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Articles 1 - 12 of 12
Full-Text Articles in Nature and Society Relations
From Larvae To Livelihoods: Examining The Realities Of Black Soldier Fly Farming In Malawi, Emily Herriott
From Larvae To Livelihoods: Examining The Realities Of Black Soldier Fly Farming In Malawi, Emily Herriott
Capstone Collection
Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae offer a cost-effective, nutrient-rich alternative to synthetic fertilizers and conventional feed inputs such as soy, fishmeal, and maize bran in sub-Saharan Africa. In Malawi, where smallholder farmers grapple with declining soil fertility, high input prices, chronic food insecurity, and livestock nutritional challenges, BSF farming is emerging as a promising circular agricultural innovation. Despite its technical promise, the social, economic, and ecological realities of BSF adoption remain underexplored.This study investigates the early implementation of BSF farming in Malawi through the Sustainable Livelihoods Framework, focusing on farmer experiences, challenges, and the social and structural processes shaping uptake …
A Lifetime Of Climate Changes: Female Farmers' Perceptions Of Climate Change Impacts To Well-Being And Livelihood In Antigua And Barbuda, Jamie Matthews
A Lifetime Of Climate Changes: Female Farmers' Perceptions Of Climate Change Impacts To Well-Being And Livelihood In Antigua And Barbuda, Jamie Matthews
Capstone Collection
This capstone project emphasizes the value of smallholder farmers working on small island developing states (SIDS) in an era of climate change—with a particular focus on female farmers in light of the global feminization of agriculture. This research study engaged female farmers living in Antigua and Barbuda, a SIDS in the Caribbean, to capture their perceptions of climate risks and the impacts climate change has had on their well-being and livelihood. Qualitative data was collected via life history interviews (LHI), as well as focus group discussions (FGD). These methodologies addressed the primary questions of this research: (i) How do female …
Living Dead Forests: Assessing Detrital Services In Puget Sound Pseudotsuga Menziesii Ecosystems, Forrest Becker
Living Dead Forests: Assessing Detrital Services In Puget Sound Pseudotsuga Menziesii Ecosystems, Forrest Becker
Capstone Collection
Coarse woody debris (CWD), the detrital result of down wood recruitment, contributes to wildlife habitat, nutrient cycling, morphological processes like soil formation, and each forest’s sense of place but if undermanaged can fuel wildfires or obstruct stakeholder use. Despite its ubiquity in Puget Sound Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii) forests in Washington, USA, few studies quantify the exact ecosystem services which down wood provides. This study seeks to understand how forest managers can estimate the ecosystem services of down wood and how human communities perceive down wood management between community, public, and private Douglas fir (P. menziesii) …
Bridging Knowledge Systems In The Peruvian Andes: Plurality, Co-Creation, And Transformative Socio-Ecological Solutions To Climate Change, Domenique Ciavattone
Bridging Knowledge Systems In The Peruvian Andes: Plurality, Co-Creation, And Transformative Socio-Ecological Solutions To Climate Change, Domenique Ciavattone
Capstone Collection
In the current era of anthropogenic climate change, Quechua farmers in the Peruvian Andes are some of the most impacted by, yet some of the lowest contributors to global warming. Dominant Western systems alone have proven insufficient in tackling the climate crisis, and there have been increasing efforts to elevate and center Indigenous voices and epistemologies when addressing climate change. Researchers and communities are calling for a bridging of knowledge systems, in which Indigenous and Western methods collaborate to co-create innovative solutions to climate challenges. This research sought to explore methods and successes in bridging Indigenous and Western knowledge systems …
Manual Of Sustainable Urban Practices Towards Long-Term Conservation, Haley Kilmer
Manual Of Sustainable Urban Practices Towards Long-Term Conservation, Haley Kilmer
Capstone Collection
This paper analyzes how urban living and design can be detrimental to the surrounding ecosystems and how it is directly affecting the biodiversity loss of an area. To answer this question, I first did extensive background research on urbanization, climate change, and biodiversity loss as it relates to urban ecosystems. Then, the public’s perceptions were collected through surveys and interviews in order to make meaningful suggestions in the construction of an interactive, biological corridor map. The results showed that increasing the biodiversity of an urban area can help to mitigate many of the common environmental challenges associated with living in …
Sustainable Avitourism On Curieuse Island In The Seychelles, Chesley Davis
Sustainable Avitourism On Curieuse Island In The Seychelles, Chesley Davis
Capstone Collection
In Seychelles, tourism is a vital part of the country’s overall economy. Increasingly, sustainable tourism is essential to conserve environments and wildlife, meet the needs of local communities and the state, and ensure the longevity of high-quality experiences for international visitors to the country. This project assesses sustainability of avitourism on Curieuse Island. The Seychelles has many endemic and pelagic birds that draw tourists from around the world, including the Seychelles Black Parrot, Seychelles Magpie Robin, and Seychelles Flycatcher. This is a mixed methods research project that entails bird biodiversity surveys, examination of birding databases, and personal observations. This study …
What Does A "Just" Local Food System Look Like? Views From Worcester In A Changing Climate, Marguerite Cawley
What Does A "Just" Local Food System Look Like? Views From Worcester In A Changing Climate, Marguerite Cawley
Capstone Collection
Food and climate are closely intertwined, with the high-emissions U.S. industrial food system contributing to climate change, while a changing climate produces new food system vulnerabilities, which will particularly impact those of the least means. This research is premised on the need to transform our food system, and to define what this vision looks like at the local level, while centering questions of power, justice and rights. It explores how groups, organizations and individuals engaged in local food system change envision transformation and understand corresponding social justice concerns, in a changing climate. It looks at opportunities for food and climate …
Community Forest In Liberia: The Interface Between Sustainable Charcoal Production And Deforestation, Amavie Clement
Community Forest In Liberia: The Interface Between Sustainable Charcoal Production And Deforestation, Amavie Clement
Capstone Collection
The available data establishes a direct correlation between charcoal production and forest degradation and deforestation in Liberia. Charcoal is the primary energy source for Liberians, especially in urban areas where the bulk of the population lives. It is expected to be the mainstay energy source for years to come because it is affordable, accessible, and convenient to use compared to other forms of energy (i.e. electricity and petroleum gas). However, the current model of charcoal production, based on indiscriminate felling of trees, poses a danger to the environment as it results in widespread forest degradation and deforestation. Therefore, any successful …
Improving Access To Clean Water In Rural Ecuador: The Connection Between Willingness To Pay And Population Health, Micalea Leaska
Improving Access To Clean Water In Rural Ecuador: The Connection Between Willingness To Pay And Population Health, Micalea Leaska
Capstone Collection
Climate change is affecting social and environmental determinants of health through access to safe drinking water, safely managed sanitation systems, and access to health care services and the ability for individuals to break free from unsuitable circumstances. Ecological disturbances such as those caused by climate change can cause a shift in host vectors or a change in habitat that results in a greater likelihood of the pathogen coming in contact with humans. Water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services and their accessibility to populations can directly impact a community’s vulnerability to diseases and limiting factors to increase economic growth. If rural …
Criar Y Dejarse Criar: Trans-Situ Crop Conservation And Indigenous Landscape Management Through A Network Of Global Food Neighborhoods, Cass Madden
Capstone Collection
As climate change progresses, global food security is likely to become increasingly threatened and crop biodiversity will be a significant source of resiliency and adaptability. However, these adaptations will only be fully realized through cooperative in situ and ex situ conservation and cultivation of domesticated crops, crop wild relatives, and wild foods. This conservation is best realized in places where communities have the cultural resources to invest meaningfully in the cultivation of native crops, and where the cultivation of those crops can reinforce place-specific livelihoods and identities. To this end, the principal objective of this research is to propose a …
Basic Human Health And Sustainable Community Development: A Case Study Of A Community In Monte Plata, Dominican Republic, Rachelle H. Arnoux
Basic Human Health And Sustainable Community Development: A Case Study Of A Community In Monte Plata, Dominican Republic, Rachelle H. Arnoux
Capstone Collection
One of my objectives in conducting this research is to enhance my skills in data collection while simultaneously improving my writing skills. More substantively, I wanted to explore how access to healthcare in a developing country like the Dominican Republic can contribute to sustainable development. As good health is fundamental and vital for all human beings, it is important in the context of this study to understand how the healthcare system in a particular country gives the population access to quality healthcare. Referring myself specifically to the situation at Batey Relief Alliance (BRA) Dominicana medical center in the Dominican Republic …
Northern Lights: Fourth World Nations And The Geopolitical Dance In The Arctic, Heidi G. Bruce
Northern Lights: Fourth World Nations And The Geopolitical Dance In The Arctic, Heidi G. Bruce
Capstone Collection
Over the past decade, the Arctic region has received increased attention from climate scientists, politicians, and transnational corporations. Human-induced climate change is causing glaciers to recede, resulting in new northern sea passages that are highly sought after by businesses and governments alike. Deeply affected by this increased northern exposure are Arctic Fourth World nations – politically and culturally distinct nations encapsulated by states – that have lived in the Arctic for millennia. This paper examines the impacts that expanded northern sea routes are having on Arctic Fourth World nations and the conflict mitigation approaches being used in the region. Research …