‘Walking the talk’ of environmental social work practice: Lessons learned from social workers committed to land-based practice in the Northwest Territories

The research presented in this thesis explored environmental social work; in particular, it responds to a gap in the literature regarding the lack of a clear practice model for social workers to follow, by focusing on how environmental social work is done. In order to offer an in-depth, qualitative look at what environmental social work can look like in practice and in specific places, I looked to self-identified social workers living and working in the Northwest Territories (NWT), Canada. The six social workers who responded to this call are all working in ways that integrate land, place, and the physical environment into their social work practice. Due to the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic, the research was conducted entirely via distance using telephone, e-mail, and Zoom. Using a critical place inquiry approach and framed by theories of ecosystem approaches to health, grounded normativity, and relational validity, six in-depth interviews were conducted with social workers who shared their experiences of land-based practice in their personal and professional lives. Findings took the shape of five themes: ‘Lessons from the Land’, ‘Lessons in Ways of Being for Social Workers’, ‘Lessons from Being in Relationship’, ‘Lessons for our Workplaces and Profession’, and ‘Lessons in Practice’. The findings offer insight and practical examples for social workers seeking to connect their practice to the land; they also contribute practice wisdom to emerging discussions regarding both what can be done in environmental social work practice and how.