INspired by Dr. Elinor Ostrom
by Astrid Scholz and Kristen Sheeran
October 14, 2009 — Please join Ecotrust in congratulating Dr. Elinor Ostrom for her recent Nobel Prize in Economics. Dr. Ostrom’s research on community based management of common property resources has revolutionized our understanding of the relationships between human societies and ecosystems and has demonstrated concrete community-based solutions for preserving our natural resources. By demonstrating the importance of institutional arrangements, social norms, and collective action for ecosystem management, Ostrom’s work transgressed the traditional divide in the conservation community between those favoring privatization of resources and those favoring more centralized regulation. Her writings, based on years of applied study of successful community-based solutions to resource issues, informs and inspires Ecotrust in its efforts to design new ways to protect our region’s forests, fisheries, and other natural resources. We congratulate Dr. Ostrom for her lifetime achievements and the Nobel committee for recognizing that the economic and ecological crises confronting us demand new and innovative thinking.
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