It’s possible that I shall make an ass of myself. But in that case one can always get out of it with a little dialectic. I have, of course, so worded my proposition as to be right either way (K.Marx, Letter to F.Engels on the Indian Mutiny)
The volume documents, and makes an original contribution to, an astonishing period in twentieth-century philosophy-the progress of Arne Naess's ecophilosophy from its inception to the present. It includes Naess's most crucial polemics with leading thinkers, drawn from sources as diverse as scholarly articles, correspondence, TV interviews and unpublished exchanges. The book testifies to the skeptical and self-correcting aspects of Naess's vision, which has deepened and broadened to include third world and feminist perspectives. Philosophical Dialogues is an essential addition to the literature on environmental philosophy.
Ecology, the field of biology devoted to the study of organisms and their natural environments, needs to account for the historical legacy of colonialism that has shaped people and the natural world, researchers argued in a new perspective in the journal Nature Ecology & Evolution.
To make ecology more inclusive of the world's diverse people and cultures living in diverse ecosystems, researchers from University of Cape Town, North West University in South Africa and North Carolina State University proposed five strategies to untangle the impacts of colonialism on research and thinking in the field today.
"There are significant biases in our understanding of ecology and ecosystems because of this colonial framework of thinking," said perspective co-author Madhusudan Katti, associate professor for leadership in public science, and forestry and environmental resources at NC State. "We are challenging ecologists to understand and address the legacies of colonialism, and to start engaging in an active process of 'decolonizing science.'"
The researchers described emerging research documenting impacts of European colonialism - the migration, settlement and exploitation of the Americas, Africa, Asia and other parts of the world by people from Europe - on people and the natural world, and on ecology.
Katti said examples of how ecological research reflects the impact of colonialism include patterns of vegetation in cities that reflect patterns of racial segregation and discrimination, or in the use of names of prominent European scientists or their patrons in the scientific names for bird species and other organisms rather than names used by Indigenous people.
"Indigenous names are often based on observations of behavior or ecology, or represent cultural significance of species, but that traditional ecological knowledge is lost when names are changed," Katti said. "This is bad for both the colonized people and the science of ecology itself."
The researchers challenged the field to address colonial legacies using five strategies:
* Decolonize the mind. Researchers said this should be done by understanding other knowledge systems from colonized cultures.
* Know your history, or understand the history of colonialism in influencing Western ecology, and its role in promoting oppression of other people and in shaping the environment. "Ecology is about organisms living in their ecosystems - that's what we study," Katti said. "If you want to study ecology, that includes people. To understand how people shape ecosystems, we have to understand how political power works. Western ecologists have to acknowledge how science has been aligned with colonial power, and how it has been used to perpetuate systems of oppression that continue to this day."
* Decolonize information. They suggest this should be done by increasing access to academic information, and understanding power dynamics in the way data is owned and disseminated.
* Decolonize expertise by recognizing more diverse voices in the field of ecology.
* Establish diverse and inclusive teams to help overcome biases in future research. "The world is enriched by diverse perspectives," Katti said. "We need scientific teams where everybody is equally empowered to set a robust research agenda, and ensure more robust testing of these ideas. If the person with a different hypothesis is not in the room, then you're never challenged to test and prove their hypothesis, and you're subject to your own bias."
###
The perspective, "Decoloniality and anti-oppressive practices for a more ethical ecology," was published online in Nature Ecology & Evolution on May 24, 2021. It was authored by Katti, Christopher H. Trisos and Jess Auerbach. Trisos acknowledges funding from the National Socio Environmental Synthesis Center under funding received from the National Science Foundation (DBI-1639145) and FLAIR fellowship programme - a partnership between the African Academy of Sciences and Royal Society, funded by the UK Government's Global Challenges Research Fund.
-oleniacz-
Note to editors: The abstract follows.
"Decoloniality and anti-oppressive practices for a more ethical ecology"
Authors: Christopher H. Trisos, Jess Auerbach and Madhusudan Katti.
Published online May 24 in Nature Ecology and Evolution.
Abstract: Ecological research and practice are crucial to understanding and guiding more positive relationships between people and ecosystems. However, ecology as a discipline and the diversity of those who call themselves ecologists have also been shaped and held back by often exclusionary Western approaches to knowing and doing ecology. To overcome these historical constraints and to make ecology inclusive of the diverse peoples inhabiting Earth's varied ecosystems, ecologists must expand their knowledge, both in theory and practice, to incorporate varied perspectives, approaches and interpretations from, with and within the natural environment and across global systems. We outline five shifts that could help to transform academic ecological practice: decolonize your mind; know your histories; decolonize access; decolonize expertise; and practise ethical ecology in inclusive teams. We challenge the discipline to become more inclusive, creative and ethical at a moment when the perils of entrenched thinking have never been clearer.
Friday, May 16, 2025
Ecological Society of America announces recipients of 2025 awards
The Ecological Society of America is pleased to announce the winners of its 2025 awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to ecology in new discoveries, teaching, sustainability, diversity and lifelong commitment to the profession.
Credit: Lori Quillen; Carmen Cid; Ashley Canay Photography; Abraham Galan (Fotonervion); Matthew Becker; Samuel Saarel; Kartik Bhide; Bertrand Le Roncé; Stephan Bernhardt; G. M. L. Dädlow; Stefan Bernhardt; Lori Givens, Central FL Cities; A Meeks; Dustin Angell; Julie M. Sorfleet; Tom Hoctor; Dustin Angell; University of Melbourne
The Ecological Society of America is pleased to announce the winners of its 2025 awards, which recognize outstanding contributions to ecology in new discoveries, teaching, sustainability, diversity and lifelong commitment to the profession.
These awards are designed to not only reward past achievements, but also to inspire a broad audience of scientists, educators and students, opening the door to new insights and collaborations that will further the impact of ecological research.
ESA will present the 2025 awards during a ceremony at the Society’s upcoming Annual Meeting, which will take place in Baltimore, Maryland Aug. 10–15.
Eminent Ecologist Award William H. Schlesinger, President Emeritus, Cary Institute of Ecosystem Studies
The Eminent Ecologist Award honors a senior ecologist for an outstanding body of ecological work or sustained ecological contributions of extraordinary merit. This year’s Eminent Ecologist Award goes to renowned ecologist William H. Schlesinger.
Schlesinger’s work has profoundly advanced our understanding of global element cycles and their ecological dimensions by promoting a synthesis between ecology and other disciplines. He pioneered the integration of biogeochemistry into mainstream ecology and has been a steadfast advocate for science-informed policy, working extensively to communicate with decision-makers and the public.
As an early advocate for global-scale thinking, most of Schlesinger’s research focuses on soils and stored carbon. His empirical and theoretical work on the global carbon cycle encompasses all types of terrestrial ecosystems, including forests, grasslands, savannahs, deserts and wetlands. This resulted in a prolific publication record that includes highly cited works on desertification, carbon sequestration and ecological impacts of climate change. He has also developed global budgets summarizing the sources of atmospheric ammonia (a pollutant), the fate of human-derived nitrogen on land and the global cycles of elements like boron, lithium and arsenic.
In addition to his research, Schlesinger is a staunch advocate for science communication, and his career exemplifies a commitment to integrating high-caliber science with public engagement and science policy advocacy. His outreach initiatives such as the “EarthWise” radio spot and the “Citizen Scientist” blog show his talents in making connections across the breadth of ecological science and speaking to diverse audiences.
Schlesinger’s work has earned him many honors, including election as a member of the National Academy of Sciences and as a fellow of the American Geophysical Union, the Soil Science Society of America, the American Association for the Advancement of Science and ESA. He has mentored many students and scientists who now hold key roles in academia, national laboratories, government facilities and industry. With his guidance, research teams ask grand questions and take intellectual risks that push the boundaries of ecological understanding. And finally, his leadership roles, including serving as ESA President and contributing to significant scientific committees, underscore his legacy and impact on the ecological community.
Distinguished Service Citation Carmen R. Cid, Dean of Arts and Sciences and Emerita Professor, Department of Biology, Eastern Connecticut State University
Carmen R. Cid is the recipient of the 2025 Distinguished Service Citation, which recognizes long and distinguished volunteer service to ESA, the scientific community and the larger purpose of ecology in the public welfare. As an active member of ESA for 45 years, Cid has co-created, implemented, and advised every ESA diversity and education initiative while creating strategic links to national diversity in ecology and higher education networks.
Cid is a Cuban-American forest and wetland ecologist who has dedicated her career to using her educational, research, administrative and fundraising talents to make ecology careers accessible and meaningful to all students. As a respected ecology educator and later the Dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Eastern Connecticut State University, she advocated for ecology education, promoting sustainability across the curriculum and career readiness initiatives to prepare graduates for the environmental workforce. Unwaveringly, she has been a leader in fostering opportunities to bring underrepresented students into the sciences.
In 1991, Cid was appointed the founding Chair of the ESA Women and Minorities in Ecology Committee, and also wrote significant portions of the first ESA strategic plan for diversity and education initiatives, including outlining the SEEDS program. As founding Chair of the current ESA Diversity Committee, she helped implement the first three years of the ESA Excellence in Ecology Scholars program, developing strategic guidelines for meeting the career development needs of ESA’s diverse members.
In addition to being an ESA Fellow since 2017, since 2020 Cid has been Co-PI to the Undergraduate Network for Increasing Diversity of Ecologists (UNIDE), linking ESA’s Four-Dimensional Ecology Education curricular framework — which she helped develop — to UNIDE’s culturally-responsive pedagogy efforts. Her ongoing service highlights the importance of ecological science and, by her example, the importance of ESA and its members in providing ecological information, grounded in excellent science, for the public benefit.
Eugene P. Odum Award for Excellence in Ecology Education Luanna B. Prevost, Associate Professor, Department of Integrative Biology, University of South Florida
Odum Award recipients demonstrate their ability to relate basic ecological principles to human affairs through teaching, outreach and mentoring activities. This year’s Odum Award for Excellence in Ecology Education is presented to Luanna B. Prevost, an Associate Professor in the Department of Integrative Biology at the University of South Florida (USF).
Prevost’s research is focused on improving biology and ecology education through examining student conceptual understanding and faculty teaching practices. She has led several faculty professional development initiatives, including faculty mentoring networks and workshops on improving ecology education at the ESA Annual Meeting and other conferences. Prevost is committed to broadening participation in ecology and in STEM more broadly through her involvement with the UNIDE network, an NSF “Scholarship in STEM” (S-STEM) program at USF and the ESA SEEDS Program. Additionally, she leads opportunities for high school teacher and student participation in ecology and other sciences as Site Director of the Amgen Biotech Experience Tampa and through biodiversity field experiences.
Prevost has been at the forefront of ESA’s recent efforts to transform ecology education. She has served as a founding member and Chair of ESA’s 4DEE Subcommittee and as a member of the ESA Education Committee. Through her dedication and extensive work — including organizing conference sessions, publishing on assessment of student learning, leading community-engaged learning partnerships, and mentoring and teaching — she is an inspiring ecology educator who exemplifies all of the attributes expected of a recipient of the Odum Award.
Robert H. Whittaker Distinguished Ecologist Award Monsterrat Vilà, Professor, Department of Conservation Biology and Global Change, Doñana Biological Station
The Whittaker Distinguished Ecologist award recognizes an ecologist with an earned doctorate and an outstanding record of contributions in ecology who is not a U.S. citizen and who resides outside the United States. The 2025 recipient of this award is Monsterrat Vilà, one of the most influential plant scientists in the field of invasion ecology, shaping our current understanding of invasive species impacts, risk assessment and the influence of climate change in driving invasions worldwide.
Vilà completed her postdoctoral work at the University of California, Berkeley where she became fascinated by the ecology of invasive plant species. She has been working on biological invasions ever since, primarily focusing on their impacts on nature, ecosystem services and human well-being. Vilà’s research continues to advance our collective understanding of how invasive species disrupt native ecosystems and she has developed methods to create more accurate risk assessments for managing biological invasions, thereby enhancing global biodiversity conservation.
With more than 230 publications, 40 book chapters and more than 50,000 citations, Vilà’s extraordinary academic record is matched only by her service contributions. She has led NeoBiota — the European Working Group on Biological Invasions — for more than a decade, and has served in editorial roles at numerous journals, in addition to authoring Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) chapters. Vilà is also member of the Scientific Forum of the European Regulation on Alien Invasive Species and the Scientific Advisory Board of the Spanish National Research Council. She previously served on other panels at the European Research Council and at the Spanish Research Agency. Vilà’s efforts have been both enormous and critical for the advancement of invasion ecology.
Commitment to Human Diversity in Ecology Award Nicole M. Colón Carrión, Program Associate, My Access to Network Opportunities (MANO) Project, Hispanic Access Foundation
The Commitment to Human Diversity in Ecology Award recognizes long-standing contributions of an individual toward increasing the diversity of future ecologists through mentoring, teaching or outreach. Nicole Colón Carrión is the winner of this year’s award in recognition of her dedication to developing future leaders in agricultural sciences, conservation and ecology.
A forest ecologist and plant pathologist, Colón Carrión conducted her graduate studies on the effects of climate change on plant-fungal interactions in forest and agricultural ecosystems. More recently, she leads plant pathology projects, optimizes resource allocation and contributes to patent development in industry. Beyond research, she has championed STEM outreach and workforce development, mentoring students and early-career professionals to bridge science, industry and community engagement in sustainable agriculture and conservation.
Colón Carrión’s dedication to mentorship and community engagement reflect her commitment to increasing human diversity in ecology. She has created multiple pathways for underrepresented communities in ecology through programs like Líderes Boricuas en Ciencias Agrícolas, which supports students at the University of Puerto Rico with professional development and leadership training. Her initiative Micología en Ruedas has brought fungal ecology education directly to high school students across Puerto Rico, making ecological science accessible to diverse audiences.
As Vice President of Ciencia en tus Manos, Colón Carrión has expanded science communication in Spanish and created the “Desde los Zapatos de un Boricua en STEM” program to highlight Puerto Rican STEM role models. In her current role at the Hispanic Access Foundation’s MANO Project, she manages 20 interns in a variety of federal agencies, creating a direct pipeline for underrepresented groups into ecology careers. Through her mentorship, outreach and advocacy, Colón Carrión has shaped the future of ecology by ensuring that it is more inclusive and accessible to all.
George Mercer Award Lynette H. L. Loke and Ryan A. Chisholm
The George Mercer Award was established in 1948 and is awarded annually for an outstanding ecological research paper published within the past two years by a younger researcher (the lead author of the paper must be 40 years of age or younger at the time of publication).
The paper recognized by this year’s award advances our understanding of the effects of immigration on species coexistence in intertidal communities. Previous theories suggested that niches will dictate the maximum numbers of species that can coexist in a community, and that only very slow arrival of new species will keep communities from reaching this maximum. Loke and Chisholm conducted an extensive field experiment with a novel community assembly design to manipulate immigration rates, then went further by combining these results with a model to test alternative hypotheses for community assembly.
Using a new theory, the authors showed that the number of niches in a habitat sets a low floor rather than a high ceiling on the number of coexisting species — and that there appears to be no ceiling at all if new species arrive rapidly enough. The results support the view that most species coexist transiently, not stably, and that coexistence is maintained by ongoing immigration.
Deftly integrating field experiments with clear hypotheses and mathematical modeling, this study provides novel insights into an ecological question that has been debated for decades. The results of the paper advance our understanding of the forces structuring ecological communities, and the authors combine theory and empirical evidence in a creative and exceptionally well-written way.
W.S. Cooper Award Matthias Grenié, Emilio Berti, Juan D. Carvajal‐Quintero, Gala Mona Louise Dädlow, Alban Sagouis and Marten Winter
William S. Cooper was a pioneer of physiographic ecology and geobotany, with a particular interest in the influence of historical factors — such as glaciations and climate history — on the pattern of contemporary plant communities. The Cooper Award thus honors the authors of an outstanding publication in the field of geobotany, physiographic ecology, plant succession or the distribution of plants along environmental gradients.
The authors systematically categorized and reviewed taxonomic databases as well as software for accessing and reconciling them with one another, generated an app for users to explore and compare these tools and provided best-use guidelines for taxonomic harmonization. Their work has proven incredibly useful for studies evaluating changes in species distributions over space and time and will continue to strengthen the fields of geographic botany, plant succession and the distribution of organisms across environmental gradients.
The synthesis of big data has become critical for addressing important ecological questions. However, species names often differ across databases, and linking information about species among databases is fraught with issues. The authors’ tremendous work to overcome these issues has already had an impressive impact and has been cited an average of 24 times per year. Their paper symbolizes the shift in ecology toward using big data to address important ecological questions, and is a great service to the field.
Sustainability Science Award Joshua H. Daskin, Angeline N. Meeks, Vivienne L. Sclater, Julie M. Sorfleet, Jon Oetting, Thomas S. Hoctor, Joseph M. Guthrie and Hilary M. Swain
The Sustainability Science Award recognizes the authors of the scholarly work that makes the greatest contribution to the emerging science of ecosystem and regional sustainability through the integration of ecological and social sciences. This year’s award is given to the authors of “Marshaling science to advance large landscape conservation,” published in Conservation Science and Practice Aug. 27, 2024, for their groundbreaking contribution to sustainability science.
This research team has demonstrated the transformative power of actionable science in preserving the 18-million-acre Florida Wildlife Corridor, one of the world’s most ambitious habitat connectivity projects. By combining rigorous research with innovative tools like the Florida Circuit Model and by fostering partnerships with landowners, government agencies, corporations and nongovernmental organizations, their work has contributed to the permanent protection of over 191,000 acres and the allocation of $2.3 billion in state funding. Their efforts serve as a model for co-produced science that inspires impactful conservation outcomes.
The article highlights a trifecta of critical approaches to conservation action: “Documenting the Development Threat,” “Prioritizing the Corridor” and “Communicating and Convening Science.” The team has lifted conservation prioritization to a new level, enabling local governments and nongovernmental organizations to make land-use decisions backed by data. This model has been instrumental for organizations such as The Nature Conservancy and the Florida Wildlife Corridor Foundation for their planning of conservation areas and promoting innovative development practices. Moreover, the team’s dedication to effective science communication and collaboration has ensured the practical application of their findings. Their cross-organizational cartographic standards, educational outreach and workshops have united stakeholders under a shared vision of sustainability.
Forrest Shreve Research Award Taylor R. Pichler, M.S. student, Department of Fish, Wildlife and Conservation Ecology, New Mexico State University
Forrest Shreve was an internationally known American botanist devoted to the study of the distribution of vegetation as determined by soil and climate conditions, with a focus on desert vegetation. The Forrest Shreve Research Award supplies $1,000–2,000 to support ecological research by graduate or undergraduate student members of ESA in the hot deserts of North America (Sonora, Mohave, Chihuahua and Vizcaino).
Taylor R. Pichler is selected to receive this year’s Forrest Shreve Student Research Award for his work studying the interactive effects of bats and arthropods on shrub encroachment dynamics in the Chihuahuan Desert.
Pichler is a wildlife ecology master’s student at New Mexico State University. His current research focuses on whether bat predation of plant-eating insects and other arthropods affects rates of shrub encroachment in the Jornada Basin Long-Term Ecological Research site in the northern Chihuahuan Desert, where grassland is converting to shrubland. He plans to construct custom ultraviolet light traps to measure arthropods and employ acoustic monitoring to track bats across grass- and shrub-dominated sites. This work will generate novel data and improve our understanding of the food webs and dominant ecological drivers in the rapidly changing habitats of America’s deserts.
2024 Annual Meeting Student Awards
Murray F. Buell Award for Excellence in Ecology Award Larissa S. Saarel, M.S. student, Department of Biology, Missouri State University
Murray F. Buell had a long and distinguished record of service and accomplishment in the Ecological Society of America, and he ascribed great importance to the participation of students in meetings and to excellence in the presentation of papers.
This year’s Murray F. Buell Award for Excellence in Ecology, which is awarded to a student each year for an outstanding oral paper presented at the ESA Annual Meeting, goes to Larissa S. Saarel for her 2024 ESA presentation titled, “Reproductive ecology and movement patterns of Staurotypus triporcatus in Belize.”
A passionate researcher, Saarel possesses a curiosity for studying elusive species and uncovering the hidden aspects of their behavior. Her research touches on reproductive and spatial ecology, with a strong focus on projects related to environmental change and conservation practices. Saarel’s talk shared her thesis research at Missouri State University, in which she studied imperiled Northern Giant Musk Turtles (Staurotypus triporcatus) in central Belize. Examining a population of female S. triporcatus, she linked patterns of the turtles’ reproduction and movement to the seasonality of Belize’s distinct wet and dry seasons, as well as to environmental changes such as flooding.
Saarel is recognized for the depth and rigor of her research, including high-quality remote field work. Her field studies impressively linked basic ecological research on freshwater turtles to applied, actionable conservation outcomes, while combining work with local communities, intensive field monitoring in remote locations and lab analyses.
Lucy Braun Award for Excellence in Ecology Award Gayatri Anand, Ph.D. student, Department of Biology, University of Maryland
Lucy Braun, an eminent plant ecologist and one of the charter members of the Society, studied and mapped the deciduous forest regions of eastern North America and described them in her classic book, The Deciduous Forests of Eastern North America.
To honor her, the E. Lucy Braun Award for Excellence in Ecology is given to a student for an outstanding poster presentation at the ESA Annual Meeting. Papers and posters are judged on the significance of ideas, creativity, quality of methodology, validity of conclusions drawn from results and clarity of presentation.
Gayatri Anand is the recipient of the E. Lucy Braun Award for her poster presentation at the 2024 Annual Meeting titled, “PKDE: A new technique for population range estimation from animal tracking data.”
A spatial ecologist who uses quantitative approaches to study animal movement using tracking data, Anand shared a novel method to estimate more accurate population range sizes of a variety of animals, such as grizzly bears, lowland tapirs and bobcats. The work she presented impressively combined modeling, simulations and validation with field-collected data. Her findings convincingly demonstrated that the new approach not only works; it improves upon previous methods that are sensitive to sample size and may underestimate animals’ population ranges.
###
Learn more about the upcoming ESA Annual Meeting, August 10–15, on the meeting website. ESA invites press and institutional public information officers to attend for free. To register, please contact ESA Public Affairs Manager Mayda Nathan directly at mayda@esa.org.
The Ecological Society of America, founded in 1915, is the world’s largest community of professional ecologists and a trusted source of ecological knowledge, committed to advancing the understanding of life on Earth. The 8,000 member Society publishes six journals and a membership bulletin and broadly shares ecological information through policy, media outreach, and education initiatives. The Society’s Annual Meeting attracts 4,000 attendees and features the most recent advances in ecological science. Visit the ESA website at https://www.esa.org.
There are two great streams of environmentalism in the latter half of the twentieth century. One stream is reformist, attempting to control some of the worst of the air and water pollution and inefficient land use practices in industrialized nations and to save a few of
the remaining pieces of wild lands as "designated wilderness areas."
The other stream supports many of the reformist goals but is revolutionary, seeking a new metaphysics, epistemology, cosmology, and environmental ethics of person/planet. This paper is an intellectual archaeology of the second of these streams of environmentalism, which I will call deep ecology.
There are several other phrases that some writers are using for the perspective I am describing in this paper. Some call it "eco-philosophy" or "foundational ecology" or the "new natural philosophy." I use "deep ecology" as the shortest label. Although I am convinced that deep ecology is radically different from the perspective of the dominant social paradigm, I do not use the phrase "radical ecology" or "revolutionary ecology" because I think those labels have such a burden of emotive associations that many people would not hear what is being said about deep ecology because of their projection of other meanings of "revolution" onto the perspective of deep ecology.
I contend that both streams of environmentalism are reactions to the successes and excesses of the implementation of the dominant social paradigm. Although reformist environmentalism treats some of the symptoms of the environmental crisis and challenges some of the assumptions of the dominant social paradigm (such as growth of the economy at any cost), deep ecology questions the fundamental premises of the dominant social paradigm. In the future, as the limits of reform are reached and environmental problems become more serious, the reform environmental movement will have to come to terms with deep ecology.
The analysis in the present paper was inspired by Arne Naess' paper on "shallow and deep, long-range" environmentalism.'1 The methods used are patterned after John Rodman's seminal critique of the resources conservation and development movement in the United States.2 The data are the writings of a diverse group of thinkers who have been developing a theory of deep ecology, especially during the last quarter of a century. Relatively few of these writings have appeared in popular journals or in books published by mainstream publishers. I have searched these writings for common threads or themes much as Max Weber searched the sermons of Protestant ministers for themes which reflected from and back to the intellectual and social crisis of the emerging Protestant ethic and the spirit of capitalism.' 3 Several questions are addressed in this paper: What are the sources of deep ecology? How do the premises of deep ecology differ from those of the dominant social paradigm? What are the areas of disagreement between reformist environmentalism and deep ecology? What is the likely future role of the deep ecology movement?
*Thanks and acknowledgement to George Sessions, Philosophy Department, Sierra College, Rocklin, California. His sympathetic support and ideas made it possible to develop and deepen many of the ideas expressed in this paper.
**Professor of Sociology, Humboldt State University, Arcata, California 95521. An extensive discussion of "Reformist Environmentalism" written by Professor Devall was published in the Fall/Winter 1979 issue of the Humboldt Journal of Social Relations. This is available from the Dept. of Sociology, Humboldt State University.
1. Naess, The Shallow and the Deep, Long-Range Ecology Movement, 16 INQUIRY 95
(1973).
2. J. Rodman, Four Forms of Ecological Consciousness: Beyond Economics, Resource
Conservation, (1977) Pitzer College.
3. M. WEBER, THE PROTESTANT ETHIC AND THE SPIRIT OF CAPITALISM
(1930)
Photograph Source: Petty Officer 2nd Class Kegan Kay – Public Domain
Human ecology education is a transformative program that focuses on the interplay between humans and our human ecosystem. It is an interdisciplinary educational field that combines physical and psycho-social life skills, including daily life skills, social presentation and protocol, cultural differences, and ethical decision-making, to develop positive relationships for living in our world.
By first teaching the science and responsibilities of caring for each life, human ecology education empowers individuals to build collective human sustainability. Because the lessons are lived daily, the healthy rhythms and habits of life within family and community are learned, repeated in different contexts, shared for life, and naturally inherited by the next generation, making the impact of human ecology educational programs exponential and generationally ongoing.
Human ecology education emphasizes reciprocal influence and interdependence—the “we, us, and our” of our lives. It enables us to identify with others as fellow humans, rather than just their characteristics, such as race, age, height, gender, or ethnicity. It goes beyond self-focused professional education by considering human relationships in the context of the other sixteen hours of the day.
To quote Anna Trupiano, writing for the Michigan Daily, “The fact of the matter is, nothing truly prepares us for college, and a lot of us end up ‘winging it’ just as I have. And once we’re in college, we are met with the same dilemma—college doesn’t equip us for the rest of our lives.”
A continuous K-12, age-related human ecology program equips students to transition to adulthood with the maturity and skills to live independently while navigating complex social systems at all scales. Graduates will have learned precisely what sharing means and how and why it ultimately benefits them, and they will know how to be self-sufficient and resilient as they face changes in their life stages, unforeseen events, or when personal or local resources diminish.
Evolution of Human Ecology Education
The roots of human ecology education can be traced back to the early Bildung folk education movements in Europe, which share common roots with many human-centered social and political movements worldwide. In 1862, during the early years of the Lincoln administration and the Agricultural Age in America, the Morrill Act was passed. This act traded federal land for the establishment of new state colleges, which offered instruction in agriculture, what came to be known as home economics, and other subjects.
Subsequently, mandatory home economics programs were introduced in the lower grades in public schools for girls, as were the industrial and technological courses for boys. As the Western states developed, the Act enabled homesteaders and rural residents to acquire essential life skills and crop information for achieving self-sufficiency. In the Bildung tradition, practical home economics lessons evolved to include social skills, finance, and civic participation.
Then, in a history-changing moment, during the 1940s, an American, Myles Horton, having become familiar with Danish Bildung education in Europe, established the Highlander School, a folk school in Tennessee, to teach the concepts of the Bildung social agency and empowerment. There, many of the future civil rights leaders of the South, such as Martin Luther King and Rosa Parks, developed their initial ideas of nonviolent protests for civil rights; they learned how to use their personal agency for public social progress, much like the European peasant class had done in Europe. For two centuries, spreading from Denmark, the Scandinavian countries have prioritized this education in their public schools. They also consistently rank at the top of global national happiness and well-being ratings.
The lessons build trust in personal agency, generate empowerment, and drive confidence in moving forward and taking constructive action. Learning in a diverse group environment, such as a school, fosters collective trust and long-term community resilience. As Fortune 500 coach Peggy Klaus writes in her 2008 book, The Hard Truth About Soft Skills, “Soft skills encompass personal, social, communication, and self-management behaviors. They cover a wide spectrum of abilities and traits: being self-aware, trustworthiness, conscientiousness, adaptability, critical thinking, attitude, initiative, empathy, confidence, integrity, self-control, organizational awareness, likability, influence, risk taking, problem solving, leadership, time management, and then some.”
The Gender Thing
Although women have made significant gains throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, the gender roles in home economics and agriculture remain essentially unchanged from those of the Agricultural Age. Even though improvements in health (both physical and mental), sanitation, and life span for all people occurred when home economics education was required for girls, the gender disparity between home and work that disadvantaged women earlier still exists today. This is made clear in the World Economic Forum’s Global Gender Gap Report 2024.
Home economics remained an “only girls” program until the 1970s and 80s, then diminished as women worked outside the home and rebelled against the “stir and stitch” image of the unpaid, homebound “happy housewife.” However, as women entered professions by choice or necessity, the quality of home life, health, and household management suffered for many families. Men, focused on their professional lives, were not inclined to share the unpaid workload. Children have paid the price.
In the 1970s and 1980s, Home Economics programs were removed from schools, and their classrooms and funding were redirected to new technology labs in an act of educational eminent domain. Alas, it was an era when administrators were predominantly male. Thereafter, whether cause or correlation, more families began to fragment, child care became a national problem, and more children became physically and mentally disadvantaged.
We are now in the second generation since home, family, and living education were eliminated from schools. We see the fallout in erroneous beliefs about sustaining health, like vaccinating, obesity statistics, shorter life spans, and child depression and violence. The U.S. lags behind other advanced nations in its citizens’ mental and physical health, poverty rates, and life expectancy. Unfortunately, these losses are more impactful because now, society is more complex and challenging. Many fall behind by default. Only recently has personal financial literacy regained some traction in elementary and secondary schools. In the U.S., we follow the money first.
Cornell University met these challenges by developing its human ecology program to rectify this missing life and living education. It also broadened the discipline to address 21st-century human challenges, including limited resources, a growing income disparity, and climate adaptation. Essentially, Cornell combined the practical living knowledge of Home Economics with the self-actualization of Bildung education. They utilized Home Economics’ foundational physical and home health content, and added more interdisciplinary pedagogy in sociology and psychology to address the realities of urbanization and increased population diversity.
Human ecology education is scarce at all levels of the U.S. education system. The Society for Human Ecology recognizes only 43 colleges and universities in the country for their programs, and few of those have departments explicitly named “Human Ecology.” At the secondary level, human ecology is only offered in two public high schools—Syosset and Niskayuna, both in New York—and at Cornell University. While several private schools and international institutions include human ecology content under other titles, one U.S. college, the College of the Atlantic in Maine, considers it so essential to human life that it offers just one major: Human Ecology.
Key Values of Human Ecology Education
Abraham Maslow identifies and prioritizes the stages of shared human needs in his pyramid chart, the “Hierarchy of Needs.” This chart illustrates the human life stages and how each stage corresponds to human growth, from basic life needs to professional esteem and accomplishment, culminating in self-actualization.
While Maslow faced some criticism for how cultural differences influence the hierarchy sequence, human ecology education programs, culturally tailored to fit, provide the ideal vehicle for accomplishing the stages in Maslow’s learning pyramid, from self-sufficiency and resilience to social integration, esteem, and personal empowerment. This sequence is particularly important when applied to children.
Human ecology education guides students through all the complex physical and psycho-social development elements before graduation and adulthood, like navigating social systems, resource management, professional growth, and social ethics. It provides the life knowledge needed at each stage and develops commonly shared social perceptions early on that help bind communities together in adulthood. For each individual, human ecology programs serve as a buffer against the lifetime stress that builds from disadvantage and/or discrimination, leading to health problems and long-term care needs.
Like a ship’s rudder, human ecology education helps students develop an internal decision-making framework during their formative years. In early grades, the focus is on meeting individual needs, such as the knowledge and skills needed for food, clothing, and shelter, to ensure personal health and safety. These are called ‘negative needs’ since we cannot survive without them, but we don’t think about them when they are met.
Human ecology lessons, encompassing both the physical life skills that meet basic needs and the ‘soft’ psycho-social skills, are experiential, allowing students to see and feel the benefits realistically. The classroom and lab activities instill teamwork and spark students’ interest in science, math, economics, and human health. Each sequential course becomes more complex as students mature, their world widens, and they transition to adulthood.
Several organizations offer curricula that help individuals navigate the human ecosystem and develop critical skills, ranging from home and family survival to social mobility and environmental preservation. Examples include Learning Mole, Notes From a Kitchen, and Teach Simple for survival and quality of life skills, ARISE Foundation for social mobility skills, and PBS Learning Media, which is excellent for helping with the great outdoors and climate resilience.
As young adults, students emerge from high schools with human ecology programs resilient and able to recognize opportunities, know where to seek resources, intelligently weigh the pros and cons, and distinguish between short-term and long-term goals. They understand cause and effect, accept responsibility, and welcome change while maintaining their integrity and that of their families. Knowledge of time and task management, consumer protection, law, finance, health, housing, communication, transportation, and navigating our complex state and national social systems is critical for independent living at any age in this multicultural, transitional world. It’s complicated.
These are complex areas of life with high risks; that’s why, beginning early, each person needs formal education on how to navigate their way through this stormy human sea. The alternative, depending on social osmosis or trial and error, is simply dysfunctional. Because many young people lack this life education, more are failing to “launch” their lives. It is often impossible to make up for lost progress later.
Community college human ecology courses are life-savers for first-year students without a K-12 human ecology education, who may be on the doorstep of living alone. New CC students are more likely to be from marginalized groups, complex urban environments, or lower-income levels; many are single parents, new immigrants, formerly institutionalized, veterans, or are simply eighteen and on their own for the first time. These students must quickly learn how to assimilate, become independent, and plan a new life as they transition into a broader, unfamiliar culture to find a future.
The State of Human Ecology Education
Human ecology education, whether via the school of hard knocks or by educational design, is integral to everyone’s success. However, there are problems: First, if offered in higher education, it is usually considered a psycho-social discipline and is fiercely guarded in those departments; therefore, practical life skills are not included. What could be less intellectual than learning to read a food label, for instance, a key lesson, or how to comprehend a lease, or select a health insurance plan to prevent medical bankruptcy, a significant cause of bankruptcies?
Leaving out that content abandons its Home Economics foundation and implies someone else will be at home dealing with those inescapable tasks responsible for good health and sanctuary. That higher education program planning mistake creates hardships for our society, where 30 to 50 percent of people live alone, depending on age.
Secondly, since college students often lack the life skills they should have acquired in elementary and secondary schools, it generates a list of problems for college presidents, including low attendance, decreasing state funding, declining transfer and graduation rates, and costly student support programs, loans, food programs, crisis counseling, and campus crime. Inexplicably, little is on their list for preventing these problems and teaching students how to live independently, stay healthy, and remain resilient and on track.
Although college presidents recognize that teaching is part of their mission, many devote institutional resources to research and career development. Every college or university should require all freshman students, regardless of age, to complete human ecology coursework to graduate or transfer. Human ecology education is life insurance, literally. Incorporating math, English, science, and economics into daily life experiences provides a foundation for and increases comprehension of those academic requirements.
The college problem list, without human ecology, would be tolerable if colleges and universities reached below themselves and supported teaching human ecology in elementary and secondary schools to prevent personal failure, and prepare for college success and independent living. For example, they could train more human ecology teachers, offer in-service human ecology programs for teachers in related disciplines, and expand existing programs to include knowledge of life and living.
The third problem indicating the need for human ecology for all is that those who struggle the most with independent living and homelessness are men. This demographic has traditionally prioritized the value of professional or trade skills over life skills. Claudia Goldin, an economist at Harvard who won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2023, has made gender equity on the home front the focus of her economic research, proving that daily self-sufficiency is a human social and economic necessity, not a gender-based cultural habit. This disconnect, the lack of the skills to meet personal needs, is a causal factor in male crime, violence, and homeless statistics, as well as low graduation rates, shorter life spans, obesity, and increasing health problems.
Colleges do not mandate human ecology as essential to every college education because most believe their schools exist solely for professional education, not personal development. This is the gender thing again from previous eras of female subjugation in which all things regarding personal life practiced at home were unpaid, taught by Mom, or suitable only for the lower grades. However, giving birth does not qualify one to manage a household or raise children, and lower grades no longer offer life education, not since the 1980s. Now, with no one at home, professional child care costs often equal or exceed many mortgage payments, and frequently do not provide a good example of resilience or a positive family life.
There are also problems in the lower grades. They face barriers like limited resources, no time, resistance to change, lack of trained teachers, and the same old gender stereotyping, all of which prevent students from transitioning successfully into adulthood.
As we confront climate change and environmental losses, the need to prevent social and ecological decline through personal education is no longer optional. Preventive education is the long-term, bottom-up approach that is the best choice before facing life’s difficulties. Treatment later to save lives is undoubtedly a needed intervention. Still, it is, by definition, a short-term, top-down triage action. It does not stop problems like homelessness or the growing number of people who are burdened for life with adverse childhood experiences (ACDs) because they lack the childhood care needed to meet health and safety needs.
Nationally, there are additional benefits. Human ecology education provides essential adaptation skills as climate disasters become more frequent and costly. Few states require even basic climate science education, and those that do often overlook the importance of personal climate adaptation skills. Additionally, as we struggle with political fragmentation and a growing income disparity, understanding and acknowledging that all people share similar human needs through human ecology education helps unite voters.
That understanding ties generations and cultures together, building a cohesive nation. Imagine the possibilities for saving lives, preserving nature, and conserving community resources if all local public schools taught students, in realistic and practical terms, how to sustain and share community and cultural resources. The time has come to empower all people with the knowledge and skills they need to thrive in the 21st century.
This article features excerpts previously published in the chapter“Education and Its Foundational Value for Transforming Society” by Sandra Ericson from What It Takes to be Human, edited by Lene Rachel Andersen (Nordic Bildung, 2024). This article was produced for the Observatory by the Independent Media Institute.
Sandra Ericson is an author and retired educator. She chaired the Consumer Arts and Science Department at City College of San Franciscofor nearly three decades.
