Community-based Ecological Justice Indicators and Radical Care

Tis research explores the question “can engagement with remediation and
restoration processes foster closer relationships with nature?” To answer this
question, two case study sites are being studied: the St. Louis River Estuary in the
United States and the Kymijoki here in Finland. Trough environmental history
research and community-based research, I am developing a community-informed ecological justice framework. Ecological justice is an emerging concept to redefne our relationship with the natural world. At its heart is a rejection of the false dichotomy between humanity and nature, and an acknowledgement of our deep connection to nature and our responsibility to protect nature. The heart of this research is the communities’ relationships with the rivers, and their perspectives on the history of the rivers.

Ecological justice indicators and hot spots important to the community are
being identifed through a series of three workshops. While the concept of
ecological justice is new for most stakeholders, they have embraced the concept
and are eager to learn more. Tis shif in perspective—centering the river as a
stakeholder—has opened new possibilities for applying justice-oriented thinking in local environmental work. Te next phase of this research will explore how the framework can be translated into regulatory tools, such as environmental assessments or planning guidelines, to embed ecological justice more concretely into built environment governance.