Communicating Ecosystem Services Using Collaborative Learning and Mental

Models

Christine Feurt Ph. D.Director, Center for Sustainable CommunitiesUniversity of New England, Biddeford, Maine Director, Coastal Training ProgramWells National Estuarine Research Reserve, Wells, Maine

Membership MeetingWashington, D.C.September 23, 2015

“A framework and set of techniques intended for multiparty decision situations… A means of designing and implementing a series of events to promote:

Creative thought, Constructive debate and the

Effective implementation of proposals that the stakeholders generate.”

Theoretical Grounding: Systems Thinking, Conflict Resolution, Adult Learning

Working Through Environmental ConflictThe Collaborative Learning Approach By Steven E. Daniels and Gregg B. Walker (2001)

Collaborative Learning Offers a Robust Framework for Designing Communications to Sustain Ecosystem Services

Chris Feurt’s 20 page practitioners guide

It ain't what you don't know that gets you into trouble.

It's what you know for sure that just ain't so.

Mark Twain

Mental Models

The traditional “Delivery” Mental Model of Communication to Foster Change

Water isThreatened

Coastal Trainers

ProvideScience-based

Knowledge

Municipal Decisions Contribute to Threats to Water

MunicipalActions with

Outcomes forProtecting

Water

Public WorksCode Officer Planning Board

?

Mental Models are a Double Edged Sword

Mental models are a simplified representation of the world used by people to interpret observations, infer from what is known to unknown and solve problems.

Mental models are implicit and operate below the level of consciousness.

Mental models that are shared within a culture or social group are cultural models. People organize their culture’s beliefs and values with cultural models. They facilitate within group communication but can act as barriers to inter-group communication.

Three Mental Models to Guide Communication about Ecosystem Services

Understanding Stakeholders is Fundamental

"Americans think the opposite of speaking is waiting to speak"

What I learned from listening to water managers in southern Maine

Why is water important? What are threats to water? What can be done to

protect water?

Water Ecosystem Services Are Valued

The Kaleidoscope of ExpertiseMultiple lenses of professional practice with a core of shared values =

Collaborative Potential

Citizen &

Business

Watershed

Stewardship

Regulations,

Ordinances &

Enforcement

Engineering &

Public Works

Planning &

Land Use

Management

Education &

Community

Outreach

Science: Water

Research &

Monitoring

Drinking/Source

Water Protection

Land

ConservationCLEAN WATER

FOR:

Our Children’sFuture

EconomicDevelopment

Public Health & Safety

Farming, Fishing, Recreation

Wildlife & WildlifeHabitat

PropertyValues

7 Ways of KnowingA Knowledge Resource for Collaborative Learning

Governance(GOV)

Science(SCI)

Local(LOC)

Ecological(ECO)

EducationalPractices

(EDU)

Technological(TEC)

Land Use(LAN)

Knowledge

Multiple Ways of Knowing are activated in dialogues to create shared

meanings

Town Planner

Scientist

EcologicalKnowledge

Public Works Director

EducationalPractices

Knowledge

ScienceKnowledge

LocalKnowledge

GovernanceKnowledge

Land UseKnowledge

Land UseKnowledge

TechnologicalKnowledge

LocalKnowledge

Understanding the system transforms the traditional “Delivery” Mental Model

of Education/Outreach/Communication

Water isThreatened

Coastal Trainers

ProvideScience-based

Knowledge

Municipal Decisions Contribute to Threats to Water

MunicipalActions with

Outcomes forProtecting

Water

Public WorksCode Officer Planning Board

?

Collaborative Learning designs events to engage the Kaleidoscope of Expertise as a Resource not a Receptacle

ECO

Water isThreatened Water is Valued

SCI

LAN

TEC

GOVEDU

LOC

Planning& Land Use

LandConservation

Drinking H2O

Research & Monitoring

Education &Outreach

Regs &Enforcement

Engineering &Public Safety

Citizen Stewardship

Water isProtected

APPLICATION TO POLICY AND MANAGEMENT

BestManagement

Practices

Adaptation Plans

Habitat Restoration

PRODUCTS OF SCIENCE

Data

Models

Ecosystem Assessments

GIS Databases

Collaborative learning provides a bridge connecting the“products” of science and the “work” of policy & management

16

Collaborative Learning

Applying Social Science Tools

StakeholderAnalysis

InstitutionalAnalysis

CulturalAnalysis

Collaborative Learning

PerceptualBarriers

InstitutionalBarriers

DisciplinaryBarriers

Collaborative Learning focuses on the Social LandscapeThat influences the Biophysical Landscape

We’re All in the Same Boat

Collaborative Learning Trainings Developed for Practitioners

Working Together to Get Things DoneTrainings delivered nationwide to NERRS 2012-2015

Graduate Research SeminarsUndergraduate CoursesQualitative Research Methods Course Webinar Archived on Wells NERR website

Communicating Ecosystem ServicesACES Conference December 2014

Bridging the GulfsTwo-day Stakeholder Engagement training:

To Learn More about Ecosystem ServicesCollaborative Learning Projects

Wells National Estuarine Research ReserveCoastal Training Program

www.wellsreserve.org

National Estuarine Research Reserve Associationhttp://www.nerra.org/how-we-work/collaborative-research/

Salmon Falls Watershed Collaborativehttp://www.prep.unh.edu/sfwc.htm

University of New England Center for Sustainable Communities

Saco River Estuary Projecthttp://www.une.edu/sacoriver wellsreserve.org/saco

Collaborative Learning Guide and Training Workbookhttps://www.researchgate.net/profile/Christine_Feurt

“Do not try to satisfy your vanity by teaching a great many things. Awaken people's curiosity. It is enough to open minds; do not overload them. Put there just a spark. If there is some good inflammable stuff, it will catch fire.”

Rachel Carson