Research Mentor(s)
Lindsey MacDonald
Description
Current rhetoric around invasive species in ecological restoration and education uses language with militaristic and xenophobic connotations that can decrease the engagement of minority groups. This is especially pertinent when species have an ethnic indicator in their common name. As part of my Climate Leadership Certificate coursework, I centered my senior project around researching and implementing more accessible language about invasive species on WWU’s campus. To intervene in this systematic problem, I facilitated a lesson with the LEAD seminar class at WWU. This class was chosen because the course content is focused on ecological restoration and environmental education and engagement. Facilitation techniques used in this lesson included pair sharing, journaling, group problem solving, and generating a word cloud at the beginning and end of the class. The students worked in groups to brainstorm ideas for a new interpretive sign in the Sehome Hill Arboretum. They looked sign currently in the Arboretum which personifies English Ivy with little scientific information. Some student suggestions for the new sign included broadening the sign to include other common invasive species like Holly and Himalayan Blackberry, including diagrams to aid in plant identification, and presenting informative information about the ecological impacts of the species.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
May 2022
End Date
May 2022
Location
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Department
UIP - Climate Leadership
Genre/Form
student projects; posters
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
How we Talk About Nature Matters; Invasive Species Rhetoric and it's Harmful Social Connotations
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Current rhetoric around invasive species in ecological restoration and education uses language with militaristic and xenophobic connotations that can decrease the engagement of minority groups. This is especially pertinent when species have an ethnic indicator in their common name. As part of my Climate Leadership Certificate coursework, I centered my senior project around researching and implementing more accessible language about invasive species on WWU’s campus. To intervene in this systematic problem, I facilitated a lesson with the LEAD seminar class at WWU. This class was chosen because the course content is focused on ecological restoration and environmental education and engagement. Facilitation techniques used in this lesson included pair sharing, journaling, group problem solving, and generating a word cloud at the beginning and end of the class. The students worked in groups to brainstorm ideas for a new interpretive sign in the Sehome Hill Arboretum. They looked sign currently in the Arboretum which personifies English Ivy with little scientific information. Some student suggestions for the new sign included broadening the sign to include other common invasive species like Holly and Himalayan Blackberry, including diagrams to aid in plant identification, and presenting informative information about the ecological impacts of the species.