Turning to Earth: Paths to an Ecological Practice Florence Marina Schauffler University of New Hampshire, Durham

University of New Hampshire University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository Doctoral Dissertations Student Scholarship Fall 1998 Turning to earth: Paths to an ecological practice Florence Marina Schauffler University of New Hampshire, Durham Follow this and additional works at: https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation Recommended Citation Schauffler, Florence Marina, "Turning to earth: Paths to an ecological practice" (1998). Doctoral Dissertations. 2050. https://scholars.unh.edu/dissertation/2050 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctoral Dissertations by an authorized administrator of University of New Hampshire Scholars' Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. INFORMATION TO USERS This manuscript has been reproduced from the microfilm master. UMI films the text directly from the original or copy submitted. Thus, some thesis and dissertation copies are in typewriter face, while others may be from any type of computer printer. The quality of this reproduction is dependent upon the quality of the copy submitted. Broken or indistinct print, colored or poor quality illustrations and photographs, print bleedthrough, substandard margins, and improper alignment can adversely affect reproduction. In the unlikely event that the author did not send UMI a complete manuscript and there are missing pages, these will be noted. Also, if unauthorized copyright material had to be removed, a note will indicate the deletion. Oversize materials (e.g., maps, drawings, charts) are reproduced by sectioning the original, beginning at the upper left-hand comer and continuing from left to right in equal sections with small overlaps. Each original is also photographed in one exposure and is included in reduced form at the back of the book. Photographs included in the original manuscript have been reproduced xerographically in this copy. Higher quality 6” x 9” black and white photographic prints are available for any photographs or illustrations appearing in this copy for an additional charge. Contact UMI directly to order. UMI A Bell & Howell Information Company 300 North Zceb Road, Ann Arbor MI 48106-1346 USA 313/761-4700 800/521-0600 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TURNING TO EARTH: PATHS TO AN ECOLOGICAL PRACTICE BY F. MARINA SCHAUFFLER BA, Brown University, 1985 MA, University of New Hampshire, 1991 DISSERTATION Submitted to the University of New Hampshire in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Natural Resources September 1998 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. UMI Number: 9907592 UMI Microform 9907592 Copyright 1998, by UMI Company. All rights reserved. This microform edition is protected against unauthorized copying under Title 17, United States Code. UMI 300 North Zeeb Road Ann Arbor, MI 48103 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED © 1998 F. M arina Schauffler Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. This dissertation has been examined and approved. Dissertation Director, Paul T. Brockelman, Professor 0^<JLuc/'L___ Melody G. Graulich, Professor "1^ Barbara E. Houston, Professor Sarah Wav Sherman, Associate Professor Thomas Sullivan, Lecturer Date Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. For the island and the family it joins iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Acknowledgments In preparing this dissertation, I walked a 'less traveled’ road. The work involves interdisciplinary research in environmental humanities, a creative but amorphous blend of ecological philosophy, environmental literature, religious studies, education and ecopsychology. On this journey into the academic outback, I received a wealth of guidance and support from faculty members and administrators, family and friends. My advisor, Paul Brockelman, and committee members — Melody Graulich, Barbara Houston, Sarah Sherman, and Tom Sullivan — have been true guides. They provided essential direction while sharing in the exploratory spirit of this reconnaissance. From the outset, they recognized that this project was more than an academic exercise for me. Historian Jill Ker Conway recalls being told by her graduate advisor: "One’s research should always involve some element of therapy... It only counts if it’s really close to the bone" (True North 34). My research does strike close to the bone and my committee has honored and supported that dimension of the work. In their capacity to join intellectual rigor and compassionate concern (for their students and for the world at large), they are exemplary teachers. Professors John Tallmadge (of Union Institute), and John Elder and Steven Rockefeller (both of Middlebury College) kindly offered advice and encouragement. They have worked diligently for decades to foster discussion of environmental humanities in the academic community. That dialogue is v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. also being nourished by a network of active and concerned scholars and writers, the Association for the Study of Literature and the Environment (ASLE). Through the course of my program, the University of New Hampshire Graduate School demonstrated exceptional vision and commitment in supporting interdisciplinary research. They provided tuition scholarships, a research enhancement grant, travel funds to present at the 1997 ASLE conference, and a generous dissertation fellowship. I am indebted to the Graduate School for all its support, particularly the fellowship which allowed me to focus full-time on writing during the last year. In many universities, where learning is structured by traditional departments, interdisciplinary research can prove challenging. The University of New Hampshire has made the process not only easy but enjoyable. The Natural Resources Doctoral Program (under John Aber's capable leadership) offered an ideal academic niche in which to pursue these studies. The Farrington Fund, within the Department of Natural Resources, generously helped cover my conference travel expenses on several occasions. I also extend thanks to Peg and Jeff Balano for providing "a room with a view," an inspiring setting in which to reflect and write. They have been kind and considerate neighbors throughout my years of doctoral study. While most of this work is based on literary accounts, I did spend time with one of the primary authors (whose case study constitutes the opening chapter). My interview fell at a time when Terry Tempest Williams had multiple commitments crowding in on her life. Despite these pressures, she vi Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. was exceptionally gracious and attentive. I appreciate her honest sharing and generous heart. She inspires by example. This project is the culmination of many years' work and reflection. Through the course of this exploration, my parents have consistently supported my choice of 'less-traveled' roads and trusted in my vision. I am grateful beyond measure for their abiding love. My grandparents Mamie and Ben Schauffler left a legacy of kinship that continues to nourish our family and a place that will sustain each generation to come. Elizabeth Farnsworth, Edward Geis, and Cynthia Krum are cherished friends, gifted with spirit, integrity, humor and a passion for the Earth. On the long road to this degree, I was fortunate to share the journey with three wonderful fellow travelers in the Natural Resources Program: Penelope Morrow, Mary Westfall and Mary Catherine Clipson. Dorrie, my faithful canine companion, helps keep me connected to Earth. Lastly, I give thanks to this mgged and island-rich coast. Here my spirit is m oored. vii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Preface Each year my home state holds a coast-wide cleanup day in which several thousand volunteers collect tons of accumulated debris from beaches, rocky shores and salt marshes. For several years I was charged with organizing this marathon event. The cleanup was deemed a success because every year we recruited more volunteers, gathered more garbage and got more media coverage. Yet a month or two after the cleanup, the debris would be back. Despite federal legislation that bans ocean dumping of plastics, the oil containers and soda bottles kept drifting in. It didn't take long to realize that we could keep chasing after this garbage for years without ever stemming the tide. To help prevent pollution at the source, we began distributing educational posters and running public service ads. Yet still the debris washed in. Only then did I realize that more information would not solve the problem. Behavioral change cannot be reduced to a simplistic equation where 'right information' leads to 'right action.' Individual choices are often based as much on values and assumptions (whether conscious or not) as on cognitive information.

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