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Student capstone and applied projects from ASU's School of Sustainability.

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Enhancing Environmental Education Opportunities in the Borderlands : A Consulting Project for Borderlands Restoration Network by JKLM Sustainability Consulting (MSUS)

Description
Borderlands Restoration Network (BRN) is a nonprofit organization based out of Patagonia, Arizona, that partners with borderland communities to grow a restorative economy by rebuilding healthy ecosystems, restoring habitat for wildlife, and reconnecting border communities to the land through shared learning. Borderland communities encompass the southern United States and northern…

Borderlands Restoration Network (BRN) is a nonprofit organization based out of Patagonia, Arizona, that partners with borderland communities to grow a restorative economy by rebuilding healthy ecosystems, restoring habitat for wildlife, and reconnecting border communities to the land through shared learning. Borderland communities encompass the southern United States and northern Mexico border, and BRN is centered within the Madrean Archipelago, one of the most important biodiversity hotspots in the world. A core program that BRN offers is the Borderlands Earth Care Youth (BECY). This paid internship-style program focuses on educating and training youth between fifteen and twenty to address the growing environmental and sustainability challenges associated with climate change, habitat fragmentation, aridification, and socio-economic injustices. Through the BECY program, BRN provides a critical opportunity for the Arizona communities of Douglas, Patagonia, Nogales, and Rio Rico. The purpose of this program is critical for borderland communities, given the historical marginalization of these communities. This can be seen with the demographics of these communities as the communities of Douglas, Nogales, and Rio Rico are all over 80% Hispanic/Latino identifying, according to the U.S. Census Bureau information from 2020-2022. With the majority of these communities being Hispanic/Latino, the implementation of an environmental education program that accounts for and supports cultural backgrounds and resources is one that is critical. The advancement of quality education and networking opportunities in these communities helps to create a diverse conservation sector that will further support the restoration economy in borderland communities. In 2018, BRN completed a survey research project and found that ninety-two percent of overall respondents claimed they were inspired by the BECY program to make sustainable changes in their lives. Respondents reported that the program helped them “To look at the environment differently, [and] the impact humans can have (positive and negative) on other species’ habitats,” and to recognize the benefits of “...the social aspect of community building, as well as the fundamentals of ecosystem and watershed restoration” on their environment (Anonymous Participants, 2018, BRN Program Evaluation). These statements showcase the importance of BECY in shaping participants’ views of the environment and the role that they each play as stewards. Over the course of nine months, the JKLM Sustainability Consulting team completed a project for BRN by using sustainability analysis tools and the North American Association for Environmental Education (NAAEE) guidelines to provide foundational information and guidance regarding environmental education curriculum development, program evaluation, and program expansion to assist BRN in achieving its youth education program expansion goals. The deliverable of the consultation project was an updated and enhanced BECY curriculum and related activities guide to be used in Summer 2023.
ContributorsSene, Jordan (Author) / Napper, Kayla (Author) / Meeker, Laney (Author) / Fabara, Marshall Morgan (Author)
Created2023-04-26

The Knowledge-Action Gap Related to Meat Consumption in Sustainability Scientists and its Relevance for Societal Transformation

Description
Eating meat leads to several environmental threats, hence reducing one’s consumption can be a direct way to avoid environmental degradation. While sustainability scientists know about the environmental degradation due to meat consumption, many of them still choose to eat meat. It is questionable whether a broader societal transformation towards sustainable…

Eating meat leads to several environmental threats, hence reducing one’s consumption can be a direct way to avoid environmental degradation. While sustainability scientists know about the environmental degradation due to meat consumption, many of them still choose to eat meat. It is questionable whether a broader societal transformation towards sustainable consumption is likely if people with the necessary knowledge and values already struggle and fail to implement a sustainable behavior. How can they expect others to change if they do not change themselves? This paper addresses the knowledge-action gap that is prevalent among sustainability scientists regarding their meat consumption and how they deal with it. Qualitative semi-structured interviews and thematic content analysis are applied to analyze the main internal barriers to pro environmental behavior sustainability scientists face as well as what narratives and rationalizations they use to overcome the dissonance between their knowledge and actions. The internal barriers they demonstrated were emotional non-involvement and a perceived lack of power of the individual. The strategies used to overcome the dissonance were conscious consumption narratives and rationalizing the value of meat consumption, specifically its perceived sustainable dimensions. This paper also highlights that sustainability scientists do feel responsible to lead by example in the context of societal transformation, but do not always follow through with behavior change. This study concludes it is necessary that sustainability scientists do so more consequently to embrace their role as trendsetters and change agents for a sustainable transformation.
ContributorsFalkenstein, Anna (Author) / Upham, Paul (Contributor) / DesRoches, Tyler (Contributor) / von Wehrden, Henrik (Contributor)
Created2018-07-02
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Transformation Labs as a Sustainability Intervention to Leverage the Human Factor of Social-Ecological Change in the Escalante Community Garden

Description
While we often see community gardens as material spaces managed by organizations, resources and institutional arrangements do not fully define a community garden or ensure its success. Understanding the “human factor” is key to implementing interventions at the subjective level that allow gardens to thrive. The Escalante Community Garden in…

While we often see community gardens as material spaces managed by organizations, resources and institutional arrangements do not fully define a community garden or ensure its success. Understanding the “human factor” is key to implementing interventions at the subjective level that allow gardens to thrive. The Escalante Community Garden in Tempe, Arizona is a transforming social-ecological system wherein volunteers exhibiting collective efficacy are a crucial component. To keep this undergoing transformation on a positive pathway, I leveraged a sustainability intervention, a Transformation Lab, using a set of replicable participatory tools to support personal and interpersonal dynamics beyond an organizational perspective.
ContributorsHalter, Marley (Author) / Manuel-Navarrete, David (Contributor) / Cloutier, Scott (Contributor) / Eakin, Hallie (Contributor)
Created2018-04-19