Final Report: Cultivating a Climate Science Learning Community Amongst Tribal Water Managers
Dates
Publication Date
2021-10-01
Citation
Molly Yunker, 2021-10-01, Final Report: Cultivating a Climate Science Learning Community Amongst Tribal Water Managers: .
Summary
This project was a case study of the “Native American Tribes United to Restore the Environment” (NATURE) group – a community of Tribal environmental professionals that has worked collaboratively for over two decades. Through observations of bi-monthly meetings and interviews with a subset of the group members, we identified ten best practices. The best practices include the following: including a mix of different levels of expertise and experiences; providing opportunities for collaboration; supporting a mix of personal and professional activities; building on a foundation of mutual trust and support; ensuring all members feel equal; including introductions as a way to begin gatherings; recognizing strength in the community over the [...]
Summary
This project was a case study of the “Native American Tribes United to Restore the Environment” (NATURE) group – a community of Tribal environmental professionals that has worked collaboratively for over two decades. Through observations of bi-monthly meetings and interviews with a subset of the group members, we identified ten best practices.
The best practices include the following: including a mix of different levels of expertise and experiences; providing opportunities for collaboration; supporting a mix of personal and professional activities; building on a foundation of mutual trust and support; ensuring all members feel equal; including introductions as a way to begin gatherings; recognizing strength in the community over the individual; engaging in frequent and sustained interaction; seeking out professional development experience as needed; and meeting the needs of different members as they grow and develop.
This project highlights several of the key characteristics of this community that support its members. These best practices can be used to guide the establishment or cultivation of other communities of professionals, both Tribal and non-Tribal, focused on a topic of shared interest
over a sustained period of interaction.
The main findings from this study include: the majority of group meeting time is spent problem-solving collaboratively; the individual’s personality, prior experiences, and role within the Tribe, as well as their personal values and professional needs dictate how they choose to participate in the NATURE group and the perceived value of the group; socializing in all its forms plays a vital role in boosting the camaraderie amongst the group members, which in turn create an informal atmosphere that promotes sharing and comfort in problem-solving; and there is a general
understanding that the faster one becomes integrated into the group, the sooner they can get help from their colleagues working at other Tribes.