99th ESA Annual Meeting (August 10 -- 15, 2014)

SYMP 22

CANCELLED - What Can Ecologists Learn from Communities: A Dialogue on Earth Stewardship from the Dual Perspectives of Communities Engaged in Ecology and Ecologists Engaged with Communities

How do ecologists engage with communities is a constant discussion and yet the paradigm is often unbalanced with the ecologists instructing or informing a community and not the reverse. What are the ecological questions that need to be addressed from a community’s point of view? Earth Stewardship is an ethic that “embodies the responsible planning and management of resources where stewardship can be applied to the environment, economics, health, and prosperity”(Wikipedia 2013) or the repositioning of ecological science in society to promote social-ecological change (Felson, Bradford and Terway 2013). However, the dialogue on planning and management is complex with communities and ecologists having different perceptions and ideologies. Here we bring together panelists for a lively and provokative dialogue on perceptions and digressions between communities and ecologists on the issues of climate change, sustainability, and community wellbeing. Panelists represent multiple perspectives on communities, ecology, urban wildlife, and include community activists, a poet, and representatives from federal agencies. We will focus on audience interactions and questions after short presentations on each panelist’s area of expertise. Dr. Nina Roberts, San Francisco State University, a professor of natural resource education and social sciences, will moderate. Questions will focus on the theme of Earth Stewardship through the lens of under-represented audiences and urban communities. Panelists will also discuss ecological issues from perspectives of non-ecologists. These audiences include urban communities across demographic groups, and ethnic minorities more specifically. The goal of this symposium is to introduce community-centered issues as part of the concept of Earth Stewardship that can help inform and engage ecologists