On reflection, I think that it is a mistake to presume that what ails the world has much to do with a a lack of empirical knowledge, a shortage of information, or a scarcity of professional, career-oriented scholars. It is likely that we suffer far more from a lack of courage, good-heartedness, creativity, and a larger vision of how we might integrate human societies into natural systems.
-- David Orr
Minnesota Forests
Desired Outcomes:
[as expressed by organizations' and agencies' mission statements]
- Restore native forest ecosystems
- Conserve forest ecosystems and services
- Protect from harmful effects of fire, human activity, invasive species
- Preservation Minnesota forests
- Maintain biodiversity within forests
- Develop sustainable management for various economic uses
- Educate people of forest issues
- Provide a structured education for every Minnesota child
- Develop teachers knowledge and abilities to better educate students
- Teach basic standards of information and skills
- Improve academic achievement
- Assess and hold accountable the progression of individual students' learning
- Educate for life-long learning
What is going wrong:
[mission statements, initiatives, and the like mean well, but often what is preached is not practiced]
"'The Second Paradox of Forestry': the more scientific knowledge we accumulate in our universities, the faster we cut down forests . . . religion and custom as ideologies of resource use are perhaps better adapted to deal with a situation of imperfect knowledge than supposedly 'scientific' resource management" (Gadgil and Guha, 1992 pg. 52; as quoted in David Orr's Earth in Mind)
Despite our accumulation of scientific knowledge about forest ecosystems, it is questionable whether we are better equipped to manage the forests.
"The opposite of love is not hatred, but indifference"
Author Paul Grouchow at one moment smiles upon the wondering and questioning nature of children, and then at the next, mourns the words and actions of adults that scorn questioning and crush wondering children . . . "they will forget the posture of discovery." (Gruchow, 74)
Despite the intent to educate so students engage in life-long learning and questioning, students ask "why do I have to learn this?
Counter-Movements:
[change is always brewing]
The Collaborative Approach
- Place-based Focus
- Integration and Continuity of Collaborative Efforts
Education Reforms
- Place-Based Education, Integrative and Interdisciplinary Curriculums
- Community Service Learning