Knowing your community: fostering biodiversity awareness in our students’ daily existence

There are strong arguments suggesting that developing students’ sensitivity to local biodiversity and conservation issues is as important as emphasizing an understanding of global conservation issues happening in faraway lands (Ehrenfeld, 2009). Many students arrive at a Study Abroad destination, with a good understanding of theory, but with little field experience at home. Environmental educators in Study Abroad are able to use the novelty and grandeur of our exotic destinations to systematically teach students the patterns and processes of ecological and human communities at our sites, while inspiring a sense of place in our students. By immersing students in the biotic and human communities at our program locations, we can instill in our students a lifelong appreciation for biodiversity and a quest for a sense of place, wherever they eventually call “home”. When students can appreciate the biotic diversity and human interactions with the place where they live, it can serve as the foundation for fostering greater humility and respect of our daily demands on the planet. This session will briefly discuss the why’s and how’s of getting our students to know more about their program sites than they do about their own backyards. An overview of techniques used at the SIT Study Abroad Cairns Program, will be given to illustrate that program’s attempt to give students an integrated “sense of place” and foster a life-long appreciation for individuals, communities, and landscapes. The session will consist of a 15 minute presentation of theoretical justification, followed by a 30 minute overview of assignments and practical approaches to achieving a sense of place in our students. Input from the wider audience will then be sought for application and feedback between the ideas and approaches raised during the presentation with other programs and disciplines