New Natural Resources Book Focuses on Innovation and Enduring Change

Over
the past three decades, governments at the local, state, and federal
levels have undertaken a wide range of bold innovations, often in
partnership with nongovernmental organizations and communities, to try
to address their environmental and natural resource management tasks.
Many of these efforts have failed. Innovations, by definition, are
transitory. How, then, can we establish new practices that endure?

Book Cover - Implementing Innovation - Fostering Enduring Change in Environmental and Natural Resource GovernanceIn her new book, Implementing Innovation-Fostering Enduring Change in Environmental and Natural Resource Governance, Dr. Toddi
A. Steelman argues that the key to successful and long-lasting
innovation must be a realistic understanding of the challenges that
face it. She examines three case studies – land management in Colorado,
watershed management in West Virginia, and timber management in New
Mexico and reveals specific patterns of implementation success and
failure. Steelman challenges conventional wisdom about the role of
individual entrepreneurs in innovative practice. She highlights the
institutional obstacles that impede innovation and its longer term
implementation, while offering practical insight in how enduring change
might be achieved.

Learn more and purchase the book from Georgetown University Press

Follow Dr. Steelman on Twitter

Dr. Toddi Steelman - associate professor, NC State Forestry & Environmental Resources Toddi A. Steelman
is an associate professor in the Department of Forestry and
Environmental Resources
at North Carolina State University. She is
coauthor of Adaptive Governance: Integrating Science, Policy, and Decision Making and Collaborative Environmental Management: What Roles for Government?

 

Floyd Shares Parks & Physical Activity Research with Australian Colleagues

Dr Myron FloydPublic parks and recreation amenities play an important role in facilitating physical activity especially in low income communities, according to Dr. Myron Floyd, a professor in NC State's Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management (PRTM) department and a lead investigator of  Investigating Places for Active Recreation in Communities (IPARC)

Dr. Floyd recently shared his research on the role of parks and recreation amenities in facilitating physical activity especially in low-income communities, the influence of race and ethnicity on leisure activity preferences, and environmental justice in relation to public parks when he received a Distinguished Researcher Travel Award from the University of South Australia.  The award allowed him to travel to Australia to exchange active living, physical activity, and sustainable communities ideas with colleagues at UniSA and Deakin University. He also presented a paper at the International Symposium on Healthy People, Healthy Parks in Melbourne.

Dr. Floyd is the second international researcher to visit UniSA in 2010 as part of that university’s new Distinguished Researcher Award.  UniSA is bringing five distinguished researchers to campus under the new program to boost research collaborations and outcomes.

Read Complete UniSi Coverage of Dr. Floyd's Visit

More about Research in the NC State University PRTM Dept. 

Extension Forestry Website Brings Resources to Citizens of North Carolina and Beyond

NEWS RELEASE

Contact: Renee Strnad – renee_strnad@ncsu.edu

Extension Forestry WEbsiteExtension Forestry at NC State University is proud to announce the launch of their new website!  The Extension Forestry website is designed to benefit the general public, landowners, community leaders, industry professionals and others throughout North Carolina by providing useful information on a variety of forestry-related topics, identifying additional resources, and providing a forum for sharing current news and information related to forestry and natural resources within North Carolina and beyond.

Visit the new Extension Forestry website at www.ces.ncsu.edu/forestry/.
Be sure to save this site in your favorites and visit often as new information and resources are added frequently.

About Extension Forestry
The Extension Forestry Program at NC State University enables North Carolinians to make informed decisions concerning the management, enhancement, and enjoyment of their forest resources through sound, research-based information and education. North Carolina is a state rich in forest resources with almost 60 percent, or 18.3 million acres, of the state covered in forests. The wise use of this resource is important for water and air quality, wildlife habitat, beautiful views, timber resources, and economic prosperity.

Tomas Honored by NC Association of Cooperative Extension Specialists

Dr Stacy Tomas, Professor NC State Parks, recreation & Toursim ManagementDr. Stacy Tomas, Tourism Extension Specialist, in the NC State Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism Management, has been awarded the 2010 Special Specialist Award by the NC Association of Cooperative Extension Specialists. Tomas was nominated by Everett Davis, Cooperative Extension Director, Robeson County, which is the first county in NC to recently employ a Tourism Extension Agent. Tomas will be recognized May 7, 2010 for the honor. 

More about Stacy Tomas
More about Tourism Extension at NC State 

Wake Mayors Commit to National Physical Activity Plan at NC State Greenway

NEWS RELEASE – May 4, 2010

Wake Mayors Commit to National Physical Activity Plan
 Rocky Branch Greenway at NC State to be Site of Signing Ceremony

Join Advocates for Health in Action  and North Carolina State University partners on May 5, 2010 as Wake County mayors formally sign proclamations adopting the National Physical Activity Plan
The 2 p.m. event will also introduce the new Rocky Branch Greenway and the new
Wake County Community Asset Map .
 Mayors Russell Killen of Knightdale, Ronnie Williams of Garner, Charles Meeker of Raleigh and mayors from other Wake County municipalities will sign the National Physical Activity Plan, a commitment to promoting physical activity among Wake County residents.     

Advocates for Health in Action is a collaborative of 50 organizations whose mission is for Wake County to be a “community where healthful eating and physical activity are the way of life.”  Following the signing, the mayors, who will be wearing tennis shoes, will tour the greenway with Sig Hutchinson, a greenways supporter.   

Barbara Doll, water quality specialist for North Carolina Sea Grant led the Rocky Branch Stream Restoration and Greenway Project, a 10-year effort on the university campus.  

Charlynne Smith, a research associate with the Recreation Resources Service and a doctoral student in the Department of Parks, Recreation & Tourism Management at NC State put her geographic information science knowledge and mapping expertise to work this past year to develop a spatial database to display a community asset map for Wake County.   

The result?  A comprehensive interactive map and GIS database of trails, greenways, parks, sidewalks and schools in the county that showcases the opportunities for physical activity and healthful eating choices available to the community.  Recently, area teens used Smith's tool to display data they collected about the availability of healthful foods in their community.

Going forward, AHA partners and others will use the tool to identify opportunity gaps as they create an advocacy agenda to help shape the community.  

Funding for the project was provided by the Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina Foundation.

Attend the Kickoff – Wednesday, May 5 at 2 p.m.
The Rocky Branch Greenway is located between Western Boulevard and Hillsborough Street, with the event to be held off Dan Allen Drive, near the NC State Student Health Services. Consider walking or cycling to join the event. Public parking is available with a credit card at Dan Allen parking deck near Hillsborough Street. Look for signage the day of the event for parking and event location.