Last spring, Nancy Lowry '94 orga- nized a lecture series on the theme of "Spirituality and Human Ecology" for her senior project at College of the Atlantic. Steven Rockefeller, professor of religion at Middlebury College, was COA NEWS the second speaker in the series. We are pleased to be able to print his talk, "Walking in Beauty.' The lecture WINTER 1994/1995 COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC BAR HARBOR, MAINE series was supported by a grant from the Maine Humanities Council. "Walking in Beauty" by Steven C. Rockefeller Any comprehensive program of environmental studies includes an inquiry into environmental ethics and the religious dimension of life. Conversely, the study of ethics and the spiritual life is incomplete without consideration of the inter- dependence of people and the non-human realms of nature. In this essay, my primary con- cern is the role of religious experi- ence in shaping human attitudes toward nature and in enriching human life by deepening the inter- action between people and nature. I would like to approach this topic through an initial discussion of environmental literacy. Environmental Literacy A good general definition of envi- ronmental literacy is found in a recent report of the National Commission on the Environment, which was formed by the World Wildlife Fund under the leader- ship of Russ Train. In the report, entitled "Choosing a Sustainable Future," environmental literacy is defined as "the knowledge, skills, and ethical values" that citizens need in order to cooperate in achieving sustainable development and environmental protection. (1) In this definition there are three elements of environmental literacy. An intellectual under- standing of ecology and related fields is not enough. One needs Missa Gaia: This Is My Body, etching by Judith Anderson. Gaia is the ancient Earth Mother continued on page 6 Goddess. In the artist's vision, all creatures come from and return to Gaia. President's Message 2 Carpenter's "A Keeper of INSIDE: Campus Highlights 21 Sheep" 11 Saving Species 3 New Dormitory 24 Art and Computers 14 China and Russia Linkups 5 PLUS: Gubernatorial Tributes 16 Professor Gains Senate Seat 6 Debate Photo Spread News Notes 18 12-13 COA News The Newsletter of College of the Atlantic Winter 1994/1995 A Message from the President PRESIDENT Steven K. Katona On Wednesday, September 7, 1994 President Steven Katona welcomed College of the CHAIRMAN OF THE Atlantic's largest incoming class. In his convocation speech, President Katona spoke of the suc- BOARD OF TRUSTEES cesses the college has enjoyed, but also of the challenges that continue to face the institution as Edward McC. Blair it heads towards the 21st century. DEAN OF INSTITUTIONAL ADVANCEMENT Karen Cadbury College of the Atlantic began as an effort by concerned citizens from the Bar Har- bor community to bring increased intellectual diversity, environmental awareness EDITOR: Carl Little and economic stability to Mount Desert Island, while still maintaining the island's WRITERS: Kelly Sheets Dickson, special nature and quality of life. Nancy Stevick, lan Helfrich, Carl Little, Etta Kralovec Mooser, The design, purpose and function of this college were unusual, even discomfort- Patti D'Angelo ing. College of the Atlantic had no reputation and it was not clear how its unique degree, a B.A. in human ecology, would be regarded. The college-not just the peo- Special thanks to Karen Cadbury. ple who comprised it, but the institution itself-declared that all was not well in the COA News is published three world and that it was the responsibility of the faculty and students to help "fix" the times a year. It is circulated to problems. alumni, students, parents, and friends of Fixing was needed at the institutional level, where traditional colleges separated College of the Atlantic. knowledge into isolated departments and disciplines. Fixing was needed at the orga- PRINTER nizational level, where theoretical knowledge was imparted unilaterally and hierarchi- Downeast Printing cally from professor to student, with different genders, ages or races often receiving and Graphics disparate portions. And most important, fixing was needed at the ecological and DESIGNER environmental level, where the status quo was producing an alarming range of prob- Z Studio lems that seemed to be accelerating in number. Now, 23 years after the College of the Atlantic first accepted these challenges, the institution, its faculty, staff and students remain committed to the college's origi- COA's logo: nal goals and ideals. By all indicators, including general reputation, rankings in col- What does it mean? lege guides, student satisfaction and achievement, faculty accomplishments, improvement in facilities, successes of graduates and attainment of financial stabili- ty, the college is flourishing. More than ever before, our institution has gained friendship, support and cooper- ation from the communities on Mount Desert Island, throughout the state of Maine and elsewhere. At the same time, our students and staff have gained the respect of Mary K. Eliot designed the colleagues in academia. COA logo in 1971 using pre- Christian symbols found in the The college has achieved a great deal in the years since 1972, and now rests on a Book of Signs. considerably more substantial foundation. Even so, students and teachers who elect th to come here still need a bold, pioneering spirit to help put knowledge to work in new ways. In addition to continuing ongoing programs, we hope to blaze important new is the symbol for tree trails together, including finding better partnerships between economics and ecology X and participating in the developing environmental justice movement. We will also strive to communicate our findings more effectively and convincingly to each other, for humans and to our colleagues and to the general public. That is a tall order for all of us and for this institution, but I am confident in our potential to live up to these challenges. Good luck to all of you and thanks for all that for the ocean. you will contribute to College of the Atlantic and the island community during the The three signs are intertwined coming years. in a circle symbolizing the earth and the universe. printed on recycled paper COA NEWS 2 WINTER 1994/1995