Sustainable Living Education
National Network
Efforts are underway to link sustainable
living educators through a Sustainable Living
Education National Network of natural resource
and extension professionals, who will investigate,
educate, and model sustainable living practices
to individuals, families, institutions, businesses,
camps, and schools. Sustainable living embodies
a thoughtful approach to leading fulfilling,
productive, and environmentally responsible
lives. Successful sustainable living balances
economic, social, and environmental needs
while meeting the needs of the present generation
without compromising the needs of future
generations.
The sustainable living concept has the potential
to be incorporated into every extension program
area. Currently, sustainable living concepts
are being addressed in programs such as housing
development design, regional planning processes,
and choices in consumption. A unified national
network will give participants the tools
to apply sustainable living concepts to more
traditional extension topics such as energy
and water conservation in the home, green
design residential housing, money management,
gardening and landscaping, small woodlot
management, environmental education, youth
leadership, outdoor recreation, and community
capacity building.
Network vision:
- share conceptual information about sustainable
living education;
- develop core curricula for different
audiences;
- cohesively integrate existing natural
resource programming with a national and
professionally-recognized sustainable living
education program;
- ensure top quality research-based education;
and
- encourage regular and consistent program
evaluation.
Network goals:
- develop and maintain a listserv;
- enable network members to present at
related conferences;
- develop a Web site with a database of
programs and materials;
- implement a sustainable living program
track at the next Association of Natural
Resource Extension Professionals (ANREP)
conference; and
- identify an initial project.
The network will use a holistic systems
approach to education and problem solving,
and will extend throughout the multiple disciplines
of extension programming and university departments.
It acknowledges that individuals, families,
businesses, organizations, and schools share
responsibility as stakeholders, and that
ultimately, they will be the driving force
in implementing solutions in their communities.
The network focuses on flexible and practical
solutions for its multiple audiences, and
recognizes that incremental steps in the
right directions will create momentum for
positive change.
The Cooperative Extension System has a long
tradition of educating people to manage natural
resources. Sustainable living education brings
a focus on managing people’s lives
and seeking to create an essential ethical
core to support sustainable management of
natural resources. Sustainable living educators
develop education programs, like Oregon
State University Extension Service’s
Sustainable Living Project, to help individuals
make more informed consumer decisions and
to provide educational tools for natural
resources and cooperative extension professionals.
Network participants are:
-
Michelle Adamski, University of Florida
-
Michael Bowers, USDA-CSREES
-
Almeshia Brown , West Virginia State University
-
Kyle Cecil, University of Illinois
- Mary Crooks, Iowa State University
-
Greg Crosby, USDA-CSREES
-
Bryan Dailey, Cornell University
-
Chris Demers, University of Florida
- Michael Dietz, Utah State University
-
Chris Dionigi , U.S. Department of Interior, National Policy and Programs
-
Susan Donaldson, University of Nevada
-
Catherine Elliott, University of Maine
-
Gretchen Ferenz, Cornell University
-
Jim Finley, The Pennsylvania State University
-
Eleanor Foerste, University of Florida
-
Duane Friend, University of Illinois
-
Mindy Habecker, University of Wisconsin
-
Dan Hitchcock, Clemson University
- Mark Hostetler, Landcare New Zealand
-
Mathew Howell, University of Georgia
-
Leslie Hyde, University of Maine
-
John Jemison, University of Maine
-
Chris Jones, University of Arizona
-
Robert Kluson, University of Florida
-
Lauren McDonell, University of Florida
-
Bruce Mertz, USDA-CSREES
-
Nate Meyer, University of Minnesota
-
Martha Monroe, University of Florida
-
Cara Muscio, Rutgers-The State University of New Jersey
- Devesh Nirmul, University of Florida
-
Eric Norland, USDA-CSREES
-
Pat Buller Pearson, Washington State University
-
Nancy Peterson, University of Florida
-
Diana Rashash, North Carolina State University
-
Mike Reichenbach, University of Minnesota
-
Laura Sebastianelli, University of Maine
-
Will Sheftall, University of Florida
-
Viviane Simon-Brown, Oregon State University
-
Adam Smargon, University of New Hampshire
-
Hank Stelzer, University of Missouri
-
Bob Sturtevant, Colorado State University
-
Linda Tannehill, University of Alaska, Fairbanks
-
Mary Tebo, University of New Hampshire
- Louie Tupas, USDA-CSREES
-
Wendy West, University of California, Davis
-
Tom Worthley, University of Connecticut
-
Judy Yates, University of Florida
For more information, contact Greg Crosby.
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