Summer 2011: Wilding Vancouver, A Summer Institute in Dialogue

May 9 - June 24. 10 credits (DIAL 390W, 391W).

The City of Vancouver is frequently voted the most livable city in the world. The city is uniquely bounded by the Georgia Strait, the Fraser River and the Coastal mountains. In 2010, Mayor Gregor Robertson declared that Vancouver would attempt to be the world's Greenest City  by 2020. How are efforts to green the city related to wilding the city? What does wilderness have to do with Vancouver? And, how might we think through the process of educating towards a greener and wilder Vancouver?

We will explore concepts of urban ecology, urban wilderness, living buildings, local food systems, ecosystem restoration and living in place. We will also consider public space, wild space and what it would mean for the future of Vancouver to be wild. 

Be prepared to explore Vancouver by foot, bike and bus to investigate systems, connections and places as well as explore the boundaries of urban spaces. We are planning indoor and outdoor adventures and overnight opportunities in nearby wilderness during this innovative and experiential Summer Semester in Dialogue.

FACULTY

Janet Moore is an Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University's Centre for Dialogue. She has imagined, designed and facilitated courses that focus on community engagement, resilience, lifestyle activism, food systems, group process and urban sustainability at UBC, SFU and the Great Northern Way Campus (a collaboration of UBC, SFU, BCIT and Emily Carr). Janet is currently the University Teaching Fellow for the SFU Faculty of Environment and a research associate with the SFU Centre for Sustainable Community Development. She keeps busy raising two kids and dreaming of life as a social entrepreneur/urban farmer.

Sean Blenkinsop is an Assistant Professor and Co-Director of the SFU Imaginative Education Research Group. Sean grew up in Northern Ontario and has a long of history as an outdoor, environmental and experiential educator. Doctoral work completed at Harvard University was philosophical in nature with an interest in choice, dialogue-archive, community and freedom. He is active in research relating to culturally inclusive imaginative education that focuses on Aboriginal youth. Current research interests are might be situated in the area of eco-philosophy focusing on epistemological and ontological questions related to ecological worldviews, semiotics, education for community flourishing, indigeneity and wilderness as teacher.