Yale professor Martin Hagglund argues in his new book This Life that the purpose of our lives depends on our commitments. Framed another way, the lives we are trying to lead, the institutions we are trying to build, and the community we are trying to achieve are all reflected in the projects we undertake. As a community resource, LREC exists to enable and support these commitments, with an eye toward building an ecologically strong community. The mosaic of projects we craft together includes young people learning to care for nature, teachers learning new ways to equip their students to be citizens, graduate students fledging careers in research and environmental advocacy, and volunteers teaching and restoring the land.

In this issue of the newsletter, we’re pleased to highlight just a few of the ways commitments are brought to life. Eddie Jones shares a story of how a teacher is building young stewards of the land, James Faupel shares how our burn protocols have changed over time and how we are sharing our expertise in the community, and Chuck Wilson shares how he has observed change over the past year since we took a sycamore tree down.

Read, enjoy, and continue to nurture your commitments with us. Borrowing a tag line from Antioch University, the world needs you now.