Nature State of Mind: SUNY Students Reflect on Our Environment, a project spearheaded by Stony Brook University researchers, has been launched as an ambitious effort to highlight the connection between humanity and the environment. The initiative culminates in a book that features contributions from 70 student artists and writers from 13 different SUNY schools, capturing the diverse natural landscapes of New York State through various artistic expressions.
David Taylor, associate professor at the School of Marine and Atmospheric Sciences and interim division head of the Sustainability Studies program, served as the faculty advisor for the project. He noted that the book was inspired by a previous publication, "Forever Wild," which was the result of an effort led by students in Stony Brook's Environmental Club. "Forever Wild was published around the same time as Earthstock was taking place in 2023," Taylor stated. He suggested the current project as a broader initiative to include multiple SUNY schools.
The project involved forming two research classes, allowing participating students extensive collaborative opportunity over a year. "We sorted out an email list so that we could reach as many people as possible," Taylor explained. "We received contributions, and we also sent out more solicitations to make sure we could get as many participants as possible."
Alanna Earls, one of the students involved, highlighted the significance of the project: "Putting this book together was important to me because it really shows that students care about and are inspired by their local environments." Esther Poon, also part of the team, echoed this sentiment. "We wanted to find a way to unite the SUNYs through environmental literature and art," she said.
According to Taylor, the response from other SUNY schools was highly supportive. "We really wanted other like-minded people to participate and be involved, and I was really happy with the SUNY schools that stepped up and contributed," he remarked.
Proceeds from the book will go to the New York State Outdoor Educators Association, a non-profit organization focused on outdoor and environmental education.
Taylor intends to present the project at the Climate Solutions Summit NYC on Governor’s Island in late April. He believes such initiatives emphasize the impact that university campuses and their environments have on student life: "The SUNY schools are in this together. We need to think about how we value our campuses and the environment around those campuses, and to show that they have an enormous impact on student lives in ways we don’t really fully think about enough."
Nature State of Mind is currently available for purchase through Barnes and Noble Press.