The Sierra Institute focuses on understanding and articulating the integral relationship between rural community health and sustainable natural resource management. We conduct research on rural community issues, and facilitate education, dialogue, public involvement, and community capacity building to support community-based approaches to sustainable development.
Research
Research is a systematic process of inquiry to create, transform, and transfer new knowledge . Research methods that bring communities into the process or that bring researchers into the communityıs quest for knowledge help us understand and legitimize local knowledge. Involving communities in research also builds community ownership of knowledge and can empower communities. The Sierra Institute pursues primary, applied, and participatory research that contributes to improving community well-being and ecosystem health.
Primary and Applied Research: The Sierra Institute associates conduct primary and applied research on particular issues of local, national, and international interest. Examples include:
- Tribal Economic Development: Building with Strengths and Confronting Challenges (for the Intertribal Timber Council, 2004)
- Community-based Forestry in the United States (Island Press, 2003)
- Forest Communities, Community Forests: A Collection of Case Studies of Community Forestry (Rowman and Littlefield, 2003)
- Socioeconomic Characteristics of the Natural Resources Restoration System in Humboldt County
- Northwest Economic Adjustment Initiative Assessment
- Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project
- Presidentıs Forest Ecosystem Management Assessment Team (FEMAT)
- Yosemite National Park Flood and Closure Social Assessment
- Klamath Region Social Assessment
- Effects of Displacement and Outsourcing on Woods Workers and their Families
Participatory Research: We believe that people know many of the issues and problems their communities face, and that they have a wealth of knowledge they can use to develop community-based solutions. The Sierra Institute uses a process called ³participatory research² to help rural and forest worker communities investigate and identify ways to address issues they identify as important. Examples include:
- Plumas Latino Healthcare Access Project
- Crescent Lake Mushroom Monitoring Project
- Bishop/Big Pine Paiute Native Plants Project
- Maidu Cultural and Development Group Science Team
Education
The Sierra Institute views education as any process that creates useable knowledge or promotes and facilitates an opening of the mind to new ideas, knowledge, wisdom, and experiences. Goals of our education work at the Institute are to build the capacity of individuals and communities and to develop more democratic processes to share information. Both of these goals are largely dependent on the free and equal exchange of knowledge, and to varying degrees, involve the sharing of power.
Sierra Institute pursues education by creating forums and networking groups of similar focus and linking communities with each other, policy discussions, and resources. Some examples include:
- Launching a Western Center of Forestry
- 2004 Participatory Research Conference, Co-sponsor
- 2003 Participatory Research Conference, UC Davis, Co-sponsor
- Lead Partnership Group, Convenor
- Communities Committee of the Seventh American Forest Congress, Founding Member
- National Network of Forest Practitioners, Founding Member
- Montreal Criterion Indicators Project, Participant and subgroup leader
- Revisioning a Environment-Community Relationship, Sponsor
Practice
The Sierra Institute advances community and ecosystem health by facilitating dialogues, public involvement processes, and community capacity building. We bring our work to practice on the ground to build the capacity and resilience of rural and worker communities to participate in decisions that affect them. Some examples include:
- Sierra Nevada Ecosystem Project, Public Involvement Lead
- Building Community Capacity for Sustainability Workshops, Facilitator
- Revisioning a Community Environment Relationship, Sponsor
- Indian Valley Community Forum, Convenor
- Almanor Basin Advisory Committee, Facilitator
- Pacific West Community Forestry Center
