POWER OF BLUE ECOLOGY AS A GUIDING PHILOSOPHY: “If we are more unified with nature, we will be more unified with each other,” concludes Dr. Zbigniew Grabowski. He left the University of Connecticut in 2024 to put his ideas into action as the first executive director of the Mystic River Watershed
Note to Reader:
Published by the Partnership for Water Sustainability in British Columbia, Waterbucket eNews celebrates the leadership of individuals and organizations who are guided by the Living Water Smart vision. Stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective, and the Story Behind the Story (REPRODUCED IN PART BELOW).
The edition published on November 18, 2025 featured four thought leaders – Michael Blackstock in British Columbia; Jane Wei-Skillern and Zbigniew Grabowski in the United States; and Serpil Oppermann in Turkey. Reflections by the latter three within this story illustrate how the pioneering Blue Ecology work of Michael Blackstock in bridging the gap between Western and Indigenous perspectives resonates with each of them.
STORY BEHIND THE STORY: Seed change through the power of relationships and networks – conversations with four thought leaders
“The story behind the story has three parts, with each featuring a different thought leader. Read together, the three parts paint a picture of what could be. Michael Blackstock and my conversations with the trio yielded some gems about their hopes and aspirations. In the part that follows, we feature Zbigniew Grabowski,” stated Kim Stephens, Partnership Executive Director.
THOUGHT LEADER THREE: Zbigniew Grabowski says science can contribute to human well-being by aligning with Blue Ecology principles
Dr. Z has internationally recognized experience in collaborative and Intertribal watershed restoration, green infrastructure, and transformational research to advance the regeneration of people, ecosystems, the economy, and the built environment.
KEY TAKEAWAY #5: Many core principles of 17th-century worldviews still profoundly influence modern science
“I became familiar with Michael Blackstock’s Blue Ecology framework paper when I was at Portland State University. The PhD program was about doing experiments in interdisciplinary fellowships that tackled real-world problems, not just academic problems. That was when I spent time in Northwest BC and learned about the Gitxsan First Nation.”
Potential of ecosystem services markets to re-shape human relationships with nature
“I have long been interested in alternative world views to the Cartesian mechanistic paradigm. Formulated by René Descartes in the 17th century, this is a worldview that views the material universe as a complex machine operating according to strict mechanical laws.”
“The PhD research program at Portland State University was focused on how urbanizations and their regions are symbiotic and interdependent with each other. It was mostly using an ecosystem services framework which I had worked on in England during my time with The King’s Foundation.”
KEY TAKEAWAY #6: Water is the unifying hope
“I was born in Poland and we never let go of our cultural ontology of animals and plants as having their own independent kind of personhood. Always making a point to interact with them as such. And seeing the obvious benefits of doing so.”
“There have been a lot of challenges within mainstream ecology which is still very mechanistic. Even the systems stuff is still treating the world as a collection of inanimate objects.”
“Even mainstream ecologists know that something is not right with their framework. They have this anxiety about it and that causes them to be defensive. I have left academia partially because of that.”
KEY TAKEAWAY #7: Water is an entry point to regenerate people, ecosystems, economy and built environment
“Like Michael Blackstock, we are treating water as an entry point to address the bigger issues in terms of our relationships with land; and how to translate the right relationships with land into the economic, material systems that we depend on for everyday life.”
“I am thinking deeply and trying to enact different, regenerative economic principles in collaboration with our Indigenous allies. Looking at how can we do so through reciprocal relationships with ecological, biological systems. How that can inform how we design and manufacture ecosystems and how can we set up model enterprises to do so.”
The test of time is an important perspective
“The karma of my life is that I have seen the dark side, the unintended consequences of industrialization globally. We need to regain an even deeper foundation in terms of the right relationship with nature.”
“If we have that, then we can develop technologies and deal with complexities that we are talking about. But if we do not have that spiritual, moral foundation, then none of those technologies will withstand the test of time.”
KEY TAKEAWAY #8: If we are more unified with nature, we will be more unified with each other
“Culture is the root of a society. The groups that do not forget their original instructions are the ones that persist. How do you maintain that connection with spirit? People have to get back in touch with their culture.”
“They cannot borrow somebody else’s culture. They can be inspired by somebody else’s culture. But everyone has a responsibility to their own cultural continuity, and connecting that to the land.”
A loss of critical thinking skills within a generation is a current reality
“There is no institution that is actually tasked with doing deep critical thinking or enquiry anymore. Few people recognize the power of critical thinking skills.”
“Most people are being trained to operate as pseudo machines. That is a deep cultural trend. At the same time as you have a proliferation of access to information, less and less people are able to sift through the noise.”
To Learn More:
Waterbucket eNews stories are structured in three parts: One-Minute Takeaway, Editor’s Perspective and Context for Busy Reader, and the Story Behind the Story. To read the complete 3-part storyline, download a PDF copy of Living Water Smart in British Columbia: Seed change through the power of relationships and networks.
DOWNLOAD A COPY: https://waterbucket.ca/wcp/wp-content/uploads/sites/6/2025/11/PWSBC_Living-Water-Smart_Jane-Wei-Skillern_power-of-a-relational-foundation_2025.pdf