Ethical Foundations

 

  • I acknowledge that I live and work on the traditional, ancestral, and ongoing homelands of the Cherokee, East (Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians), Osage Nation, Yuchi (Euchee), and Shawnee peoples.

    My relationship to this land is one of a resident and worker, guided by a growing intention to be a respectful and reciprocal partner. My commitment is embodied through The Positive Pollinator™ ecosystem, where I honor my dual role as a scientist and artist to create tools that help others strengthen their bonds of resilience with the other-than-human world. My primary action is to directly heal the small piece of land I steward, returning it to native species as a tangible, ongoing practice of care and restoration for these homelands.

    This acknowledgement reflects my journey to understand my responsibilities within this living network of relations.

    This land acknowledgement was crafted with information and reflective guidance from the Native Land Digital’s Constellation Map (https://native-land.ca/maps/constellation).

  • The Positive Pollinator™ ecosystem lives at the intersection of scientific rigor and creative expression. We are committed to:

    • Scientific Integrity: Ensuring all Specimen Protocols™ are grounded in peer-reviewed data and conservation best practices.

    • Professional Resilience: Advocating for the internal health of those working within siloed and/or high-pressure conservation systems.

    • Protection of Intellectual Property: Maintaining the boundaries of the Nature-Based Solutions for the Soul (NBSS)™ framework to ensure the work remains a dedicated tool for the community.

  • Intellectual Property

    • All content on this website and within The Liminal Ledger™, including text, original artwork, the Nature-Based Solutions for the Soul (NBSS)™ methodology, and the Specimen Protocols™, is the sole intellectual property of Shannon Westlake and The Positive Pollinator™.

    Protection of Derivative Works

    • No part of this site or its associated frameworks may be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, or used to create derivative works in any form or by any means without prior written permission. This includes adaptations and applications of the Specimen Protocols™ or NBSS™ methodology for commercial or public use.

  • This work is a synthesis of twenty years of collaboration and mentorship. I hold a debt of gratitude for the countless people and more-than-human species whose resilience has inspired this effort and ecosystem.