep reading to understand why.)

We also spent a while mulling over the need for reflective practices at all stages of education and disciplines, and just how to achieve this when self-reflection is often seen as pointless, boujee, and even threatening or scary. No easy answers, but is there anything worthwhile that is? Dr. Clark is an advocate for the policy sciences. This philosophy, often referred to as a meta-framework, helps us navigate complex situations in various ways.

At its root, the policy sciences emphasize the importance of self-reflection in order to recognize our own biases and the premise that, rather than siphoning ourselves into strict disciplines, we need to come together to focus on establishing what is in the interests of the common good. It’s a fascinating approach and worth checking out if you’re working towards paradigm shifts.

Currently, I’m finishing up edits on a collection of Dr. Clark’s essays about where the field of Environmental Studies and Sciences has been and where it can go. If all goes well, you can pick up a copy next spring