Blog Contributor: Hannah Marlen Lübker

Photo credit: Kalen Mawer

(Hannah is currently working on the first study of her PhD, a photovoice project, with environmental stewards in New Brunswick. The study consists of two interviews and the taking of photographs and explores empathy with human and non-human others.)

With my fieldwork almost completed and my time in New Brunswick coming to an end yet again, I found myself reflecting on the past three months, which were exciting, exhausting, and an overall transformative experience for me.

I set out to interview 30 environmental stewards – using a fairly broad definition of stewardship – and travel around the province to visit them in a place of their choosing. I had hoped that my interviews would feel like conversations between friends, and that I would not only get answers to my questions, but learn something about the person, their non-human companions, and the place they are stewarding as well.

My expectations were far exceeded, as many interviewees took me on little adventures: We went on an excursion guided by a horse, we hugged trees while praying to Jesus, we hiked various backyards, nature preserves, and national parks. Most days I came home covered in mud and mosquito bites, but with renewed hope that we can still make a change.

Not only is empathy the main topic of my research, it is the guiding principle of my work and the way in which I perceive this environment, which is still pretty novel to me. Exploring a forest with someone who is intimately familiar with every tree, listening to their stories, following along in my imagination, attuning myself to their point of view, opened up entirely new ways of connecting to both people and place.

While it is too early to report on results of this research, I can say with certainty that I have learned a lot, felt a lot, shared a lot, and that I am grateful for this community, who is not only fighting for nature, but doing so with unwavering love, care, humor, and creativity.