VISION 3: STIMULATING CULTURAL CHANGES FOR A FORWARD-LOOKING AND INTERNATIONAL ECOLOGY John Cybulski Kevin Hollock Aaron Hollenbeck Alfonso Laveglia Melissa Peterson Prepared for BIO Ecology at Wilkes University 1 October 2004

Area A  The issue being addressed in this area deals with interdisciplinary collaboration and solving emerging environmental problems  In order to facilitate successful collaborations the proper funding programs, mechanisms, and training will be needed.  By pairing social scientists with environmental scientists, interdisciplinary collaborations are becoming more successful through the promotion of training in collaborative processes.

Action 1  CC Action 1. Create resources that will help ecologists and their collaborators work together more effectively.

 CC 1a. Organize a working group composed of environmental scientists and social scientists to publish a “primer” for successful collaboration. The guide would be used to educate the community at large and serve as an important resource for new collaborations.  CC 1b. Develop a leadership program that focuses on issues of collaboration among applied and social scientists, and policy makers.

Action 2  CC Action 2. Stimulate proactive changes in flagship ecological journals and in meeting symposia.

Action 3  CC Action 3. Converse a meeting of key leaders (National Academy or Royal Society level) in research, management, and business to develop a plan for enhancing the rewards systems for those who exercise leadership in the environmental sciences and those who foster novel scientific collaborations.

Area B Broaden the human and disciplinary dimensions of ecology.

What role does the ESA play Internationally?  16% of its members are non-U.S. residents  78 countries are represented  Only half of the members are academic ecologists

What is the focus of Area B?  By having ecological researchers, managers, practitioners, and businesses work collaboratively  More importantly have these collaborations working together across borders  Example, EUCC

How can ecology change the way businesses think?  Businesses have learned that the Earth’s resources are finite and that sustainability is good for business  Examples – Trade/Industry  How?  Not just by education but by partnerships.  This way they learn from each other to further reach linked goals of economic and environmental sustainability.

How have novel-private sector partnerships helped the environment?  They have made changes in the way wastes are disposed  They have also changed the way how environmentally persistent chemicals are used  Examples of these types of partnerships  CERES/CSSS

How can ecologists broaden the dimensions of their discipline?  Active engagement between scientific institutions  Recognition of partners as equal  Active recruitment of a greater diversity  Encouragement of broader metrics for evaluating scientists

Why do you need ecological diversity?  To educate diverse communities  To persuade people to accept scientific expertise as being critical to the success in problem solving  So solutions can be applied worldwide

Recommended Actions  Action 4. Engage with the private sector in four areas.  Action 5. Sponsor symposia, workshops and projects that focus on the interface between the work of ecological scientists and ecological practitioners.  Action 6. Promote ethnic and gender diversity and equality in the ecological sciences.  Action 7. Highlight nonacademic career path in efforts such as SEEDS and other educational programs.

Action 4. Engage with the private sector in four areas:  CC4 a. Enhancing ESA membership value and participating in ESA activities  CC4 b. Expanding the Governing Board  CC4 c. Addressing private sector needs through cooperative partnerships  CC4 d. Seek corporate sponsorships

Action 5. Sponsor symposia, workshops and projects that focus on the interface between the work of ecological scientists and ecological practitioners.  What can these meetings accomplish?  Strengthening the flow of ideas  Providing benefits for both parties  Sharing knowledge and identifying gap in information required for management

Action 6. Promote ethnic and gender diversity and equality in the ecological sciences.  How can we promote diversity?  By forming partnerships with international societies to recruit underrepresented groups  By reporting the demographic statistics of society membership  And by continuing ongoing programs such as SEEDS

Action 7. Highlight nonacademic career paths in efforts such as SEEDS and other educational programs.  How?  By pointing out valuable contributions to ecological sustainability  By increasing visibility of those following other career paths

Vision 3: Area C  Addresses the issue of creating international bonds with ecological scientists and create global access to all of the resources for ecological knowledge.  The scale of the most pressing challenges to ecological sustainability such as water and land use changes must be able to match the scale of ecological science. ( Ecological vision, )  In order to enlarge our discipline, a proactive approach to promote international cooperation must occur. (Ecological Visions Report, 34-35)

Vision 3: CC Action 8. Globalize access to ecological knowledge.  There is a great barrier to the ecological knowledge as a result of language.  Often, relevant information is only accessible in one language; where more often the published material is in English even if the material originated in another country. CC 8a. Routinely Translate key articles from prominent foreign ecology journals and other sources into English and vice versa.

Vision 3: CC Action 8. Globalize access to ecological knowledge.  Participants of the inaugural meeting of the Federation of the Americans at the ESA 2003 Annual Meeting, posed the translation of articles as a priority.  Increasing the access of knowledge will improve the quality of ongoing projects.

Vision 3: CC Action 8. Globalize access to ecological knowledge.  These exchange programs will create several positive outcomes.  Such as an update from other countries regarding ecological information and new technologies. CC 8 b. Ease the exchange of students, managers, and practitioners among institutions of different countries.

Vision 3: CC Action 8. Globalize access to ecological knowledge.  A greater appreciations of local knowledge in developing countries by those from the developed countries.  As well as international collaboration among students, managers and practitioners.

Vision 3: CC Action 8. Globalize access to ecological knowledge.  By building networks of ecologists from different countries, there will be a great effect on research agendas as well as education programs. (Ecological Visions Report, 35) CC 8 c. Promote efforts to foster international collaborations among ecological societies.

Vision 3: CC Action 8. Globalize access to ecological knowledge. CC 8 d. Foster international collaboration by seeking funds for multinational joint research programs among academics and practitioners. These could be similar to ongoing programs between the European Union and Latin America. (Ecological Visions Report, 35)

 This website is an attempt to offer information about global activities for ecologists that wish to expand their knowledge to the international level.  The creation of this website is the result of a discussion that was held at the ESA 2000 Annual Meeting in Snowbird, UT.  The website offers links for ecologists to learn about international programs, ecological studies from around the world, and international conventions.  All of which increase ecological knowledge, involvement among different countries and experts.

Vision 3: CC Action 9. Promote an international agenda for global ecological science.  Ecological society of America can hold meetings that concentrate on sustainability science (Ecological visions report, 35).  The meetings should also focus on international needs for ecological science

Vision 3: CC Action 9. Promote an international agenda for global ecological science.  The results of the meetings can be made available on the web. An event at the joint meeting of ESA and INTECOL in august 2005 would be a good first start as would the meeting ESA is already planning to hold in Mexico in early (Ecological visions report, 36).

Vision 3: Action 10. Bolster an international young ecologists research community.  CC 10 a. Develop an international Ecological Scholars program. (Ecological Visions Report, 36)  CC 10 b. Create programs for exchange of students and post doctoral researchers to research labs and meetings. (Ecological Visions Report, 36)

How is Vision 3 of the Ecological Visions Report important to the American public at large?  The importance of Vision 3 is more targeted to the international level as well as academia, business sector, NGO sector, and management sector.  One of the main goals is to increase the access of ecological knowledge to the American public as well as internationally.

What is the relevance of Vision 3 of the Ecological Visions Report to NEPA?  Northeastern PA has been effected by the coal mining industry since the early 1900’s leaving the land scarred and in need of reclamation  Vision 3 contains ideas that would enable scientists to work with other businesses and professionals to promote more successful collaborations in restoring superfund sites to their natural state  Examples: Wetlands, Culm Banks, Strip Mines

Does Vision 3 of the Ecological Visions Report have relevance to Wilkes University?  Groups of students work together to accomplish academic tasks throughout their time spent at Wilkes University  Vision 3 will enable students to gain access to a larger pool of ecological knowledge that wasn’t previously available  Examples: Senior Research, Senior Projects