Story Collection Proposal for the Rio Grande Water Fund

Latin American Studies Graduate Student Kelsey Varisco completed a service learning project throgh a Center partnership with Geographies of Power (GEOG 515). She provides an overivew of that project below:

In the Spring of 2021, I worked with Collin Haffey at The Nature Conservancy to put together a proposal for another student or TNC staff to complete. Collin shared that a few vocal, small oppositional groups provide barriers to the Rio Grande Water Fund's projects. Using the political ecology framework I learned in my Geographies of Power course,  I proposed a story collection project with the Rio Grande Water Fund's signatories as a positive way to embrace complexity and explore different perspectives, values and identities that exist within RGWF supporters.  The idea sprung from feminist scholars, Gloria Anzaldúa’s and María Lugones’ writing about the many layers and intricacies of identity, the need to move away from rigid binaries, and the possibilities for allyship and healing. Additionally, the ideas stemmed from readings about the critical need for supporters and experts to speak up to support science alongside readings about successful co-management efforts in other environmental management projects. Understanding and sharing the diverse stories, backgrounds, and reasons that groups and individuals support the Rio Grande Water Fund will help other community members understand the issues at stake and the way groups with differing values, perspectives or identities can work together in collaboration. It is because of the richness in experience and identity that collaborative projects make meaningful, positive change in communities. This project would be a great opportunity for a graduate student who wants to gain practice conducting interviews and focus groups. I have compiled relevant readings on the topic and created a basic overview of suggested interview questions.