Re: [ECOLOG-L] Permaculture, Ecosystem and Culture Reconciliation, and Higher Education
I An admittedly long rant, but I'm trying to organize my thoughts. I have to agree that permaculture as a design ethic is certainly useful, that it is accessible free or at low cost, and implementable by people at all levels of income (I currently make $1000/month). Certainly it is more readily available and practical to many people than a university education might be. On the other hand I have to agree that advertisements that promise things like “waking up each day with the knowledge that your whole life, including your career, is completely aligned with your deepest passions, desires, principles and values” are definitely appeals to one’s emotions, and that while a permaculture design course may introduce you to a new culture and a new way of thinking about nature, it certainly seems unlikely that it is going to land you a career of any sort, let alone one completely aligned with your deepest passions, other than teaching permaculture. I can speak from experience since I have a permaculture design certificate, as well as a B.S. in conservation biology and, shortly, a M.S. in Environmental Engineering. While permaculture may be lacking in certain “hard science” aspects, my experience has been that permaculture actually does offer specifics. I can’t say the same for all academic research or education, which is often based on generalities and case studies are often reduced to the broadest theories or generic equations, and specifics and actual values removed or considered to be unnecessary details (despite the fact that in a field such as ecological restoration site specifics are incredibly important). With budget cuts and understaffing education is increasingly becoming “we assign the busy work, you figure out how to do it, and we’ll leave the practical stuff for your future job to teach you.” What we lack is real, hands-on practical education, apprenticeship. Blame it on the economy and poor job market if you like, but an education is not enough to get you a job these days, and experience is nearly impossible to come by any other way than through a job (plus a person’s gotta eat). Critical thinking is also woefully undervalued and I have to agree with Robert Jensen (http://www.austinpost.org/university-texas/what-starts-here) and David Orr (Earth in Mind) that universities these days are largely dedicated to maintaining the status quo and churning out more willing workers at the quickest pace possible, well indoctrinated into capitalism, Keynesian economics and corporate personhood, to take their places in the economic machine. At best harnessing their creativity to discover more efficient ways of destroying the environment at the base of all life and economic activity. Reaching the end of my graduate program a professor recently asked me if I thought that the program had been the right choice for me. Well I think the program has its merits I’m not sure that it was the right choice for me. But it’s sort of an unfair question because, after considering graduate school for years I couldn’t find a program anywhere that was really what I wanted. It doesn’t seem to exist. Large scale ecological restoration is what I have always wanted to do. A degree and several internships in natural resources taught me about the wearisome bureaucracy (who considers bull-dozing 30+ years of forest re-growth to scrape out patches of non-native clay in some futile attempt to return the land to “pre-columbian” conditions?) and the depths that ultimately nebulous details can take a person, or project. The work of the likes of John Todd, Paul Stamets, Rufus Chaney, John Liu, Wes Jackson, Janine Benyus, Andy Lipkis and Paul Hawken, and yes, Vandana Shiva, John Mohawk, Masanobu Fukuoka and many others, inspired me beyond words. I wanted a program that could teach me how to use nature’s toolbox to accelerate the healing of landscapes damaged or destroyed by human “culture”, “development”, and “economic activity.” Until we have an interdisciplinary field of knowledge that looks at ecosystem functions and components (species and systems), as well as the hard sciences of chemistry, physics and engineering, with a real investigation of the forces driving the destructive processes, we will be working largely in vain. I have yet to find a program that incorporates all these things with traditional ecological knowledge, and individual and institutional responsibility, not to mention hands-on experience. I like David Orr’s idea that instead of selling off forests and lands in response to budget cuts, universities should be adopting forests, rivers, watersheds and engaging in real, long-term restoration projects where students can truly learn and implement observation, planning, design and technique. While I have certainly had valuable site visits and walking tours during my education, I’ve gotten zero opportunity to do real hands-on restoration work in school (invasive plant removal crews do not count here). Isn’t it
Re: [ECOLOG-L] Food & Forests: Cultivating Resilient Landscapes -- Jan 24-26 - Register Now
I have read some papers on this subject that seemed to be rather "lame" fronts for business-as-usual. Has the Society of Tropical Foresters ferreted out papers of this nature and exposed the authors? I'd like a few examples, and comments from others on just how bad this problem is. WT - Original Message - From: "Max Lambert" To: Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2013 4:55 PM Subject: [ECOLOG-L] Food & Forests: Cultivating Resilient Landscapes -- Jan 24-26 - Register Now On *January 24**th to January 26th*, 2013, the *Yale* *Chapter* of the *International Society of Tropical Foresters* will host a conference titled *Food and Forests: Cultivating Resilient Landscapes*, which will assess the complexities of building equitable and resilient food systems while enabling tropical forest conservation. The conference will commence with a keynote speech delivered by Frances Seymour, the former Director General of CIFOR and will feature a workshop on facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues led by Gary Dunning of The Forest Dialogue. For more information and to register please visit: http://www.yale.edu/istf/and http://forestsandfood.eventbrite.com/. *Please register by January 15**th*. -- Max Lambert MESc Student School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University Fellow, Hixon Center for Urban Ecology 2012-2013 619-990-7242 http://environment.yale.edu/skelly/max.html https://environment.yale.edu/sigs/rana/ - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1430 / Virus Database: 2637/5527 - Release Date: 01/12/13
[ECOLOG-L] Food & Forests: Cultivating Resilient Landscapes -- Jan 24-26 - Register Now
On *January 24**th to January 26th*, 2013, the *Yale* *Chapter* of the *International Society of Tropical Foresters* will host a conference titled *Food and Forests: Cultivating Resilient Landscapes*, which will assess the complexities of building equitable and resilient food systems while enabling tropical forest conservation. The conference will commence with a keynote speech delivered by Frances Seymour, the former Director General of CIFOR and will feature a workshop on facilitating multi-stakeholder dialogues led by Gary Dunning of The Forest Dialogue. For more information and to register please visit: http://www.yale.edu/istf/and http://forestsandfood.eventbrite.com/. *Please register by January 15**th*. -- Max Lambert MESc Student School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale University Fellow, Hixon Center for Urban Ecology 2012-2013 619-990-7242 http://environment.yale.edu/skelly/max.html https://environment.yale.edu/sigs/rana/
Re: [ECOLOG-L] groundwater level, temperature and eletrical conductivity
Stjepan and Ecolog: I'd be interested in all responses to this enquiry. Forestry Suppliers (USA) used to sell (and probably still does) a large-diameter (4-6 inches or a decimeter or so) hand-boring tool that worked well for me in floodplain silts and sands, cutting through roots and large stones, however, might be problematic. I have drilled as deeply as 20 feet, so 5 meters should be no problem. One could probably drill a bit deeper, the main restriction being the weight of the tool. This method is much cheaper than motor-driven units, and better than many of them. If you've got a lot of holes to drill, you may want a motorized unit, but I have found most regular augers unsatisfactory unless they're truck-mounted, thus very expensive. The unit I used had different bit designs for different soils, and the bits made all the difference. If you have any difficulty finding the unit, I will be happy to search out more information for you if you are interested. WT - Original Message - From: "Stjepan Dekanic" To: Sent: Saturday, January 12, 2013 11:08 AM Subject: [ECOLOG-L] groundwater level, temperature and eletrical conductivity Dear Ecologgers, I would like to hear from those of you with experience with groundwater monitoring. I have to install three groundwater monitoring wells up to the depth of 5 meters in a floodplain forest in Istria, Croatia. I have to record groundwater level, temperature and electrical conductivity on hourly resolution. Can you help me identify the best (quality/price) automated groundwater monitoring devices. I could also use your experience on how to proprely bore the well and install the equipment. Thank you, and everything best to all of you in 2013. Stjepan Dekanic Institute for research and development of sustainable ecosystems Zagreb, Croatia - No virus found in this message. Checked by AVG - www.avg.com Version: 10.0.1430 / Virus Database: 2637/5527 - Release Date: 01/12/13
[ECOLOG-L] Summer Field Positions: Restoration of Montane Meadows in the Oregon Cascades
Summer Field Positions: Restoration of Montane Meadows in the Oregon Cascades Description: Field positions are available to assist with vegetation measurements for a large-scale meadow-restoration experiment. We are studying whether tree removal, with or without fire, can reverse the effects of decades to centuries of conifer encroachment of montane meadows in the Oregon Cascades. You will join a team of field researchers (faculty, students, and summer interns) studying various aspects of meadow ecology at Bunchgrass Ridge. For more information about this research program, visit our web site: http://depts.washington.edu/bgridge These positions are best suited to mature, upper-level undergraduates or graduates who are considering advanced study or professional work in ecology or botany. Qualifications: Familiarity with the flora of the Pacific Northwest and the Cascade Range in particular. Ability to recognize or use taxonomic keys to identify meadow and forest species (including grasses and sedges), often from vegetative characteristics alone. Previous experience with vegetation sampling is desirable. We seek individuals who are interested in learning, detail-oriented, responsible, able to spend long hours in the field, and capable of working and living cooperatively with others. Field crews will be based at the H. J. Andrews Experimental Forest (HJA), one of NSF's Long-term Ecological Research Sites: http://andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu/. HJA provides housing, computing, and lab facilities; hosts diverse groups of ecological researchers; and offers easy access to an array of recreational opportunities in the central Cascades. Salary: $13.75 - 15.00/hr, depending upon experience and qualifications Duration: mid June through mid August (a longer assignment may be possible) Closing date: 10 March 2013 To apply, send the following via email to chalp...@uw.edu - cover letter describing interests, experience/qualifications, and dates of availability - names and contact information of those providing letters of reference - resume - two letters of reference sent directly to chalp...@uw.edu For more information contact: Charlie Halpern, Research Professor School of Environmental & Forest Sciences Box 352100 University of Washington Seattle, WA 98195-2100 chalp...@uw.edu
[ECOLOG-L] NSF-REU Opportunity: Andrews LTER/Bunchgrass Ridge
NSF Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Opportunity HJ Andrews Experimental Forest LTER and Bunchgrass Ridge (Oregon) An NSF-REU position is available at the HJ Andrews Long-term Ecological Research (LTER) Site to participate in ecological field studies at Bunchgrass Ridge in the Cascade Range of Oregon. NSF's REU program is designed to engage highly motivated students in ecological research in preparation for graduate study and a career in the environmental sciences. The student selected will spend the summer with a team of researchers (faculty, field staff, and intern) studying the ecology and restoration of high-elevation, conifer-invaded meadows. Descriptions of past and ongoing research at Bunchgrass Ridge can be found on our web site: http://depts.washington.edu/bgridge The student will have an opportunity to train with field staff early in the summer and to develop an independent research project under the supervision of the principal investigators. Possible topic areas include: plant community dynamics, species-environment relationships, invasive species ecology, dynamics of conifer establishment, tree-herb interactions, plant phenology (including flowering and seed production), plant rooting and regenerative strategies. Applicants must be: - in an undergraduate program in a 4-yr institution (through 2013 fall term); preferably Junior/Senior standing - in good academic standing (>3.0 GPA) - enthusiastic, motivated, and responsible - able to work in a team or independently - capable of working long hours in the field Preference will be given to students with interests in plant ecology or restoration ecology. Dates: 10-week period between June and August 2013 (dates flexible) Stipend and others benefits: A stipend of $5,500 is provided for the 10 week period. An additional $1,125 is available to cover lodging costs at HJA ($13/night) or miscellaneous research expenses (e.g., field supplies). Transportation to the field site will be provided during the work week. Additional information about the Andrews LTER program and field station can be found at: http://andrewsforest.oregonstate.edu/ Applications should include: - cover letter describing interests, experiences, and qualifications - resume - copy of college transcripts - names and contact information of two individuals who will write letters of reference - two letters of reference sent directly to chalp...@uw.edu Application should be sent by email to: Charlie Halpern, Research Professor, School of Environmental & Forest Sciences, Box 352100, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195-2100, chalp...@uw.edu Application deadline: 10 March 2013
[ECOLOG-L] groundwater level, temperature and eletrical conductivity
Dear Ecologgers, I would like to hear from those of you with experience with groundwater monitoring. I have to install three groundwater monitoring wells up to the depth of 5 meters in a floodplain forest in Istria, Croatia. I have to record groundwater level, temperature and electrical conductivity on hourly resolution. Can you help me identify the best (quality/price) automated groundwater monitoring devices. I could also use your experience on how to proprely bore the well and install the equipment. Thank you, and everything best to all of you in 2013. Stjepan Dekanic Institute for research and development of sustainable ecosystems Zagreb, Croatia
[ECOLOG-L] 2013 Summer Field Courses in Costa Rica: Ornithology, Entomology, Primate Behavior and Primate Conservation
Tree Field Studies is pleased to announce four new field courses for the coming Summer 2013 season! - Tropical Entomology (Dr. Erica McAlister, Natural History Museum, London) - Tropical Ornithology (Dr. Terry Master, East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania) - Introduction to Primate Behavior & Ecology (Dr. Lorna Joachim, University of New Mexico) - Primate Conservation in the Tropics (Dr. Sarah Carnegie, Science in Schools, Toronto, ON & University of Calgary) Check out our website for more information! http://treefieldstudies.wordpress.com/ Or email us for further details: treefieldstud...@gmail.com
[ECOLOG-L] Groundwater Wetlands Study Group moves to Yahoo
The Groundwater Wetland Study Group will complete its move to the new Yahoo Group on Thursday January 31. There are still a small number of members who have not moved to the new Yahoo site. If these members need assistance in making the move they should contact Tom Baugh at springmounta...@att.net.
