Earth Week

Each year, UW Oshkosh celebrates Earth Day with a week-long series of events. The goal of Earth Week is to highlight local and global environmental issues and to encourage students, faculty, staff and the larger community to take learn about the issues and take action, as individuals and communities, to create a more sustainable world in the face of unprecedented global-scale change.

The week's events include speakers, films, workshops, demonstrations, tree plantings, and more, and offers plenty of opportunities to get involved. Come join in—all events are free and open to the public.

Earth Week 2013: Seeking Solutions for a Sustainability Transition

Schedule of events for April 22-26

Monday, April 22

• 10:00-noon: Tree planting on north side of Polk Library.
• 12:40-1:40: Open Forum to discuss sustainability in the curriculum as part of the process of updating the Campus Sustainability Plan. Reeve 213
• 2:00-3:00: Have you ever asked yourself, "But what can I do?" Sage Hall 3234

Then come to this informal discussion/roundtable with Beehive Collective member and veteran environmental activist Tyler Bee!  All students who are interested in learning how they can get involved in grassroots campaigns around environmental issues in Wisconsin and beyond are invited to attend.

• 3:00-5:00: Beehive Collective presentation: The True Cost of Mining for Jobs. Sage Hall 3234

Come enjoy a multimedia visual presentation about the impact of extractive industries on our communities and environment here in Wisconsin, presented by the award-winning grassroots organization the Beehive Collective (http://www.beehivecollective.org/).

• 5:30-8:00: Community Garden bonfire with a demonstration on "tea" composting and FREE FOOD. Located at the Student Gardens, across the river near the Campus Services Center.
  

Tuesday, April 23

• 11:00-4:00: Up-cycle Contest, Sponsored by SEAC, Reeve Union Concourse.
• 1:10-2:50: "Thin Ice: The inside story of climate science." A unique film about climate science made by a scientist. Sage Hall 1216

• 5:30-8:30: "The Dark Side of Chocolate" a Fair Trade video with a presentation by UWO Professor Dr. David Barnhill, Sage Hall 1214

Wednesday, April 24

• 8:30-9:30: Earth Breakfast, Women's Center

How Earth-friendly is your breakfast? Come to this event to discuss the environmental and social impacts of our everyday breakfast foods, and to learn about more sustainable options. Fair trade coffee and a light breakfast will be provided.

• 2:00-3:30: "Green: The Film," introduced by Stephanie Spehar of the Anthropology Department and co-sponsored by the Wildlife Conservation Club. Reeve Theater (Room 307).

This short film is about the destruction of the Indonesian rainforest, as told through the eyes and experiences of a female orangutan, Green. It won a number of awards at film festivals worldwide, including the Jackson Hole Wildlife Film Festival, the Green Screen Festival in Vancouver, and the Wildscreen Film Festival in Bristol, UK.

Earth Week Banquet: Dr. Nate Hagens presents: "What if the Future Is Real?"

A talk about energy, economic and behavioral constraints and opportunities along the path to sustainability.

• 6:00-7:00: Banquet Reeve Union Ballroom (Room 227)
• 7:00-9:00: Presentation, Reeve Union Ballroom (Room 227)

An annual tradition! Eat a delicious meal (with vegetarian options) while enjoying a presentation by Dr. Nate Hagens, a sustainability scientist specializing in ecological economics, net energy and human behavior. Be prepared to be intellectually stimulated on the complex interplay of energy, economics, and the choices people make that have shaped our past and will determine the sustainability of our future.

Value of the meal is $20; donations to cover the cost are appreciated! $5 students, $20 non-students. Pick up your ticket at Titan Central in the Reeve Union to reserve your spot. You are also welcome to join us for the presentation alone, which will begin at 7:00 pm.

Thursday, April 25

• 8:00-4:30: Food drive, "Wipe Hunger off the Map," Sage Hall Lobby
• 12:45-1:45: Tree planting at biodigester site next to Campus Services on southwest side of river.
• 1:00-2:00: The Wildlife in Need Center (a rehabilitation center from Oconomowoc) will have a woodchuck, corn snake, american kestrel, a great-horned owl, and an ornate box turtle. Reeve 202
• 3:00-4:30: Open Forum on campus dining, Sage Hall 3235

UWO Assistant Director of Dining, Marty Strand, will lead the forum that seeks community input for updating the UWO Campus Sustainability Plan. Share your ideas on what a sustainable dining system might look like at UWO.

• 5:00-6:30: "Building the Political Will for a Stable Climate." Sage Hall 1216

Come hear medical student and climate activist Joel Charles present on the state of the climate crisis, focusing on how you as an individual can increase your personal power to combat climate change. He will introduce the effective methods of Citizens Climate Lobby a fast-growing citizen empowerment group making meaningful progress toward effective national climate legislation. He will also introduce the audience to the fossil fuel Divestment campaigns spreading like wild-fire across the western world.

• 7:00-8:00: Career Path Series: Dani Stolley. Sage Hall 1216

UWO Environmental Studies graduate and Founder/President of Growing Oshkosh, Dani Stolley will discuss career opportunities in the environmental field.

Friday, April 26

• 8:00-4:00: "Wipe Hunger off the Map" Food Drive, Sage Hall Lobby

• 10:30-12:00: Sustainability Open Forum campus building and energy strategies and goals as part of the process of updating UWO's Campus Sustainability Plan, Reeve 213
• 12:40-1:40: UWO Facilities Director Steve Arndt explains the importance of Stormwater Management at UW Oshkosh. Reeve 214
• 1:40-4:30: River Cleanup, meeting by the ERIC Lab down by the river