Center for Human-Environmental Research (CHER): An Introduction
The history and identity of the human species is the product of our interactions with our environment; economically, socially, artistically, and even spiritually. Today, many aspects of our lives are fundamentally tied, and threatened by, changing environments and impacts of human activities on earth. Based in Southeast Louisiana, CHER is interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to studying the immense diversity of human responses to the environments in which they have lived. With Research Associates spanning the fields of anthropology, archaeology, sociology, biology, economics, philosophy, political science, public policy, green development, and fine arts, our organization is aimed at giving scholars a supportive space in which to develop innovative approaches for addressing social problems stemming from our planet's changing environment. CHER is particularly focused on issues of coastal land loss in Southeast Louisiana, with research and outreach activities focused on community resilience, ecological sustainability, environmental justice, and the documentation of threatened cultural heritage.
What Makes CHER Different?
At CHER, we know that it is very easy to become weary of environmental nonprofit groups, many of which are abbreviated with catchy acronyms (like ours). Against this backdrop, however, there are a few things that set CHER apart:
First, we focus on people, and the interactions between people and their environments. Our research is aimed at understanding how human-environmental interactions permeate all aspects of human life, even if it is not always obvious. In this respect, we are especially concerned with the impacts of growing environmental problems on human communities.
Second, we seek to strengthen coastal communities not simply by fixing environmental problems but instead by holistically augmenting social and economic systems, as well as the environmental contexts in which human activities occur. In this respect, we seek to address environmental problems by strengthening human communities.
Third, we seek to use cutting-edge science to find most efficient, practical, and innovative measures that can be taken to strengthen human communities, human-environmental interactions, and the environmental contexts in which we live.
It is our holistic approach and our focus on the human dimension of environmental problems that set us apart from other environmental nonprofit organizations.
News and Events:
March 6th: CHER is pleased to partner with Delta Discovery Tours in hosting the Empire Symposium on Human Foraging Systems, April 16-17th, 2024.
March 1st: CHER announces its support of the Aquatic Biodiversity International Conference, in Sibiu, Romania, Sept. 20-24th, 2024. Our support is part of the UNESCO-supported Estuarine Ecological Knowledge Network initiative.