Welcome to the Human-Nature Transformations research group blog!

Let’s get right down to the basics: what do we mean by human-nature transformations, anyway? Our interpretation is that the relationships between humans and nature are inherently diverse, dependent on the infinite interactions between cultures, times, environments, technologies, and humans themselves. Because of this, our research operates on the belief that transformations towards a more sustainable future require inter- and trans-disciplinary approaches, which recognize these diverse relationships.

We started this blog as a platform for sharing our research with a wider audience, including those outside of the scientific community. Ultimately, we find that as researchers in our respective fields, we tend to speak to other researchers in those same fields, a cycle that limits the impact of our work and the validity of our ideas. These silos create boundaries not only within the research community, but also between researchers and members of the community, including residents and policy makers. Our group is working with the goal of positively affecting sustainable lifestyles around the world, and our aim with this blog is to make our work accessible to a wide range of individuals.

Our group’s research interests and methods are diverse, and we intend to reflect that in our writing here. We are also engaged in multiple research projects internationally and within Finland, including ENVISION, SMARTer Greener Cities, VIVA PLAN, and CO-CARBON, in addition to our own work. With this blog, we hope to produce something that scratches your interest, and helps stimulate discussion about the future of research for human-nature transformations.