The American Society for Environmental History (ASEH) is a professional society for the field of
environmental history
Environmental history is the study of Human impact on the environment, human interaction with the natural world over time, emphasising the active role nature plays in influencing human affairs and vice versa.
Environmental history first emerged ...
. The ASEH was founded in 1977 and its mission is to increase understanding of current environmental issues by analyzing their historical background. The ASEH promotes scholarship and teaching in environmental history, supports the professional needs of its members, and connects their work with larger communities. The organization's goals are to expand the understanding of the history of human interaction with the natural world, to foster dialogue with multiple disciplines and the public, and to support global environmental history that benefits the public and scholarly communities.
Activities
The ASEH co-publishes the quarterly journal ''
Environmental History
Environmental history is the study of Human impact on the environment, human interaction with the natural world over time, emphasising the active role nature plays in influencing human affairs and vice versa.
Environmental history first emerged ...
'' with the
Forest History Society
The Forest History Society is an American non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of forest and conservation history."Forest History Society." Echo Project. Center for History and New Media, George Mason University. http://echo.gmu. ...
through
Oxford University Press
Oxford University Press (OUP) is the publishing house of the University of Oxford. It is the largest university press in the world. Its first book was printed in Oxford in 1478, with the Press officially granted the legal right to print books ...
, as well as a quarterly newsletter, ''ASEH News.''
The ASEH is a member of the National Coalition of History, the American Council of Learned Societies, and the International Consortium of Environmental History Organizations (ICEHO). The ASEH is partnered with several government agencies including the
National Park Service
The National Park Service (NPS) is an List of federal agencies in the United States, agency of the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government, within the US Department of the Interior. The service manages all List ...
, the
US Forest Service
The United States Forest Service (USFS) is an agency within the U.S. Department of Agriculture. It administers the nation's 154 national forests and 20 national grasslands covering of land. The major divisions of the agency are the Chief's ...
, and the
US Fish and Wildlife Service
The United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS or FWS) is a U.S. federal government agency within the United States Department of the Interior which oversees the management of fish, wildlife, and natural habitats in the United States. ...
. With these partners they conduct workshops on toxicology and public health,
environmental justice
Environmental justice is a social movement that addresses injustice that occurs when poor or marginalized communities are harmed by hazardous waste, resource extraction, and other land uses from which they do not benefit. The movement has gene ...
, fire history, urban history, and national parks. They also work with the George Wright Society, Society for Conservation Biology, American Historical Association.
The ASEH sponsors several fellowships and other funding opportunities. The ASEH/ Newberry Library Fellowship supports PhD candidates or post-doctoral scholars for one month in residency to do research at the
Newberry Library
The Newberry Library is an independent research library, specializing in the humanities. It is located in Chicago, Illinois, and has been free and open to the public since 1887. The Newberry's mission is to foster a deeper understanding of our wo ...
in Chicago. The Samuel P. Hays Research Fellowship supports travel to a manuscript repository for research. The Hal Rothman Dissertation Fellowship supports archival research and travel.
Awards
The ASEH offers eight awards for outstanding scholarship and achievement. They award four annual prizes for outstanding scholarship including for the best book in environmental history (
George Perkins Marsh Prize), the best article published in ''Environmental History'' (Leopold-Hidy Prize), the best article published outside of ''Environmental History'' (Alice Hamilton Prize), and the best dissertation in environmental history (Rachel Carson Prize). Every two years, they recognize outstanding service and achievement by awarding the Distinguished Scholar Award, Distinguished Service Award, Public Outreach Project Award, and Distinguished Career in Public Environmental History Award.
Presidents
* John Opie, 1977–1979
* Wilbur L. Jacobs, 1979–1980
*
Donald Worster
Donald Worster (born 1941) is an American environmental historian who was, until his retirement, the Hall Distinguished Professor of American History at the University of Kansas. He is one of the founders of, and leading figures in, the field of ...
, 1980–1982
* Morgan Sherwood, 1982–1985
* Clayton R. Koppes, 1985–1987
*
John F. Richards
John F. Richards (November 3, 1938 – August 23, 2007) was a historian of South Asia and in particular of the Mughal Empire. He was Professor of History at Duke University in North Carolina, and a recipient in 2007 of the Distinguished Contribut ...
, 1987–1989
*
William Cronon
William Cronon (born September 11, 1954) is an American environmental historian and the Frederick Jackson Turner and Vilas Research Professor of History, Geography, and Environmental Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He was presi ...
, 1989–1993
* Martin Melosi, 1993–1995
* Susan Flader, 1995–1997
* Donald Pisani, 1997–1999
* Jeffrey K. Stine, 1999–2001
*
Carolyn Merchant
Carolyn Merchant (born July 12, 1936 in Rochester, New York) is an American ecofeminist philosopher and historian of science most famous for her theory (and book of the same title) on '' The Death of Nature'', whereby she identifies the Scien ...
, 2001–2003
* Douglas Weiner, 2003–2005
*
Stephen Pyne, 2005–2007
*
Nancy Langston
Nancy Langston is an American environmental historian, currently working as a professor in the Department of Social Sciences at Michigan Technological University. She was the President of the American Society of Environmental History from 2007 ...
, 2007–2009
*
Harriet Ritvo, 2009–2011
*
John McNeill, 2011–2013
* Gregg Mitman, 2013–2015
* Kathleen Brosnan, 2015–2017
* Graeme Wynn, 2017–2019
*Edmund Russell, 2019-2021
*Sarah Elkind, 2021-2023
*Nancy J. Jacobs, 2023-2025
See also
*
Ecology
Ecology () is the natural science of the relationships among living organisms and their Natural environment, environment. Ecology considers organisms at the individual, population, community (ecology), community, ecosystem, and biosphere lev ...
*
Natural environment
The natural environment or natural world encompasses all life, biotic and abiotic component, abiotic things occurring nature, naturally, meaning in this case not artificiality, artificial. The term is most often applied to Earth or some parts ...
References
External links
American Society for Environmental HistoryAmerican Coalition of HistoryNational Coalition of HistoryInternational Consortium of Environmental History Organizations
Environmental History Websites
*
ttp://www.cnr.berkeley.edu/departments/espm/env-hist/ Environmental History: Explore the Field Rachel Carson Center for Environment and SocietyEnvironmental Policies Watch Histories and SustainabilityGaylord Nelson and Earth DayEnvironment and Society Portal Environmental History ResourcesNational Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill and Offshore Drilling Network in Canadian History and Environment The Bill Lane Center for the American West, Stanford UniversityCenter of the American West, University of Colorado Trading Consequences SOLCHA - Sociedad Latinoamericana y Caribeña de Historia Ambiental
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History organizations based in the United States
Organizations established in 1977
Environmental history of the United States
Member organizations of the American Council of Learned Societies