Episode 62: Community Inventories: A Practical Guide to Environmental Applied Civics

How can educators use community inventories to help students investigate local environmental issues? In this episode of Field Chats: Environmental Applied Civics Essentials, Earth Force explores practical ways to use inventories as part of Environmental Applied Civics (EAC) and project-based learning. Learn how students can use data collection, surveys, interviews, maps, nature journaling, and appreciative inquiry to investigate their communities, identify environmental strengths and concerns, and develop meaningful questions for further inquiry. The team also discusses place-based learning, traditional ecological knowledge, student choice, and adapting inventories to different classroom settings and time constraints. Resource: Inventory ideas: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1e... 00:00 Introduction 00:19 What Are Community Inventories? 02:40 Inventories in Step One of the Earth Force Process 04:49 Community Inventory Examples: Data, Surveys, Interviews & Maps 07:14 Nature Journaling, Observation & Appreciative Inquiry 08:49 Traditional Ecological Knowledge & Place-Based Learning 11:19 How to Get Started With Student Inventories 12:49 Adapting Inventories to Classroom Time & Constraints 15:09 Key Takeaways: Community Strengths, Concerns & Student Choice