Contemplative Forestry with Dr. Jason Brown
The current conversation about forests and forestry is often polarized. These strong feelings about forest management are rooted in our worldviews. Each of us sees forests through the lens of our culture and knowledge paradigm. During this workshop, participants will explore a contemplative approach to forestry as a middle way between extremes. "Contemplative" has many meanings but is often associated with silent meditation and spirituality. A contemplative forestry however, does not take a "hands off" view of forest management, rather it 1) values manual work as a form of spiritual practice, 2) is willing to allow forests to "speak" for themselves, 3) is humble enough to admit that there are some aspects of life we don't have words or concepts for, and 4) sees forestry as a mutually beneficial, place-based vocation. Participants are invited to bring their ideas, opinions, experiences, stories, and tall tales.
About Dr. Jason Brown:
Jason Brown was born and raised in Southern California and studied anthropology and international development as an undergraduate at Brigham Young University. He has lived in Vancouver, BC since 2013 and became a Canadian citizen in 2024. He earned joint master's degrees in forestry and theology from Yale. He completed his PhD in 2017 from the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES) at the University of British Columbia. His dissertation research explored the sense of place and attachment to land of contemporary Catholic monks in the American West. The dissertation was published as Dwelling in the Wilderness: Modern Monks in the American West (2024). As a Lecturer at Simon Fraser University Jason teaches courses in religious studies and ecological humanities for the department of Global Humanities. Since 2023, he has piloted an ecological chaplaincy program at Simon Fraser University which seeks to bring contemplative practice to build resilience to climate anxiety and ecological grief. Jason is an Affiliate Forest Profession AFP with the Forest Professionals British Columbia (FPBC).
He writes at www.holyscapes.org
Where: on Zoom
Tickets: free, limited to 90
