Research

Dr. Krasny is particularly interested in environmental education programs that are situated in Civic Ecology practice, including community gardening, community forestry, watershed enhancement, and related urban restoration programs. She and her graduate students are testing the general hypothesis: Civic Ecology Education fosters attributes of resilient social-ecological systems.

Civic Ecology Education refers to programs in which youth participate alongside adults in Civic Ecology practice. In addition to impacts on youth and adult participants, such programs may result in positive outcomes at the level of the local community and ecosystem. These outcomes include increased diversity of biological and human resources, ecosystem services, participation in civic life, social capital, and adaptive learning. Such outcomes are attributes of resilient social-ecological systems, or systems that are able to maintain and even enhance functioning in the face of change. Resilience implies managing for change rather than for a static end, and is critical given the importance of both catastrophic and more gradual social and environmental change.

In short, Dr. Krasny's research attempts to answer the question: How does Civic Ecology Education help foster social-ecological system resilience?