Lauren Nutter '10, center, joins the group of Udall Foundation scholars she facilitated during the annual scholars orientation. Photo by Martha Lochert.
Lauren Nutter '10: Mediator While studying for a master's degree in international environmental policy and conflict resolution at Tufts University's Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Lauren Nutter '10 continues part-time at the Udall Foundation's US Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, where she's been for five years. At COA, Lauren attended several COPs, becoming fascinated by the need for collaboration in environmental policy work. After graduation, she traveled the world, further exploring youth empowerment in environmental decision-making on a Watson fellowship. At the Udall Foundation, my work has been to improve collaboration in environmental decision-making and policy processes, such as implementing parts of the Clean Water Act and bringing together local, state, and tribal leaders with the National Ocean Council on ocean planning and sustainability issues. I'm especially proud of the National Ocean Policy work. The policy encourages regional planning on ocean issues and increased coordination among agencies responsible for ocean management and regulation. It also calls for government-to-government engagement of Native American tribes at the same level as states and federal agencies, and emphasizes the value of traditional knowledge in ocean management. It is historic for the tribes to be included proactively at the highest level of government. My biggest impact there was helping to design and facilitate discussions among state, tribal, and local leaders. These meetings were powerful as tribes had their perspectives understood and supported on a deeper level. My most exciting days have been out in the field, like when I would go to the Obama White House to discuss ocean policy work with the National Ocean Council—and on occasion take advantage of some after-hours bowling at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building. When I came to COA, I was sure I wanted to study marine biology, but I took a range of classes my first 32
year, one of which was a Ken Cline policy-oriented class. I became interested in the process of working with multiple perspectives to inform decision-making and the importance of collaboration in solving environmental challenges. I still took science classes, but my path was evolving beyond just wanting to be a marine biologist. My first UNFCCC was in Bali in 2007. That year there was no UNFCCC-focused class. Matt Maiorana '11 and I went as part of the youth organization SustainUS. There were thousands of people at the meeting, and we were trying to figure out where and when to be places and how to actually engage in the process. We were all kind of teaching each other. But it was formative—all these diverse people, perspectives, and knowledge. It's a challenging, messy process to try to work together to resolve issues. And that fascinated me—the hard work of consensus building among all these countries, the urgency of climate change, and the heartbreak of young people from island nations advocating for their countries, uncertain of their futures. After the Bali conference, Doreen Stabinsky created a climate negotiations class, offering space to debrief what I had experienced firsthand. That and other classes helped me explore how to tackle big, international challenges, such as climate change. Working for the Udall Foundation's US Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution has built upon the challenges I saw through the climate talks—the hard work of fostering collaboration, of oftentimes not having neutral facilitators and mediators, and working with diverse people and skill sets. I remember seeing how a chair can do a really great job with a group and how that can help create success for consensus, versus the challenges when that's not the case. These experiences definitely influenced my desire to work in environmental collaboration and conflict resolution, bringing me full circle for a more internationally focused master's degree.
COLLEGE OF THE ATLANTIC MAGAZINE