Warm greetings and thanks for being here.
Bio
Stephen Posner, PhD, is originally from Baltimore and is currently based in northern Vermont. He is a Senior Fellow for Planetary Health with the Garrison Institute.
His work aims to transform how we understand, value, and care for nature. Currently, he focuses on frameworks for assessing nature, integrating ways of knowing, creating conditions for ethical action, and promoting positive change toward a more compassionate and resilient world. He is also a global affiliate for environment and agroecology with the University of Vermont and an appointed co-author for a national assessment of nature with The Nature Record.
His perspective is shaped by over two decades of environmental leadership across sectors, through which he has convened powerful coalitions and developed multi-year initiatives related to biodiversity and climate.
He received a Ph.D. in natural resources and ecological economics from the University of Vermont, studied science education at Stanford, and earned a B.S. in astrophysics from Haverford. He has completed training in Earth awareness, global sustainability, complexity, and Indigenous environmental health with organizations such as the Santa Fe Institute, Columbia University, and the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center.
Previous work
Previously, as Director of Environmental Policy and Partnerships with the University of Vermont, I helped form a new Climate Impacts Measurement Center, launched a university-wide research theme, and founded a science-policy alliance among UVM, Stanford, Cornell, Duke, and Princeton. I also led teams in producing science assessments for policy leaders, for example the Vermont Climate Assessment 2020 and biodiversity assessments for the USDA Office of the Chief Economist.
Before that, I worked in Washington, DC to integrate science and federal policy, and worked with the World Resources Institute to deliver complex, multi-partner analyses with global companies and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
My first real job was to care for trees with Carroll Tree Service, Inc in Baltimore County, Maryland.
These efforts have:
Bio
Stephen Posner, PhD, is originally from Baltimore and is currently based in northern Vermont. He is a Senior Fellow for Planetary Health with the Garrison Institute.
His work aims to transform how we understand, value, and care for nature. Currently, he focuses on frameworks for assessing nature, integrating ways of knowing, creating conditions for ethical action, and promoting positive change toward a more compassionate and resilient world. He is also a global affiliate for environment and agroecology with the University of Vermont and an appointed co-author for a national assessment of nature with The Nature Record.
His perspective is shaped by over two decades of environmental leadership across sectors, through which he has convened powerful coalitions and developed multi-year initiatives related to biodiversity and climate.
He received a Ph.D. in natural resources and ecological economics from the University of Vermont, studied science education at Stanford, and earned a B.S. in astrophysics from Haverford. He has completed training in Earth awareness, global sustainability, complexity, and Indigenous environmental health with organizations such as the Santa Fe Institute, Columbia University, and the National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center.
Previous work
Previously, as Director of Environmental Policy and Partnerships with the University of Vermont, I helped form a new Climate Impacts Measurement Center, launched a university-wide research theme, and founded a science-policy alliance among UVM, Stanford, Cornell, Duke, and Princeton. I also led teams in producing science assessments for policy leaders, for example the Vermont Climate Assessment 2020 and biodiversity assessments for the USDA Office of the Chief Economist.
Before that, I worked in Washington, DC to integrate science and federal policy, and worked with the World Resources Institute to deliver complex, multi-partner analyses with global companies and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development.
My first real job was to care for trees with Carroll Tree Service, Inc in Baltimore County, Maryland.
These efforts have:
- Developed new collaborations that bridge traditions in science, policy, and practice to improve planetary health and resilience.
- Guided organizations to assess their interdependence with nature and learn how to handle it with care.
- Designed strategic initiatives to invest in nature and people.
- Contributed to 50+ peer-reviewed publications and technical reports on systems change, biodiversity and nature, economics, and policy, along with public-facing pieces in outlets such as the New York Times, The Hill, and Bloomberg Law. My Google Scholar profile has more info about publications. https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=u4Er1EkAAAAJ&hl=en
Photos I've taken or appeared in:
Sunlight and snow in Hinesburg, Vermont, US
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Sea snails in Port Mouton, Nova Scotia, Canada
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Looking south from the top of Camel's Hump, Vermont
Renewing our love for Earth while celebrating the Earth Charter with Sally Linder, Sam Crowell, Tristan Leggett, and a young tree we planted next to a tree planted 25 years earlier at the same site in Shelburne Farms, Vermont
The "Renewing Our Love For Earth" event drew about 1000 participants and featured The Ark of Hope, created by Sally Linder
Land-based practices, meditation, and nature awareness study have been important parts of my life for many years.
Gathering in a prayer circle with Mayan and Hawaiian teachers
Climbing has been an important part of my life for over 20 years, drawing me to places like Yosemite, the Gunx, Seneca Rock, the Adirondacks, and the Pyrenees.
On-sighting a memorable route called "Moons of Pluto" in Smith Rock, Oregon. As an astrophysics major in college, I kept trying to remember the names of Pluto's moons, which are named after mythical figures of the underworld like Nix -- the mother of Charon -- and Hydra.
Enjoying a nice fall day on an enjoyable route called "Radical Sabbatical" in Bolton, Vermont
