Biennial Conference

ASLE 2027 Biennial Conference Announcement

Dear ASLE Friends: 

We are happy to announce the location of our next ASLE conference will again be the University of Maryland, College Park (UMD). The tentative conference dates are June 22-25, 2027. While we usually rotate conference sites from region to region, we are choosing to return to UMD due to a host of factors.

As environmental humanists, we recognize that in-person meetings such as the ASLE conference are largely made possible by fossil fuels and thereby contribute to climate change. We selected this conference site due to its relative proximity to large population centers, as well as its connectivity to interstate rail transit. Additionally, College Park is located on the Green Line of the DC light rail metro system. The stop is about a mile from campus, with a campus shuttle connecting the two. https://www.wmata.com/rider-guide/stations/college-park.cfm#. 

UMD is the state’s flagship university, located about 10 miles northeast of Washington, D.C. One of the nation’s preeminent public research universities with an enrollment of nearly 41,000, UMD has a commitment to environmental and social values, such as the programs, projects, and events offered through the Office of Sustainability’s SustainableUMD network and the School of Public Policy’s Do Good Institute.

The nearby area boasts sites and landmarks of interest, including ECO City Farms, the Hyattsville Food Forests, Paint Branch Stream Valley Park, the Rachel Carson House, Dumbarton Oaks, and the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal. Many sections of campus are part of The UMD Arboretum and Botanical Garden.

ASLE is committed to accessibility, and we were able to consolidate most of the 2025 conference events into several proximate buildings at UMD, and plan to do so again in 2027. We will hold the conference in the early summer, when attendees shouldn’t have to miss (many) classes or teaching times, and housing in campus dormitories is available. We will look for opportunities at every turn to provide ways to connect attendees to the local environment and to each other.

We are aware that incidents occurring locally, nationally, and internationally have a direct impact on our community, as well as the community of UMD. UMD police do not have a cooperative contract with immigration officials (for more information, see this press release: https://umpdnews.umd.edu/responding-immigration-enforcement-questions). Regardless, both international and interstate travel will continue to be deeply affected. ASLE’s leadership team is discussing a number of mitigation strategies and alternatives for affected members.

Expect more information soon, and look for the CFP this summer.

All our best,

April Anson and Alex Menrisky

ASLE Co-Presidents