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Christopher Uhl is a pioneer in the fields of ecological literacy and campus sustainability. During the 1990s he spearheaded the campus greening effort at Penn State. More recently he has devoted his attention to the role that teachers can play in cultivating ecological consciousness. In this workshop Chris will share his experiences from his life as teacher. In this vein, he characterizes himself as a truthspeaker who has a natural inclination to see problems as opportunities, and a deep commitment to participating with others in the creation of a sane, just, and joyous world. His recent book, Developing Ecological Consciousness (2003) is already in its third printing and has received widespread acclaim. For example, one reviewer (Patricia Pingle) wrote: "Every now and then I come across a book that I want to reread and share with everyone. This is one such book. Although the author intended its use as a textbook, it goes well beyond that realm, integrating science, history and philosophy with social trends, spirit and heart. The author's voice is clear, personable and compelling" And another reviewer (Robert Buschbacher) observes: "The book's breadth results from Chris Uhl's personal transformation. He is a renowned ecologist who spent many years as an insufferable overachiever, waking up each morning determined to 'turn this day into a table' (of publishable data). After years of pioneering scientific studies on the dynamics of logging, pasture, and fire in the Amazon, he decided to turn his attention to the question of sustainability" At present Uhl is hard at work on a second book-this one directed toward teachers-with the title Teaching as if Life Matters. In the writing of this book he is drawing from his lived experience as teacher, as well as from his scholarship in the realms of human ecology and pedagogy. Uhl is unabashedly a generalist, seeing this as a great strength. Along with John Muir, he delights in making connections-in discovering how everything is "hitched" together. |
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