86 / 2016-06-15 21:52:56

ENACTING ENVIRONMENTAL MINDFULNESS THROUGH ENGAGING THE PUBLIC IN THE GREEN SILK ROAD INITIATIVE

10447,10448,10449,10450,10451

The goal of this study was to foster the public’s sustainability engagement and creative collaboration through environmental mindfulness in DanShuei County, Taipei, Taiwan. The environmental field of this study included the natural resources inside and outside DenKong Elementary School, the field of DenKong and SheiFu district, and the Chuang-Dsai-Nei Creek. It focused on (1) conceptualizing environmental mindfulness with the community leaders, environmental educators and activists, (2) designing and enacting holistic program for engaging the public in head-waters and streams cleaning, (3) integrating mindfuless into the forest protection and trails recovery program, (4) fostering greater engagement from the public through creative cultural activities. The four dimensions of this study formed the core of the Green Silk Road Initiative.
In response to the holistic environmental education claimed by many scholars, educators and practitioners in the past 2 decades, the researcher took a multiple approach to inquiring the possibilities of enacting the public’s capacities in designing their own holistic environmental plans. In this study, a multiple research methodology, which integrates interpretive methods (in-depth interview and persistent observation), critical methods (critical design inquiry) and wholeness-praxis methods (collective dialogue and action on holistic program design), was undertaken with holistic embodiment. Due to the nature of this multiple research methodology, models and frameworks, instead of quantitative measurements, are applied for facilitating collective dialogue and community collaboration. The core design team composed of 20 community leaders, educators and activists. Through the research proces, nearly 5000 people participated in the holistic programs of the Green Silk Road Initiative in the past 3 years.
The results of the study included conceptualization of environmental mindfulness, enaction of deep ecology with the spirit of mindfulness, holistic design of public’s environmental education programs, and arounsal of the public’s attention and action on protecting clean water and land.