Cornell University Civic Ecology Lab

Through integrating research and outreach, students and faculty working in the lab seek to understand and support community-based stewardship practices such as community forestry, community gardening, coastal cleanups, and watershed restoration. The Civic Ecology Lab is founded on the belief that humans can act to enhance the social-ecological systems of which they are a part.

Our work centers on the role of civic ecology practices in communities facing social and environmental stresses, including those related to climate change and poverty.

We also seek to understand and support learning that occurs through engagement in civic ecology practices — learning about how people in cities and other harsh environments contribute to biological and cultural diversity, ecosystem services, community wellness, adaptive co-management, and more broadly social-ecological systems resilience.