2022 ESA Annual Meeting (August 14 - 19)

INS 17 Seed initiatives for change: how do transformational pathways emerge?

3:30 PM-5:00 PM
520A
Organizer:
Karina Benessaiah
Co-Organizer:
Timon McPhearson, Elena Bennett
Moderator:
Timon McPhearson
How do we steer our communities and our planet towards a desirable future? Understanding how to accelerate sustainability pathways towards a good Anthropocene is essential if we are to deal with problems like declining biodiversity, degrading ecosystem services, climate change, rising inequalities and other issues that threaten the prosperity of societies and ecosystems. We suggest that sustainability innovations at the margins of society, which we call “seed initiatives'' hold the potential to change existing trajectories towards desirable futures. Despite evidence of these seed initiatives worldwide, much remains unknown about how they might generate sustainability transformations. What characteristics of seed initiatives make them more likely to scale their impact? How can seed-driven scenarios help us explore transformations to a better world? What are the barriers and enablers of transformative change? and How can the interaction of different seed initiatives augment or restrict just and sustainable transformations? “A change is Gonna Come” is the central theme of this year’s meeting. While we all hope this is true, it is also true that we know little about where this change will come from, how to support it, or how to navigate pathways to a better, and not just a different, future. Ecologists have much to contribute to building this understanding but have engaged relatively seldom in the inter- and trans-disciplinary space of transformations research. Here, we aim to use this unique session format to spark conversation about how ecologists can contribute to our understanding of social-ecological transformations. This Inspire Session features applied work featuring place-based seed initiatives and what we are learning about how they can bring about transformation to a better Anthropocene. Each presenter will explain how focusing on seed initiatives helped them assess transformational dynamics in particular places or for particular systems (i.e. urban systems, food systems, peace and conflict). The discussion will focus on commonalities and differences between cases and bring in insights from the audience. Our session will consist of three parts: First nine 5-minute presentations of different case-studies featuring seed initiatives (~45 min). Second, a 40min discussion between the audience and speakers discussing the cases presented, seeking new cross-comparison insights and further questions to pursue. Insights derived from the discussion will contribute to a greater understanding of various transformational dynamics and the role of seed initiatives in sustainability pathways. Third, the co-organizers will end with a short (5 minute) summary of insights derived from the presentations and discussions.
3:30 PM
A decisive moment for European social-ecological research: Organizational transformation in eLTER
Jen Holzer, Environmental Sustainability Research Centre, Brock University;
3:30 PM
Arctic seeds to inspire positive scenarios
Marianne Falardeau, Dr., Université Laval;Marianne Falardeau, Dr., Université Laval;Ciara Raudsepp-Hearne, Dr., Wildlife Conservation Society Canada;Elena Bennett, McGill University;
3:30 PM
CANCELLED - Seeds of peace: pathways to transforming conflict
Lucy Rist, Stockholm Resilience Center;Cibele Queiroz, Stockholm University;Albert Nordström, stockholm University;
3:30 PM
Designing urban greenspace from the grassroots up: The 'barrio' innovation approach
Marta Berbés-Blázquez, University of Waterloo;Vanya Bisht, Arizona State University;Regional Carrillo, Academia del Pueblo;Monique Franco, Central Arizona Phoenix Long Term Ecological Research;Mandee Kuhn, Arizona State University;Jorge Morales-Guerrero, Arizona State University;
3:30 PM
Future climate resilience visions of New York City: 2100
Elizabeth Cook, Barnard College;Jennfier Ventrella, The New School;Timon McPhearson, Urban Systems Lab, The New School;Adam Parris, NYC Mayor's Office of Climate and Environmental Justice;David Iwaniec, Georgia State University;Lelani Mannetti, Georgia State University;Tischa Munoz-Erickson, International Institute of Tropical Forestry, USDA Forest Service;Daniela Tagtachian, City University of New York;Melissa Tier, Princeton University;
3:30 PM
Networks of actors for sustainability – the case of McGill University
Klara Winkler, McGill University;Elena Bennett, McGill University;Hannah Chestnutt, McGill University;
3:30 PM
Patchwork Earth: Navigating pathways to an emerging future
Elena Bennett, McGill University;Reinette Biggs, Dr., Stellenbosch University;Garry Peterson, Stockholm Resilience Center;Line Gordon, Dr., Stockholm Resilience Centre;
3:30 PM
Transformational seed-scapes: how do Montreal's sustainability initiatives create an ecosystem of change?
Karina Benessaiah, NRS, McGill University and Geography, Environment and Geomatics, University of Guelph;Marilou Binder, McGill University;Elena Bennett, McGill University;
3:30 PM
Transformations - changing the way we change the world
Per Olsson, Stockholm Resilience Center;