A Partnership Program of the University of Virginia Institute for Environmental Negotiation, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Department of Forestry and the Department of Conservation and Recreation

VNRLI Session 6
June 6-8, 2012
Pre-Seminar Homework:

• Please update your "Letter for an A" as needed to reflect changes in your perspective, goals, etc. since you first wrote them. Send us an updated letter, or an email explaining that the original letter should stand as is (send by 5/20 to Will at wlc2du@virginia.edu).
  
• Bring a memento or symbol (real or imaginary) on Friday that symbolizes your experience in the Leadership Institute: what it has meant to you and/or what you are taking away. Please be prepared to speak briefly to share this with the class.
  
• Update your Personal Mission Statement as needed to reflect changes in your perspective, goals, etc. since you first wrote it. This is entirely personal and does not need to be shared with the class or us but we encourage you to share this either with the class if possible – bring it, or via the listserve.
  
  Special Processes:
  
  
• Read about Open Space group process:
  Open Space Technology, Doing an Open Space, and In the Beginning
  http://www.openspaceworld.org/english/openspace.htmlhttp://www.openspaceworld.org/english/intro.html
  http://www.openspaceworld.org/tmnfiles/2pageos.html
  
• Read about the application of Open Space by the Harrisonburg Mayor:
  http://www.kaidegner.com/2009/10/18/video-of-open-space-technology-for-harrisonburg-summits/
  
  
• TED lecture by Jonathan Haidt on the moral mind: the five moral values that form the basis of our political choices; http://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_on_the_moral_mind.html (previously viewed, a good refresher)
  
• Psychology of Human Response to Global Warming:http://videosift.com/video/Frogs-in-Boiling-Water-the-Psychology-of-Global-Warming
  
  Other Recommended Readings
  
• A recent article about climate change mentioning the Chesapeake Bay and concerns with hard armoring the shorelines: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/18/AR2009031804178.html
  
• Managing Transitions: Making the Most of Change, William Bridges, 1991
  
• Working Across Boundaries, Russ Linden, 2002
  
• Win-Win Ecology, Michael L. Rosenzweig, 2003
  
• Infinite Nature, R. Bruce Hull, 2006 (VNRLI Alumni)
  
• The Hockey Stick and the Climate Wars: Dispatches from the Front Lines, Michael E. Mann, 2012
  

VNRLI Session 5
April 25-27, 2012
Pre-Seminar Homework:

• Read The Leader of the Future, by William Taylor.  This article is an interview with Ron Heifetz of Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government ( in binder behind tab 5).
• Read Leading Resonant Teams by Daniel Goleman (in binder behind tab 5).
• Review (and revise as needed) your personal Mission Statement.
• IAP2 Public Participation Toolbox, International Association for Public Participation (in binder behind tab 5).
• From the Ground Up:  Please finish reading the ENTIRE book
• If desired, review environmental justice readings, including Issue Briefs on Environmental Justice: Reconsidering Equity, Balancing Burdens and Environmental Injustice: Factors and Influences

Suggested reading (Not Mandatory)

• Matewan, a 1987 film illustrating the events of a coalmine workers' strike and attempt to unionize in 1920 in a small town in the hills of West Virginia.  Starring James Earl Jones.
• Prodigal Summer, by Barbara Kingsolver (2000), a novel set in Virginia's southwest and about environmental and community issues.
• Red, White and Black: The Peoples of Early North America, by Gary Nash (1999), an interpretive account of the interactions between Native Americans, African Americans, and Euroamericans during the colonial and revolutionary eras.  Helpful for understanding coal country.
• Environmental Justice Resource Center at Clark Atlanta University: www.ejrc.cau.edu
• "What is Environmental Justice?  Principles of Environmental Justice (EJ)," 17 principles drafted by delegates to the First National People of Color Environmental Leadership Summit, held October 24-27, 1991 in Washington, DC.  www.ejrc.cau.edu/princej.html
• Big Stone Gap, by Adrianna Trigiani (2001), a fictional story set in this small Appalachia town that we may visit!
• Emotional Intelligence, by Daniel Goleman (1995).
• Coal Country: A full-length feature film by Mari-Lynn Evans and Phylis Geller. A dramatic look at modern coal mining. Miners along with activists battle coal companies in Appalachia. More info on facebook: http://www.coalcountrythemovie.com/
• NPR piece where host Jeff Young visits coal country activist Maria Gunnoe, who is fighting to stop the mining practice known as mountaintop removal.  Gunnoe won the prestigious Goldman Prize, sometimes called the Green Nobel. http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=09-P13-00017&segmentID=3

VNRLI SESSION 4
March 14-16, 2012
Staunton, VA
Pre-Seminar Homework:

Leadership

• Read The Essentials of Servant-Leadership: Principles in Practice, by Gary Looper and Ann McGee-Cooper.
• Read On Character and Servant-Leadership: Ten Characteristics of Caring Leaders, by Larry Spears, Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership
• Write and BRING a short description (no more than 100 words) of a personal and/or professional leadership challenge you are facing in your life that you would appreciate a chance to discuss confidentially with others. Describe the essence of the issue, why it is a challenge (in what ways are your leadership competencies being challenged?), how urgent it is, and how long you have been dealing with it. There will be an opportunity to discuss these on Wednesday or Thursday evening in session 4 or in session 5.
• If you have not done so already, develop a mission statement and identify your primary roles and corresponding goals.

Negotiation, Positions & Interests

• Reread and refresh your memory of Getting To Yes
• TMDL Negotiation Role Play: please read and prepare for your role before you arrive!  Read the scenario and your individual role.  Complete the “Preparing for Negotiation” worksheets in advance.
• To prepare for your negotiation, please review various skills/processes you may wish to put to use in the negotiation, such as facilitation tips in Session 2 Manual; tools to build/test for consensus in Session 3 Manual; Thinking Hat process in Session 3 Manual, and interest-based negotiation materials on pages 49-57 of the Session 3 manual. You will have additional time at session 4 to prepare, but if you review the materials before the session, we will have more time for the actual negotiation.
• To prepare for your negotiation, complete the online exercise on Positions and Interests, developed by John Stephens at the UNC School of Government. E-mail Dr. Stephens at stephens@sog.unc.edu with your comments and suggestions. NOTE – LINK NOT CURRENTLY ACTIVE. WE ARE WORKING ON THIS AND WILL LET YOU KNOW AS SOON AS POSSIBLE HOW TO LINK TO THE ONLINE EXERCISE.

Land Use and Water Quality

• Read Issue Briefs: Sustainable Agriculture, Total Maximum Daily Loads, Local Food Systems, Nutrient Management Planning. (Some may be sent at later date.)
• Review readings to date (i.e., those that you haven’t yet been able to read J).

Above and Beyond: Resources for Those Interested (NOT Required):

• The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, by Michael Pollan.  Polyface Farm is featured in this book about the state of agriculture in the US.
• Hope’s Edge, by Frances Moore Lappe (2003), about sustainable agriculture and community food systems throughout the world.
• Leadership Without Easy Answers, by Ronald Heifetz (1994).
• Addressing the Slippery Creek Toxic Waste Problem. A thorough, multi-stage role-play simulation with preparation questions and links to many resources:
  http://www.environmentalframing.org/option2.shtml?nid=6763
• TMDL website at the U.S. EPA: http://www.epa.gov/owow/tmdl
• Frequently Asked Questions about TMDLs: http://www.deq.state.va.us/tmdl/faq.html
• In preparation for viewing Jonathan Haidt’s TED Lecture at the session, explore your own moral values: http://www.yourmorals.org/
• Ted Talk by Joel Salatin http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-T9UaP1AsMI “If we devote ourselves to sacredness in our vocations, the world will rise to meet us.”
• Written Statement CHESAPEAKE BAY TMDL Hearing of the Subcommittee on Conservation, Energy and Forestry - Click here
• Virginia Poultry Federation Comments on Draft Chesapeake Bay TMDL - Click here

VNRLI SESSION 3 – Richmond, VA
January 11-13, 2012

Meeting/Lodging Site: Roslyn Retreat Center, 8727 River Road
Room rates: $92.60/night per person single occupancy and $81.36/night per person double occupancy.  Prices include tax. More details to come by email. 

Session 3 Homework

Leadership: Synergy and Renewal

• Read ‘Emotional Leadership’ chapter (previously handed out by Mike Foreman)

Developing and Building Consensus

• Session 3 Manual, pay particular attention to values & processes on pages 54-60  
  
• Six Thinking Hats, skim entire book

Environmental Economics

• Take 3 minutes to determine your ecological footprint online at http://www.myfootprint.org/ and record the results 
• Green GNP readings in your binder, including Growth Will Solve Environmental Problems and Market Dynamics at Work: Natural Resource Scarcity
• The Tragedy of the Commons by Garrett Hardin
• Ecosystem Services: A Guide for Decision Makers (quick guide). Download at http://www.wri.org/publication/ecosystem-services-a-guide-for-decision-makers 

Land Use

• Issue Briefs: Smart Growth and Conservation of Open Space, The Dillon Rule
• Sprawl in Virginia: Is Dillon the Villain?

Legislative Process

• Check out http://legis.state.va.us/1_cit_guide/cit_welcome.html to brush up on Virginia’s legislative process
  

 Recommended Readings (NOT Required)

• Hard Green, Peter Huber, 1999
• Infinite Nature, R. Bruce Hull, 2006
• Natural Capitalism, Hawken et al., 1999
• “The Value of the World’s Ecosystems and Natural Capital,” Nature, Costanza et al., 1997
• Building Consensus for a Sustainable Future: Putting principles into practice, Gerald Cormick, et al., 1996

Pre-session 2 Assignments
November 2-4, 2011
VNRLI Session 2: Northern Neck / Chesapeake Bay

• Read through the VNRLI Session 2 Manual
• Understanding Conflict Styles: Complete and self-score the “Style Matters” conflict style indicator at this website, TWO TIMES – one for “public settings” and one for “intimate settings”: http://peace.mennolink.org/cgi-bin/conflictstyle/inventory.cgi. Make sure you PRINT OUT AND BRING RESULTS to the session!  We will use them in an exercise.
• Reaching for Higher Ground:  Read the first 5 chapters.
• Review Higher Ground Worksheets in Session 2 Manual, pages 12-13.
• To prepare for Facilitation Exercise, read pages 35-36 of the session 2 manual and coordinate with your teammates to prepare your team’s role.
• Read/skim Facilitation Pocket Guide and:
• Identify two or three facilitation listening skills from Chapters 4, 5, or from this manual, that you will try using during your segment of the facilitation. Come prepared to use them, but be ready to be flexible.
• Identify one appropriate process tool from Chapter 6 or 8 or from this manual, to try using during your segment of the facilitation.

Leadership Competencies: Personal Leadership, Building Understanding

• Letter for an A, see page 42 of Session 1 Manual (submit by email by October 17).
• Draft a Personal Mission Statement using the worksheet in the VNRLI Session 1 Manual, page 41.  Your mission statement is private unless you decide otherwise.
• Seven Habits of Highly Effective People:  Read remainder of the book.

Conflict Management

• Understanding Conflict Styles: Complete and self-score the “Style Matters” conflict style indicator in your binder behind Tab 2; bring results to the session.
  

Reaching for Higher Ground

• Reaching for Higher Ground:  Read the first 5 chapters.
• Review Higher Ground Worksheets in Session 2 Manual, pages 12-14.
  

Facilitation

• To prepare for Facilitation Exercise, read pages 35-36 of the session 2 manual and coordinate with your teammates to prepare your team’s role.
• Read/skim Facilitation Pocket Guide and:
• Identify two or three facilitation listening skills from Chapters 4, 5, or from this manual, that you will try using during              your segment of the facilitation. Come prepared to use them, but be ready to be flexible.
• Identify one appropriate process tool from Chapter 6 or 8 or from this manual, to try using during your segment of the facilitation.

• From the Ground Up: Read Introduction & Chapters 1, 2 and 4.

Chesapeake Bay and Menhaden

• Read Chesapeake Bay Watershed and Atlantic Menhaden Issue Briefs
• Read reproduction of Chapter 1, The Most Important Fish in the Sea; Menhaden and America, H Bruce Franklin, Island Press, 2007
• African American menhaden fisheries experience and Chantey Singing: http://www.mdsg.umd.edu/MarineNotes/Jan-Feb00/index.html
• Watch PBS NOW program A Fish Tale - http://www.pbs.org/now/shows/229/index.html 

This online video is a great introduction to the issue.  The segment starts 8 minutes into the show.

Above and Beyond: Readings For Those Interested (not required)

• Menhaden Matter Report:  online at http://www.menhadenmatter.org/menhaden_report.pdf
• A Feb 28 2008 article on menhaden: www.alternet.org/water/73516/the_most_important_fish_you've_never_heard_of/
• The Most Important Fish in the Sea; Menhaden and America, H Bruce Franklin, Island Press, 2007
• Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission website: http://www.gsmfc.org/menhaden/
• Chesapeake Bay Blues:  Science, Politics, and the Struggle to Save the Bay, by Howard R. Ernst.
• Net losses:  Declaring War on the Menhaden; Mother Jones March-April 2006 http://motherjones.com/environment/2006/03/net-losses-declaring-war-menhaden
• Hard Green:  Saving the Environment from the Environmentalists:  A Conservative Manifesto, by Peter Huber.
• Beautiful Swimmers:  Watermen, Crabs and the Chesapeake Bay, by William W. Warner

Session 1
Graves Mountain Lodge
September 21-23, 2011

Pre-session 1 Assignments

This packet includes materials needed to complete the following pre-session 1 assignments:

Readings:

• The Essential Enneagram. Read and complete the self-assessment as best you can; come prepared to discuss.
• Once you’ve decided your Enneagram type, explore the resources for your type at the following website: http://www.breakoutofthebox.com/
• 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey; read the entire book.
• Getting to Yes, by Fisher and Ury; read the entire book.
• VNRLI Issue Briefs: Displacement in Shenandoah National Park and The Rise of Environmental Justice; read and be prepared to discuss.
• Conversation on Leadership with Jack & Carol Weber; read.