Mapping Stakeholders

According to the National Environmental Education Foundation (2015), an environmentally literate person is someone who "makes informed decisions concerning the environment; is willing to act on these decisions to improve the well-being of other individuals, societies, and the global environment; and participates in civic life" (p. 11). [...]at times they skim over the second and third elements (acting on these decisions and participat1 1 in civic life), as these elements move into the messy and often controversy¡ ¡ political dimensions of place. Because science is a social endeavor influenced by cultural norms and social values (McComas 2004), it is vital that students learn how to have open communication and democratic discussion about all environmental issues-even those that are socially controversial. Fish farmers draw on the resources of the wetlands for their livelihood; industrial companies are working to develop new petrochemical projects in the area; and grass-roots, nongovernment organizations are pushing for laws that would protect the wetland and its endangered species through limited use. Identify the stakeholders and their positions The mapping stakeholders learning activity supports students in analyzing the consequences and tradeoffs of policy alternatives by considering the three pillars of sustainability (society, economics, and environment) as well as taking community values into account.