Fifteenth International Conference on Environmental, Cultural, Economic & Social Sustainability

Abstract

As we become more globally connected, have our daily interactions within our local communities weakened? Has our focus on sustainable practices been superseded by our throwaway mindset? Both are essential questions to ask when addressing the issue of sustainable practices across our society. This paper describes an ongoing Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) program with a rural island community located in New Brunswick, Canada that focuses on weaving sustainable practices into the fabric of a community’s decision-making process using the framework of Nature-Centered Leadership (Stober 2013). During the initial phase of the project, the pilot study identified education as a driving factor to increase awareness about the importance of implementing sustainable practices. In an effort to engage the island community as an equal partner in the research process, community members and the Alvernia research team have developed the second phase of this project, which involves experiential learning opportunities on the island. Through these experiences, the college students and the island community members have the opportunity to reconnect with themselves, with their local and global communities, and with the natural environment. These interactions provide both groups with a new lens through which to examine their own connection with themselves, a better understanding of the inner workings of a community, and the impact sustainable decision-making can have on preserving the natural environment within those communities. These experiences provide a greater understanding of sustainable practices and the role Nature-Centered Leadership can play in community engagement (Sprow & Stober, 2012).