Research Symposium

BIO

My name is Francesca Josma, and I'm from Port Saint Lucie, Florida. I'm a first-year student at Florida State University, dual majoring in Public Health and Environment & Society, with a minor in Philosophy of Science. Prior to FSU, I attended Indian River State College. I'm passionate about advocating for human health, natural resource rights, and environmental sustainability, with plans to attend graduate school and pursue a career in law. I aim to use my education to promote global health, human rights, and environmental justice through activism, volunteering, and policy work. I’m actively involved in several organizations that align with my values, including the Student Government Association, where I represent students' voices on campus. As an intern with GenCLEO, I advocate for climate justice through legislation and campus events. I also serve as the co-director of marketing for the Maji Project, an organization focused on providing clean water and sanitation to East African communities, where I lead fundraising efforts and manage marketing campaigns to support the project’s initiatives.

The Butterfly Affect: Eco-Puppetry for Envisioning a Joyful Environmental Praxis

Abstract

The Butterfly Affect is a performance-based experience that uses the stages of a butterfly as a symbol for change to encourage individuals to self-reflect on their personal growth and transformation. This research investigates how eco-theatre and eco-puppetry create a catalyst in the minds of people to encourage their self-reflection on their involvement in the Anthropocene and mobilize activism and cultural change. The connection between the puppet and touch in eco-theatre has been seen to have great effects on the person's ability to want to start the change themselves.
We explore the theoretical and creative aspects of eco-puppetry. First, we analyze the existing literature to understand what eco-puppetry is, its potential psychological effects, and how it impacts people’s engagement with environmental justice. Second, we reflect on our process of creating the various puppetry components of the project, such as The Butterfly Care Deck (for adults, children, and Spanish-English speakers), and the Paper Dolls. This research demonstrates how small actions or events can spark larger societal, political, and cultural movements, shedding light on the role of theater as a vehicle for social change.

Keywords: feminism; climate; social change; performance; environment science; psychology