Led by: Forrest Fleischman and Kristen Nelson
Current Team Members: Meghan Klasic (Research Lead), Audrey Robeson (Graduate Student), Samuel Ronneberg (Graduate Student), Hailey Draper (Graduate Student), Aaron Whittemore (Graduate Student)
Past Team Members: Elana Zien (Graduate Student), Shanell Lovelace (Graduate Student), Maeve Christlieb (Undergraduate Student), Emma Grover (Undergraduate Student), Claire Lister (Undergraduate Student), Adam Brodsky (Undergraduate Student), Madyson Hoese
Research Overview
Although much is known about policies and practices that might protect the environment, the effectiveness of these policies and why some communities adopt them while others do not is unclear. MSP has numerous local governments, many of which have adopted innovative environmental policies and practices. We are taking advantage of this diversity to study how people advocate for improved environmental outcomes, helping to identify effective strategies. We are especially interested in understanding the continued disparities in environmental quality based on race and class in MSP -- their history as well as the advocacy strategies that can overcome them.
Related Blog Posts
Urban Pollination is Everybody’s ‘Buzziness’ in the Twin Cities
December 21, 2023
By Meghan Klasic, Postdoctoral Researcher in the University of Minnesota Department of Forest Resources, and the MSP LTER Governance Team
What makes someone rethink their lawn? With help from the MSP LTER Bee Lawn/Pollinators team, Meghan Klasic and other social scientists in the Governance Team surveyed residents open to "pollinator-friendly" lawn management—digging into how they care for their lawns, what they think about pollinators, and how local norms shape their choices.