Ch’aska Huayhuaca

photo of Chaska Huayhuaca Frye

Sustainability Leadership Fellowship Cohort: 2014-2015

Ph.D. Student, Department of Anthropology

Research Summary: The most important land and water issues facing Colorado—including water management, biodiversity protection, land use change, and climate adaptation—increasingly demand collaboration across boundaries. Colorado has experienced a groundswell of community-driven approaches to tackle these complex problems, but no one has attempted to thoroughly track the progress of this movement. Cha’ska’s research aims to identify and document the range of initiatives in Colorado, and to explore why they do or do not reach their goals. This research is unique in the breadth of cases being considered, and in its investigation of how these groups evolve over time. As part of this work, Cha’ska and her team are also building tools and resources for people in collaboratives to reach their goals faster and more effectively.