Peter Pettengill

I arrived at St. Lawrence in the fall of 2015.  In addition to my academic background, I have worked for the National Park Service and Bureau of Land Management and have conducted fieldwork in Acadia, Grand Canyon, Yosemite, and Zion national parks.  I have published articles in a number of scholarly journals, but my proudest work to date is co-authoring the 2^nd edition of Managing Outdoor Recreation: Case Studies in the National Parks.

I believe parks serve as proxies for larger societal issues and that they exemplify our desired relationship with nature.  As part of my classes, I encourage my students to question whether or not Wallace Stegner was right when he stated, “National parks are the best idea we ever had."  Furthermore, I challenge students to consider if and how, they may be "absolutely democratic" reflecting "us at our best rather than our worst."  The dialogues I have with students on these topics, in and outside the classroom, inspire and enrich my research and scholarship.

Most recently, I have begun exploring the Adirondacks.  I look forward to continuing to explore them personally and professionally for years to come.