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Transforming Iceland: Where Sustainability Meets Growth

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Alexander Cotnoir

George Washington University, Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP), National Science Teachers Association

Contributor

Kwaï! Ndeliwizi Alexander. Nojiawi Askaskwiwajoak. Hello! My name is Alexander Cotnoir, I grew up in Vermont and I'm a citizen of the Nulhegan Band of the Coosuk Abenaki Tribe. I grew up making maple syrup with my family and working with local farmers, which inspired my love of local foods, climate resilient solutions, and forests. I’m a recent graduate from The George Washington University’s Graduate School of Education and Human Development, where I earned my degree in teaching.

I majored in Environmental Studies as an undergraduate at Dartmouth College. During my junior and senior years, I conducted research in the White Mountains at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest, where I completed my thesis on how maple, beech, and ash mast-driven fluctuations in the abundance of seed consumers affects reproductive success in shrub-nesting migratory birds.

I’ve also completed field research projects examining the impacts of over-harvesting, overgrazing, and forest-edge removal on Indigenous communities’ traditional medicines, organic farming practices, and foods in South Africa, Namibia, and Costa Rica. These experiences showed me that rural and Indigenous communities face many similar challenges no matter where they are in the world, and inspired me to pursue more community engagement and outreach work moving forward.

Today, my passions lie in community building, STEM education, and supporting Indigenous environmental storytellers – educators, journalists, and scientists who are committed to communicating their research, Indigenous knowledge, and the impacts of climate change on livelihoods and cultural practices, thus inspiring people to act. I hope to help build more inclusive spaces as a Co-Founder and Program Coordinator for Planet Forward’s Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP).

Featured Story
Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents highlight diverse perspectives in environmental communication at Planet Forward Summit

Members of the ICP convened this April at the Planet Forward Summit for a long weekend of interesting conversations, community-building, and celebrations of their storytelling work from the past year. Keep reading

Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents highlight diverse perspectives in environmental communication at Planet Forward Summit

Stories

Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents highlight diverse perspectives in environmental communication at Planet Forward Summit
Alexander Cotnoir

George Washington University, Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP), National Science Teachers Association

Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents highlight diverse perspectives in environmental communication at Planet Forward Summit
Ilíiaitchik Correspondents learn the art of the interview
Alexander Cotnoir

George Washington University, Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP), National Science Teachers Association

A camera on a tripod captures an interview happening in the distance on a sunny day between two people.
Introducing our inaugural Indigenous Correspondents
Alexander Cotnoir

George Washington University, Ilíiaitchik: Indigenous Correspondents Program (ICP), National Science Teachers Association

Introducing our inaugural Indigenous Correspondents

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