Dealing With the Fallout: Tread Lightly When You Carry a Green Stick

            So, what happens after you’ve successfully implemented a place-based, community-focused, developmentally appropriate approach to environmental education? Hopefully you’ll be one step closer toward achieving your lofty outcome, but along the way you’re likely to run into people whose perspective will differ from yours. Objectors commonly claim that environmental educators are short on facts and long on cultivating unnecessary fear. Others argue that teachers who employ these methods are advocates rather than objective educators who consider many sides of the issue.

            David L. Larsen, in his address Be Relevant or Become a Relic, said, “The resource benefits when resource professionals are secure enough in their own perspective and beliefs to step outside those beliefs and enable others to care about the resource for their own reasons.” In this passage, the resource refers to the object of your project or program, be it a watershed district, invasive specie, or other issue that faces your community. It underscores the importance of learning the facts, and hearing all sides of the story.

            Presenting multiple points of view and embracing a diversity of perspectives is important for many reasons. It creates more opportunities for buy-in from the community and maximizes ownership through partnerships. For example, projects or programs that aim to save the community money are great motivators for involving business interests in collaboration. Additionally, Larsen says, “It creates an environment of respect that allows for dialogue rather than conflict.” When you’re under attack, it’s easy to get defensive and hard to share the power, but it’s important to at least try to start from a place where you are listening to the concerns of the other constituencies. Usually it’s not a matter of, “my way or the highway,” but building a new road together.

            Finally, it’s important to recognize when you have a dog in the fight. Some people are just not interested in what you have to say. This might happen when a situation is emotionally charged, when there is a strong political or ideological agenda at play, or when people are fearful of change and its impact on their life. Often these entities already care a great deal about your project or program, but you are at two ends of the same spectrum.

            To add to your “Dealing With the Fallout” toolkit, I’ll close with a few excerpts from Tread Lightly When You Carry a Green Stick in David Sobel’s handbook, Place-Based Education: Connecting Classrooms & Communities. Here, Sobel illustrates that sometimes all it takes to win over the detractors is not changing the program, but changing the language that you use to describe it:

Environmental education often raises people’s hackles…Our challenge [is] to develop a strategy that respect[s] the various perspectives in the community and to find a form of environmental education that honor[s] local economic and ecological realities…In the beginning, the Community-based School Environmental Education (CO-SEED) materials talked about educating for “ecological literacy,” which for many in the North Country translated into tree hugging. They assumed we wanted to teach children that cutting down trees was bad and that by extension, people that cut down trees (their parents) were also bad…The program explores the history of people’s relationship with the land just the way an environmental education program would, but “cultural heritage” has less baggage than “environmental education,” and places environmental issues within a broader context. Similarly, we have found it more effective to talk about “place-based education” rather than “ecological literacy.” Sometimes, we elaborate and refer to “community- and place-based education,” to give equal emphasis to cultural and natural contexts for learning…In community- and place-based education we need to find the same kind of balance between environmental quality and economic vitality…Place-based education is about connecting people to people, as well as connecting people to nature.

Learn more:

Teaching controversial environmental issues: neutrality and balance in the reality of the classroom (redirects to a downloadable pdf file)

Educational Research, Vol. 48, No. 2, June 2006, pp. 223–241

Written by Deborah R. E. Cotton, University of Plymouth, UK

Abstract (abbreviated):

         Environmental issues are frequently controversial and involve conflicting interests and values. Much environmental education literature explicitly encourages teachers to promote pro- environmental attitudes and behaviors amongst their students, despite evidence that teacher support for such a policy is ambiguous at best. The literature on teaching controversial issues provides conflicting advice for teachers, though many authors advocate the adoption of a neutral or balanced approach. However, there has to date been little research into the strategies which teachers actually adopt in teaching about controversial environmental issues.

This research aimed to address the gap in the literature by investigating the beliefs and practices of three experienced geography teachers teaching controversial environmental issues in English secondary schools. The study draws upon both interview data and transcripts of classroom interaction.

Why is teaching environmental science so controversial?

“But, there really isn’t anything controversial about environmental science, if the topics are taught with honesty, citing respectable sources and allowing probing questions, then the benefits of educating in this area far outweigh the risks of ignoring that environmental elephant.” 

Teaching About Controversial Issues

This site highlights some effective teaching strategies for engaging learners with controversial issues, and helping them create their own opinions.

Compiled by Erin E. Anderson

When and Why Do These Topics Come Up in Museums, Zoos, Aquaria and Parks?

Now that you have some ideas about how to interpret environmental controversy, let’s examine when to expect these issues to arise and why they may become topics of discussion and debate in your institution. At nature centers, natural history museums, science centers, zoological parks, aquaria and national parks, where the collection itself and the way it is kept may raise environmental concerns, controversy may be commonplace. That is not to say, however, that other types of museums are exempt from dealing with these issues. There are a plethora of reasons why tough environmental questions may be at the forefront of the visitor’s mind. Here are just a few:
§  Current Events: Whether it’s oil leaking into the Gulf of Mexico or new data about the melting polar ice caps, negative headlines are sure to raise awareness of the myriad environmental controversies affecting the world today. Issues that once flew under a visitor’s radar may suddenly spark their interest once they become front-page news. Keep abreast of the global goings-on and you’ll be less likely to be caught unawares by a sudden upsurge of New York Times-inspired curiosity.
§  Movies/Books/TV: The entertainment industry can have a massive influence on national interests. A blockbuster about a modern-day ice age or a best-seller that vilifies grizzly bears is bound to get folks talking about touchy subjects. But educator beware: the movies, books and TV shows that shine a little light on environmental issues may be rife with misinformation. Be prepared to entertain debate and carefully address misconceptions when necessary.
§  Traveling Exhibitions: Temporary exhibitions can earn your institution some serious cash, so sticking to “safe” topics isn’t always a primary concern when shopping around for audience-attracting blockbusters. Controversy always draws a crowd. As an educator, you always have to work with what you’ve got, which may mean addressing environmental concerns even if they are not your traditional domain. For example, your art museum may bring in an exhibition of sculptures made entirely of recycled materials, thus opening the door for debates about sustainability. This is when doing your homework can really help: read up on subjects that may be unfamiliar, visit local museums that deal with these issues regularly and ask how previous host institutions handled the questions raised by the exhibition.
§  Institutional Events: Did your institution just complete its LEED certification? Has it successfully bred an endangered specie in captivity? Was it criticized in Newsweek for its massive carbon footprint? Events such as these will draw attention to your institution’s role in related environmental controversies. Whether that attention is positive or negative, be sure to familiarize yourself with your institution’s official response.

The issues discussed in this blog can be tough to deal with – don’t make things harder for yourself by being caught unawares. Pay attention to what’s happening inside and outside your institution and you’ll have a better idea of what’s on your visitors’ minds and how to engage them in meaningful discussion.

Conservation Messages

“Well, I really like sea turtles but our pollution is killing all of them and there is nothing I can do about it.” – Conversation with a six year old at Disney’s Animal Kingdom

In the post “Honoring the Developmental Stages,” Sobel is cited saying that one of the first steps to protecting the environment is to foster a love of nature in children.  Ways to foster this love are through the development of animal friends, Imagination and free exploration and play.  So what do you do after you have succeeded in getting people to care about nature?  The next step is to give  people options or manageable tasks, or conservation messaged to complete.  

These conservation messages are so important because without them, museum guests are in danger of suffering from ecophobia.  The media tends to lean towards the doom and gloom approach when trying to probe people into environmental action.  This can cause adverse reactions, especially in children who have grown to love nature.  People are often left feeling like the problem is too big for them to have any effect, just like the six-year-old at Disney’s Animal Kingdom.  

Disney’s Animal Programs has 7 Guidelines to Wildlife Conservation Action that their educators go to when having conversations with guests out in the park just for this reason.  These manageable tasks allow people of all ages, especially children, to feel like they have the ability to help and protect the things they love so they are not left feeling the effects of ecophobia.  

The guidelines are:

1.) Seek out information about conservation issues

2.) Spread the word to others about the value of wildlife

3.)Look for and purchase products that are friendly to the environment

4.) Create habitats for wildlife in your backyard

5.) Reduce, reuse, recycle and replenish

6.) Choose your pet wisely

7.) Support conservation organizations through contributions and volunteerism

These messages can be applied to every age group in almost every situation.  One great way to do this is to use the idea of Place-Based education that was mentioned in the last post.  Use the wildlife in your area to inspire conservation action.  Nature is every where and even in a city, you can find some great ways to connect museum visitors to their environment.

Here is an example using watersheds in Washington DC:

1.) Look up your local Watershed and learn more about it.

http://www.dcwasa.com/wastewater_collection/css/watershedissues.cfm

2.) Spread the word to your friends about what you discovered.

3.) Start using re-usable bags at the grocery store or purchase cleaning products that are environmentally friendly after realizing that your waste often ends up in the watershed.

4.) Plant a tree at a local park or pick up trash when you see it on the ground.  

5.) Reduce, reuse, recycle and replenish

6.) Did you know that outside cats are harmful to local animals, especially birds?

7.) Did you know D.C. has food co-ops?  Find one near you to see of you can join to help reduce emissions from food having to be transported into the city.  They are also often organic, meaning pesticides will not run off into your watershed.  You could also volunteer for a river clean-up or start your own organization to help spread the word about your local watershed. 

Place-based education

The best teaching occurs when the emphasis is less on imparting knowledge and more on joining the child on a journey of discovery. 

                                                –David Sobel

Place-based education is the process of using the local community and environment as a starting point to teach concepts in language arts, mathematics, social studies, science & other subjects across the curriculum. Emphasizing hands-on, real-world learning experiences, this approach to education increased academic achievement, helps students develop stronger ties to their community, enhances students’ appreciation for the natural world, & creates a heightened commitment to serving as active, contributing citizens. David Sobel, director of the Center for Place-based Education at Antioch University New England, is one of the founders of the place-based movement. He writes of the process, “If we want children to flourish, to become truly empowered, then let us allow them to love the earth before we ask them to save it.”

Jerome Bruner, a social psychologist concerned with motivating and educating students, developed the theory of a spiral curriculum. A spiral curriculum teaches a subject at successively higher grade levels in an increasingly abstract manner. Bruner argues that any subject can be taught effectively in some intellectually honest form to any child at any stage of development. If teachers begin teaching the foundations of these subjects in an appropriate manner consistent with the pupils’ intellectual levels, students can learn important basics at any stage of mental development. Then, by applying the principles of the spiral curriculum, they can steadily proceed to more complex forms of the subject.

Sobel argues that one major problem associated with environmental education is premature abstraction. We teach too abstractly, too early. Ecophobia is a fear of ecological problems & the natural world. As with any phobic reaction, the afflicted person feels unspecific anxiety and wants to flee from the situation. The problem, Sobel argues, will diminish with a more child-centered approach to environmental education. He writes, “My fear is that our environmentally correct curriculum will end up distancing children from, rather than connecting them with, the natural world. The natural world is being abused and they just don’t want to have to deal with it.”

Place-based education is largely prescriptive, designed to combat ecophobia. The theory understands the community and nature as a place for learning and relies on the uniqueness of a place – its art, culture, environment, history – to help students develop their “sense of place,” or community identity. It encourages hands-on, project-based outcomes that have real world application and honor the developmental stages.

I’m more interested in figuring out how to cultivate relationships between children and trees in their own backyards as a precursor to their working to save rain forests as they get older, when they can actually do something about it. Talking to trees and hiding in trees precedes saving trees. 

                                                                                 –David Sobel

Learn more:

Beyond Ecophobia

An essay by David Sobel, Beyond Ecophobia is reproduced in part on this page.

Healthy Kids, Healthy Forests

An example of a place-based educational program in Montana. You will also find information about "park prescriptions" linked to this page. (A park prescription is a partnership between healthcare and park professionals focused on increasing physical activity in the outdoors as a way to promote health.)

Where Nature Meets Story

Stories about animals, plants, and wild places can be a big part of helping kids connect to nature. This page on the Children & Nature Network site guides educators and parents to enrich their experiences in the natural world with literature.

Compiled by Erin E. Anderson

Honoring the Developmental Stages

When introducing and exploring the complex ideas surrounding environmental controversy, it is essential to consider the wants and needs of our audience. As with any topic discussed in a museum, there are different ways to approach the subject with different visitors. In his book Beyond Ecophobia: Reclaiming the Heart in Nature Education, David Sobel argues that, due to their unique developmental needs, special attention must be paid to the way children are introduced to concepts in nature.

Sobel focuses on three stages of development: early childhood (4-7), elementary years (8-11) and early adolescence (12-15). According to Sobel, “environmental education should have a different tenor and style during each of these stages.” The different styles he espouses are based on a child’s continually expanding concept of the world and his or her place in it.

In the early childhood stage, when the world is small and close to home, empathy with nature is the ultimate goal. Programs and lessons should focus on familiar plants and animals and encourage make-believe play. By embodying something that exists in nature, children in this first stage will naturally care more deeply about that something, and once that initial connection is forged, the stage will be set for teaching more concrete concepts.

The elementary years are marked by curiosity and exploration. During this stage, children should be encouraged to bond with nature, to make it their own. Hands-on interactions with the environment will foster these bonds. Activities such as caring for the animals they once emulated, discovering where paths lead and planting trees or flowers are appropriate at this stage.

Successful programming during the elementary years will inspire social action during early adolescence. In this final stage, solutions to environmental problems can be explored as children feel a strong inclination toward saving the environment that they cared for and bonded with when they were younger.

As educators, we can honor these developmental stages by focusing our lessons on the appropriate goals for the appropriate age groups. Trying to press children too far out of these comfortable zones can lead to ecophobia or disinterest in nature. Children who have successfully connected with their environment during all three stages will be primed to care about environmental issues as they grow older.

"Take A Child Outside Week is a program designed to help break down obstacles that keep children from discovering the natural world. By arming parents, teachers and other caregivers with resources on outdoor activities, our goal is to help children across the country develop a better understanding and appreciation of the environment in which they live, and a burgeoning enthusiasm for its exploration."  http://www.takeachildoutside.org/

Modeling Infections Enthusiasm

The natural world does not judge. It exists. One route to self-esteem, particularly for shy or undervalued children, lies in the out-of-doors.          

–Stephen Trimble

Richard Louv, in his book Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children From Nature-Deficit Disorder, argues that when children and adults lose contact with the natural world, they experience Nature-Deficit Disorder. He links a growing body of evidence to the rise in childhood obesity, attention disorders, and depression. Louv argues that direct exposure to nature is essential for a child’s physical and emotional health and development. He writes, “The health of children and the health of the Earth are inseparable.”

Parents, guardians, and other adult family members are the first line of defense, but informal educators and classroom teachers are important role models for helping children find their place in the natural environment. Louv argues that adults can give children “the gift of enthusiasm” for time outdoors.

This can often be hard for educators who don’t have much experience with the “real outdoors” – camping, hiking, fishing and the like. Many suffer from the belief that something isn’t worth doing with visitors unless it’s done right. If getting kids out into nature is seen as an exercise in perfection, then it’s no more than another chore on the list. The search for perfection defeats the joy of being outside. Louv writes, “It’s a good thing to learn more about nature in order to share this knowledge with children; it’s even better if the adult and child learn about nature together. And it’s a lot more fun.”

            What will stick with program participants is not your vast knowledge about a subject; what will stick is your infectious enthusiasm. Rachel Carson, known as the mother of the modern environmental movement, wrote, “If a child is to keep alive his inborn sense of wonder, he needs the companionship of at least one adult who can share it, rediscovering with him the joy, excitement, and mystery of the world we live in.” There’s no such thing as a grown-up person, and it’s not too late to discover the awe of a child!

            Additionally, spending time with a parent or positive adult is an excellent way to combat boredom in children. Encourage young visitors to disengage from electronics long enough to stimulate their imaginations. Employ animal allies and exploration of the world around you as your helpers towards getting kids excited about the natural environment. John Burroughs wrote, “Knowledge without love will not stick. But if love comes first, knowledge is sure to follow.” If visitors (adults and children alike) sense your genuine enthusiasm for getting outside, they’ll want to emulate that interest and join in the fun!

Nature education is a contradiction of terms, because formal education is where you’re supposed to be, and nature is where you go when you’re truant. 

                                                                –Franklin Burroughs

Learn more:

Connect With Nature: Eartheasy Blog

Eartheasy Blog: Connecting with nature close to home

Eartheasy encourages, inspires and informs people about the benefits of a simpler, less material lifestyle, and the importance of protecting our natural environment as the source of our well-being. It provides a wide range of information about sustainable living from the authors' first-hand experiences.

On Connecting with Nature: An Interview with Mike Cohen

Eco-psychologist Mike Cohen is an outdoor educator, counselor, author, and traditional folk singer, musician and dancer. He utilizes his background in science, education, and counseling as well as his musical expertise "to catalyze responsible, enjoyable relationships with nature in people and places." He has one several awards including the Distinguished World Citizen Award from the University of Global Education.

Compiled by Erin E. Anderson