PUBLIC LANDS FIELD SCHOOL:
THE PAST AND FUTURES OF OREGON’S PUBLIC LANDS
Through the Public Lands Field School, CEF is exploring
- How attachment to specific places – through recreational use, hunting/fishing, logging, and ranching/agricultural work – shape political and cultural affiliations,
- What the future of America’s public lands might be,
- How the history of public lands intersects with the environmental justice issues regarding indigenous land sovereignty and socioeconomic class,
- What kinds of cross-partisan venues devoted to land management decisions have been models of democratic processes,
- And how to best find political and cultural middle ground.
In Wallowa County . . . “I had a rich learning experience listening to people’ s passions, ways of life, and family histories.. . . It was a good time for me to think about how to do interdisciplinary work. I highly recommend Field School to any first-year graduate student who is new to Oregon.” Lina Aoyama, PhD candidate, Biology
“The field school presented an opportunity to see how experienced researchers practice their craft. . . . In addition to feeling like I was part of a team, the formal and informal coaching that I received lent encouragement and direction for my own research and my path as an academic .” Dan Shtob, PhD candidate, Sociology
In the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge, Harney Count y . . . “Meeting and speaking with a variety of ranchers and government employees challenged and broadened some of my earlier perceptions of public land management.” Hayley Brazier, PhD candidate, History
“Visiting Harney County and interviewing local community member s made it clear that alternate environmentalisms flourish in this region of Oregon. While this area is often abstracted to ‘rural’ or ‘eastern’ Oregon . . . and ignored as a site of environmental protest and action, the ranchers, community leaders, and members of the public voiced significant concern for the wellbeing of local habitats and people. This field school experience gave me a new appreciation for the local ecological work being done in this part of Oregon.” Nate Otjen, PhD candidate, Environmental Studies and English