Heidi Steltzer - Ways of knowing through science, spirituality, and giving community a voice amongst the awe inspiring San Juan Mountains and deserts of the Four Corners Region, Colorado

Awakening Lands

Today we talk to the dynamic and relentless seeker for how we all can better care for the Earth, Heidi Steltzer. Heidi knows that a just, equal, and sustainable world is possible. She is an environmental scientist and explorer, and finds awe and wonder in places on Earth that many people never see. She has some stories about places like Antarctica and remote alpine landscapes. It is her many travels to high latitudes, to the poles, where she has been able to bear witness to our changing earth. Her approach to sciencing is refreshing; her priority is not prestige, but something bigger. She wants to help others so we can use science as a tool to make decisions and engage in practices that are good for all. She is an advocate for identifying common ground and mutual understanding, bringing people of all backgrounds together for gathering, connection, and celebration. Most of the time, you can find Heidi somewhere in the mountains or deserts surrounding Cortez or Durango Colorado. She is a resident of the San Juan watershed, part of the Colorado River Basin. Follow Heidi on social media @HeidiMountains.

If Heidi’s story inspired you, check out some recommendations she shared when asked about influential resources, learnings, and networks she has come across over her lifetime.

1) Believe in yourself, trust your intuition & find people who support you being you. This may take some time. Allow for this to take time & be different than you think. Where/how to go about this in a culture that doesn’t often provide the space…you know where…the Earth. She is wise & here to guide us.

2) I have a PhD in ecosystem science, which is a systems way of thinking. The systems way of the thinking can be developed many ways without formal education. I believe it is something we can all do. Look at what is and think ‘huh, I wonder why’. Why are the trees dead, the fish gone, the soil bare. And why is that shrub thriving, that soil so dark brown, that flower blooming now. Then lol past what we first notice to what else is going on. The subtle that may be the secret to figuring out why. Shift our attention to a different location nearby, a different moment in time, a person or being other than a human who shows up to offer a tidbit of insight. A piece of the puzzle we are working to assemble. For ourselves & then to share with others. Are our puzzles looking similar, cool! Different, also cool. Integrating different viewpoints is critical to systems thinking.

3) Talk with others about your ideas, passions, work. Talking with just a few, growing that into more. Relationships are key. Not being right. Let ideas go so new ones can arrive. Step into spaces that challenge us to listen, knowing that our ideas may be different. I have learned so much by this. Towards understanding a whole, big, wide-open of what I haven’t yet considered.

4) lived-experience! Doing something & all we have already done. Make a pamphlet, give a talk, plant a tree, pick up trash. Each and all or experiences are rich! See beyond the action itself to what showed up in us during the activity. Especially if it didn’t go well. I hosted an event this fall that was not well attended. I thought, hmmm. And took the time to meet one-on-one with each person who came. The lesson was to invest more in who comes without concern about who didn’t come. And to provide more notice so more folks could choose to come.

5) an impartial list: Association for Contextual & Behavioral Science Climate Justice & Action Special Interest group, Voices for Science & the Thriving Earth Exchange with the American Geophysical Union, local public health department, local center for science education (a museum), women in the mountains groups, local conservation land trust, staying connected with students in my courses, local churches, Climatebase, Center for Snow & Avalanche Studies…community-centered groups in my region have been more important than prestigious institutes. More folks looking for what can work & people I will see more often in person & in many settings. (Check out this great seminar she gave on her story at ProSocial World).

6) new experiment is theology school at the Iliff School of Theology. A space to learn with others about connection to the Divine & what religion is & can be.

7) books! I read a lot as a way to connect with brilliance of ideas across the ages. Much is not new and can be developed more efficiently with the insights of wise folks of other eras, other cultures, races, beliefs.

Best way I can describe my journey. I welcome interest in the soon-to-exist newsletter/blog I’ll be doing. Folks can email to let me know their interest. I’ll be sharing resources through it.

You can follow along as we continue to weave this story on our Substack at awakeninglands.substack.com.

If you'd like to support Anna and Benji to continue weaving stories through Awakening Lands, you can do that from our Patreon Page at https://www.patreon.com/awakening_lands.

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