The Curriculum for the Bioregion project website has not been significantly updated since 2013. We are preserving the web pages here because they still contain useful ideas and content. But be aware that the site may have out of date information.

The Practice of Inner Habitat Restoration: A Contemplative Approach To Sustainability Studies

Initial Publication Date: October 11, 2012
Kurt Hoelting, a member of the Curriculum for the Bioregion Initiative's "Sustainability and Reflective and Contemplative Practice" faculty learning community

Description

This essay explores "the contemplative arts" as a component of sustainability studies, based on my work as a wilderness guide in Alaska. I lead students on week-long kayaking expeditions that link ecological literacy with the practice of contemplative silence. I make the case for contemplative practice as an essential tool for cultivating resilience and navigating despair in a time of tumultuous ecological decline.

Essay

The Practice of Inner Habitat Restoration: A Contemplative Approach To Sustainability Studies (Microsoft Word 135kB Mar6 12)