Welcome to EHN!

The idea for Environmental History Now came to me a number of months ago. I would often have these discussions with another graduate student in my program focusing on environmental history about the field as a whole and its significance. These conversations got me thinking about the fact that I would like to share the added value of environmental history with a wider audience—why we do what we do, why the field is important in this day and age. And this because I believe the field can have an even stronger role in informing current policies and debates. Around that same time, the discussions on underrepresentation and diversification—in the discipline in general and within the field in particular—struck a chord with me (e.g. The Syllabus Project). I put two and two together, and that became what is now EHN.

This website will act as a platform to showcase the work and expertise of graduate students and early career scholars in environmental history of color and/or who identify as female/non-binary. By doing so, EHN will not only act as a means to spread the ideas of these environmental historians, but it will hopefully also encourage a sense of community between this group of up-and-coming scholars. Since contributors are positioned at different points in the world and in their career, EHN will display various perspectives [e.g. global, (non-)academic] as well as personal experiences or viewpoints. The goal is that EHN will foster academic engagement as well as make environmental history both meaningful and accessible to a wider audience—because #envhistmatters.

All in all, I am excited and grateful for all the positive responses I have received. And thank you to those grad students and early career scholars who jumped aboard and believed in this idea based on representation, engagement, and community. Looking forward to share their work and expertise, and to expand this platform even more. If you have any ideas, suggestions, or anything else to share or contribute, do not hesitate to get in touch. Also reach out if you would like to contribute to EHN and become part of this community of environmental historians.

EH, founding editor