--- begin forwarded text

C A L L F O R A B S T R A C T S

Symposium on the Ethical and Social Dimensions of Landscape Restoration
April 25-26, 2003
University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont

The University of Vermont (UVM) Natural Areas Center is hosting a
symposium on the ethical and social dimensions of landscape
restoration. The symposium is scheduled for April 25-26, 2003 and
will be held on the UVM campus in Burlington and at Shelburne Farms
in nearby Shelburne, Vermont. Landscape (or ecological) restoration
is an emerging discipline that seeks to develop means to assist in
the recovery of ecosystems that have been degraded, damaged or
destroyed by human action. Aside from the expected interests of
ecologists and other natural scientists, the discipline has attracted
considerable attention from philosophers, historians, artists, and
social scientists. Many relevant questions are emerging about the
role of humans in the restoration process. Should stakeholders be
involved in most restoration planning or should experts decide on
restoration goals and methods? Should we celebrate the human role in
restoring nature or regret the artificial elements in restored !
ecosystems? How are humans affected by participating in restoration?
When are the values of restoration outweighed by obligations towards
non-humans who are harmed by such activities? Does restoration hold
the promise of replacing the current environmental paradigm that
focuses primarily on conservation and preservation? The humanities
and social sciences certainly have important roles to play as we
grapple as a society with these questions. This symposium will bring
together both scholars and practitioners to explore how the
humanities and social sciences can respond to these issues and assist
us in better understanding the opportunities and limitations of
restoration.
Two well-known scholars have accepted invitations to speak at the
symposium. John Elder, the Stewart Professor of English and
Environmental Studies at Middlebury College, will deliver a keynote
address opening up the symposium on Friday, April 25. Eric Higgs,
Director of the School of Environmental Studies at the University of
Victoria and Chair of the Society for Ecological Restoration
International, will speak at the luncheon on Saturday, April 26. We
are also exploring the possibility of publishing the proceedings of
the symposium in book-length form pending the quality of the papers
presented.
At this time, we are soliciting abstracts for papers to be presented
at the symposium. Abstracts should include a title, author
(presenter) name, affiliation and address, and a brief (200 words
maximum) description of the paper to be presented. Presenters will
have 20 minutes to deliver their papers with 10 minutes for followup
questions and discussion. Papers will be organized around themes that
emerge as they are received, reviewed, and approved. The deadline for
submitting an abstract is February 1, 2003. We will notify all
authors by February 15 regarding the outcome of the review process.
Abstracts can be submitted online or through the mail. Use the
addresses below when submitting your abstract. We encourage you to
contact us to discuss your preliminary ideas and how your paper would
fit into the themes of the symposium. Feel free to share this
announcement with colleagues.


Rick Paradis
The Natural Areas Center
University of Vermont
153 South Prospect Street
Burlington, Vermont 05401
(802) 656-4055
Fax (802) 656-8015
[log in to unmask]

Bill Throop
Green Mountain College
Poultney, Vermont 05764
(802) 287-8214
Fax (802) 287-8099
[log in to unmask]

Andrew Light
University of Texas at Austin
1 University Station B7500
Austin, Texas 78712
(512) 475-7994
Fax (512) 471 0716
[log in to unmask]


--- end forwarded text