[christopher uhl]
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Early in his career, Christopher Uhl had an interest in both medicine and ecology. As his life as unfolded, he has been able to join these interests under the rubric of “ecological healing.” During the 1980s and 90s, his research focused on the process of ecosystem “healing” after natural and man-caused disturbances in the Amazon Basin. The subjects that he has studied has ranged from nutrient cycling and plant productivity through seed dispersal and plant succession to forest management, land-use zoning and sustainable agriculture.

More recently Mr. Uhl has been directing his attention to the dynamics of disturbance and healing, in both an ecological and social context, in the United States. Using the tools and perspectives of ecology, economics, political science and ethics, his research and teaching efforts are now aimed at promoting sustainable practices and ecological literacy both at the local and national levels. For example, in one study he is using sustainability indicators to track the performance of universities, such as Penn State, in water and energy use, waste generation, recycling, food purchasing practices, pesticide use, land conservation, research ethics, and so forth. Results from this research reveal that Penn State and other universities across the United States are contributing to the growing world-wide ecological crisis at a time when they could be playing a central role in mitigating this crisis by modeling sustainable practices.

A commitment to “ecological healing” also permeates his experiments and practices in the realm of teaching. The ecological crisis is, to a significant degree, the result of a world view and concomitant teaching practices which objectify life. Objectivism, with its emphasis on reductionism and the separation of subject and object, leads students to “think the world apart.” But in these times of ecological fragmentation and disconnection, students need to be able to “think the world together.” This happens when students are invited to enter into a relationship with the subject matter.

Mr. Uhl has been working to devise pedagogical approaches that help students see themselves as flesh-and-blood ecological beings embedded in planetary processes. In this vein, he is completing a book that aims to cultivate in students a sense of awe and wonder for the natural world, while at the same time offer them tools and exercises for discerning both their ecological identity and planetary responsibilities.

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