WWU's Gene Myers to Read from New Book, "Conservation Psychology," at Village Books on Oct. 10

DATE: September 29, 2009 2:08:00 PM PDT

Contact: Gene Myers, WWU associate professor of Environmental Studies, at (360) 650-4775.

BELLINGHAM – Western Washington University Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Gene Myers will read from and host a discussion on his new book, co-written by fellow psychologist Susan Clayton, “Conservation Psychology – Understanding and Promoting Human Care for Nature,” at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Village Books in Fairhaven.

Myers’ new book focuses primarily on two core areas: the role of the natural environment in human psychology and how behavioral psychology could play a greater role in the study and promotion of sustainability.

“We’re looking to find those edges, where psychology and the environment come together,” Myers said. “This is especially exciting and interesting work because conservation psychology as a discipline is still relatively new and unexplored.”

Conservation psychology exemplifies a wider movement including the social sciences in conservation. Myers recently returned from a MacArthur Foundation-funded meeting in Washington, D.C., where he worked with co-authors representing political science, economics, sociology, anthropology and human geography. They are crafting a book explaining the importance of these areas to protecting biodiversity, and examining conservation efforts through their disciplinary lenses.

“Being in Huxley’s interdisciplinary environment prepares me particularly well for this kind of collaboration,” Myers said.

For more information about “Conservation Psychology” or Myers’ research, contact him at (360) 650-4775 or gene.myers@wwu.edu.

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