How quickly can science make positive change in the world?
For more than a decade, the Science for Nature and People Partnership (SNAPP) has been doing just that. The most pressing issues for humanity and the environment need to catalyze expertise from around the globe. But whether academic and/or indigenous, government or private industry, these experts are busy and every second counts.
SNAPP solves this problem by creating space for transdisciplinary teams to come together in a facilitated retreat-like setting to use existing information to solve problems, and fast! Different challenge? Different team.
We explore just a few of SNAPP’s success stories below:
Through community-based programming, the SNAPP Central Appalachian Coalfields Working Group partnered with locals in the Central Appalachian Mountains to together develop problem-solving tools at the intersection of the manufacturing, tourism and service industries, and renewable energy development to support the communities in their transition from coal.
Partnering with local stakeholders, the team gathered ecologists, geographers, tourism specialists, community development practitioners, and passionate people came together to help forge a resilient path forward. Their goals envisioned a process of co-creation, working with the community instead of on its behalf, allowing for more long-term and impactful outcomes. The uniqueness of the region required a specialized approach.
Echoed by project partners was the strength in collaboration. “If there was a SNAPP reunion tomorrow, I would be there in a heartbeat,” shared Leslie Ferguson-Oles, Chief Advancement Officer for the Mountain Association and member of the SNAPP Appalachian Coalfields Working Group, “It was such a great experience to come together with such a variety of people, really having to wrestle through tough problems, and also having the time to build the relationships required to have those hard conversations.”
The results of the work from the Appalachian Coalfields Working Group, including a solar suitability model and analyses of financial wellness, have already influenced several projects throughout the Appalachian Mountains. The model helped mold The Nature Conservancy’s approach to solar energy development on the Cumberland Forest properties in Kentucky, Tennessee and Virginia, and other TNC-managed lands in the region. The team also released novel research on increasing the economic contribution of the sustainable forestry industry to the Central Appalachian economy without sacrificing the forests’ natural conservation value.
“It was so fulfilling to have been able to shift the conversation on how to talk about the problems that have been caused by extractive industries in this region, while still being respectful of the people who live here,” said Ferguson-Oles, “There are real challenges; it’s not that you’re trying to paint over what the problems are, but just the way we talk about those problems. That is so important.”
When asked what her SNAPP experience brought to mind, Ferguson-Oles shared, “Joy. And Fun. Beautiful work.”
I’m Manas Ranjan Sahoo: Founder of “Webtirety Software”. I’m a Full-time Software Professional and an aspiring entrepreneur, dedicated to growing this platform as large as possible.
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