Author Description

The ecological alarm has sounded, and rural community groups world-wide have responded with determination and creativity to local environmental crises. Once grass roots and peripheral, these voluntary organisations are becoming increasingly central to sustaining our environment. Governments are increasingly adopting policies that devolve their economic and environmental responsibilities, placing pressure on environmental stewardship groups to assume responsibility for their local environment. Grass Roots and Green Tape is a ground-breaking work investigating community-based environmental stewardship. It explores the dynamics within these groups, and how these groups interact with government. Readers will find valuable information on how rural environmental groups work: how a group forms what keeps it motivated what features of group dynamics contribute to on-ground change what hinders the group process what type of changes rural environmental groups are likely to make and on environmenal groups' relations with government: the extent to which stewardship groups are used by states to implement sustainable development policies what forms of government support are needed to enable communities to care for their environments what governments understand about group process. Dr Carr presents the experiences of three Australian stewardship groups, each in different localities, environmental issues, people and mangement styles. These are framed by international examples from developed nations, and analysis of trends around the world. Dr Carr focuses on the point of contact between stewardship groups and government agencies with the aim of enhancing the relationship between bottom-up and top-down stewardship/management styles. She identifies the principles and conditions under which groups can actively contribute. Her concise analysis and friendly style makes Grass Roots and Green Tape a must read for members of community environmental stewardship groups, those developing and