Research
Civic ecology research
Members of the Civic Ecology Lab seek to understand learning, stewardship, and resilience in stressed communities. We are particularly interested in cases where people self-organize to steward nature and community through civic ecology practices such as climate action, community gardening, litter cleanups, habitat restoration, friends of parks groups, and environmental advocacy.
Online learning research
We also explore how online learning communities support environmental and education professionals and volunteers in critically reflecting on, enhancing, and scaling up the impact of their practices. This research is guided by the belief that we can empower environmental stewards, activists, and educators to expand their impacts. We support environmental citizens from around the world through our online “courses for a cause.” Through a series of social norm, social accountability, network, and other social influence interventions, we seek to improve local stewardship and education practices during and after our online courses.
Global sustainability partnerships
By forming partnerships with nonprofits, civic ecology stewards, sustainability educators, and environmental leaders around the world, we seek to understand what facilitates sustainability practices, as well as their meaning and outcomes for individuals, communities, the environment, governance, social movements, as well as their role in mitigation of, adaptation to, and transformation in the face of the climate, biodiversity, and democracy crisis.
Research informing practice
We apply the results of our scholarship to expand the impact of civic ecology practices and global online learning communities, and to build support for local stewardship and educational practices among the academic, government, private, and non-profit sectors.