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Findings:
What We Learned...
 Through residents' local environmental knowledge, intricate social networks, organizations and existing forms of activism -- such as gardening, historic preservation, and family gatherings -- we see their investment in the region and genuine interest in its sustainability for future generations. However, the majority of the local population has not been engaged in formal environmental processes. Therefore, we recommend that policy makers, environmentalists and other interested parties turn to local forms of organizing to engage residents as stewards of the region.
- Environment is not only greenspaces and wilderness areas, but also quality of life issues including economic security, health, safety, education and local aesthetics. Calumet residents tell us these parts of their everyday lives make up their environment.
Personal Histories Influence Activism
- Length of residence in the area creates a lens through which individuals make sense of their surroundings. 'Old-timers' see the area through the lens of the steel mills where they worked and formed social bonds. New residents are without this context and have come to the region for other reasons. These groups have different and sometimes conflicting priorities and visions of their community's future.
- The region contains a diverse resident population, and social-groups have different forms of organizing, mobilizing and effecting change in communities. However they share common concerns, activities and interests that could serve as entry points for future collaboration.
Informal Activism Matters
- The goals of many Community Based Organizations (CBOs) and other formal activist groups don't always represent the interests of the majority of residents in a community. But, lack of participation in formal venues does not indicate a lack of interest or involvement, nor does it preclude residents from future participation in community activities.
- All forms of activism are important. Whether residents are formally or informally active in communities, their concern and interest in their environment is an important asset that can be tapped.
Valuing Nature: Access vs. Preservation
- While many residents and other interested parties value greenspaces, residents' perceptions of a 'healthy greenspace' often do not align with a biodiversity conservation approach. Perceptions range from one extreme to the other -- from attempting to restore natural habitats to a pristine, pre-human contact state, to measuring health by the abundancy of resources that can be extracted. In the first case, access to pristine areas is often restricted. In the latter case, access to resources is desired. Such contrasting perceptions, however, don't always lead to conflict, particularly when discussion and compromise occur in the interest of keeping the natural areas 'healthy.'
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