Civic Ecology

Krasny and Tidball's Civic Ecology reaches into the hearts and hands of hopeful people across the globe transforming communities at the intersection of place and ecosystem, broken and restored, and provides stories of stewardship that can anchor us cognitively and emotionally for the adaptive work of collaborative governance in an era of disruptive change. A beautiful bricolage and more!

Carmen Sirianni, Hillquit Professor of Labor and Social Thought, Brandeis University; author of Investing in Democracy and Civic Innovation in America

In the face of climate change, war, postindustrial disinvestment, and other vexing social, ecological, and political challenges, Civic Ecology manages to take an optimistic view by focusing on the important, but sometimes overlooked, work of environmental stewards. Putting forth ten key principles that organize the book, interspersed with inspiring accounts of stewardship in action, the authors use clear language to tell the stories and explore the impact of civic ecology practices. This book helps energize the reader interested in tackling big problems through simple, yet vital, acts like planting trees or tending gardens.

Lindsay K. Campbell, PhD, Research Social Scientist, USDA Forest Service, Northern Research Station

Civic Ecology is an inspirational account of the ecological and civic renewal of broken places, such as areas of urban decline. It describes how local people can, through stewardship based on sound social-ecological principles, re-create sustainable communities and environments where people and nature thrive.

F. Stuart Chapin III, Professor Emeritus of Ecology, University of Alaska Fairbanks

As someone who teaches urban ecology, I think this is a most refreshing addition to the otherwise predictable, traditional academic texts in this field. The combination of diverse case studies with normative directives provides excellent material for postgraduate teaching, where students can be both exposed to a diversity of experiences and provoked to consider their own civic duty, and—more broadly—what constitutes civic duty. I thoroughly look forward to introducing the book to my class this year and imagine I will draw on it for teaching and personal inspiration for years to come.

Pippin Anderson

The Nature of Cities

Civic Ecology is a thoroughly hopeful portrait of the ways that people recover from many kinds of disaster, whether from the sudden devastation of a hurricane to the slow unraveling of economic disinvestment and social fragmentation.... [T]he book offers an inviting introduction to civic ecology for students, an on the ground look at the power of civic ecology practices of policy makers, and a source of inspiration for practitioners and researchers.

Matthew DelSesto

Agriculture and Human Values