Chair: Dr. Robin Shepard, University of Wisconsin
Note: Please answer the questions in the survey linked below to help us make better use of your time in San Antonio. All those planning to attend the symposium must complete the survey. Please respond by January 25th, so that we will have an accurate count of attendance.
SURVEY
Water has several new names – “blue gold” and “the next oil” being among them. Regardless of its name, along with clean air, clean water in sufficient quantities is arguably the most precious resource for maintaining human life. As demands on water resources continue to increase, it becomes increasingly important for water quality researchers, educators, outreach professionals, and managers to understand the most significant cause of water quality impairment and improvement - human behavior. Individual, community, and institutional decisions are the driving forces behind changes in water quality – for better or worse. The challenge is to combine what we know about water quality stressors and best management practices with what we know about human learning, motivations, values, and the process of behavior change to successfully meet water management goals.
This pre-conference symposium will discuss, and where possible clarify, aspects of the “human dimension” to natural resource management. Workshop speakers will present a working definition and information about the human dimensions of natural resource management. Then speakers and participants will draw upon their knowledge of rural, agricultural, and urbanizing watersheds to identify research, education, and outreach strategies for improving the use of human dimensions perspectives and tools in water resources management. The results of the workshop will be presented as a part of the February 7 plenary panel on the Human Dimensions of Water Management.
We look forward to seeing you in San Antonio.
Robin Shepard
Great Lakes Regional Water Quality Coordinator
Rebecca Power
Great Lakes Regional Water Quality Liaison