In celebration of Earth Day, the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh has scheduled a variety of activities throughout the week of April 21.
Monday, April 21
Sustainability in Belize, Central America
6-7:30 p.m., Reeve 221
Dr. Maureen Muldoon, Dr. Pete Brown, and students from the Field Studies in Belize course will talk about the ecology and culture of Belize. Panelists will explore how Belize is dealing with challenging conservation issues. Gorgeous slides will be shown of the different ecosystems of Belize, and students will talk about their experiences in the country.
Tuesday, April 22
Speed Networking for Sustainable Internships and Jobs
11:30 a.m-1:00 p.m., Reeve 227A
Meet with representatives and make connections for possible internships and jobs: Johnson Controls, Wisconsin Public Service, Wisconsin Office of Energy Independence, Simply Solar, Northeast Wisconsin Land Trust, and Habitat for Humanity.
Unveiling of the UW Oshkosh Sustainability Plan
1-2 p.m., Reeve 227C
UW Oshkosh has committed to a new, comprehensive Campus Sustainability Plan. Chancellor Wells will make the announcement, and Steve Arndt (director of facilities) and David Barnhill (director of environmental studies) will discuss how UW Oshkosh is working to be a leader in campus sustainability.
Derrick Jensen on Civilization and Resistance
7-8 p.m., Reeve 307 (Theater)
Derrick Jensen is an activist, author, small farmer, bee-keeper, teacher and philosopher whose speaking engagements in recent years have packed university auditoriums, conferences and bookstores nationwide. He has completed a two volume book, “Endgame,” which examines the disasters caused by civilization and what can be done about it. For the book Jensen was awarded the Press Action Person of the Year 2006.
Wednesday, April 23
Johnson Controls Demonstration of Environmental Technology
10 a.m. – 2 p.m., Reeve Concourse
Johnson Controls give real-time readings of electricity use in four residence halls, and see a demonstration of biomass gasification technology.
Earth Day Tree Planting
12:30 pm, between Dempsey Hall and Albee Pool and Hall.
Join us in the annual planting of an Earth Day tree.
Toxic Bodies: Endocrine Disruptors and the Lessons of History
6-7:30 p.m., Reeve 227BC
Dr. Nancy Langston, environmental historian at UW Madison’s Department of Forest and Wildlife Ecology and the Nelson Institute of Environmental Studies, will present. She is president of the American Society for Environmental History. Her first book, “Forest Dreams, Forest Nightmares,” explored the history of old growth forests and fire in the West, while her second book, “Where Land and Water Meet,” examined changing riparian boundaries in the inland West. Her talk during Earth Week explores the ways scientists, industry, consumers and regulators negotiated growing controversies over synthetic estrogens, and examines the ways that endocrine disruptors in the post-war era changed the internal ecosystems of human, livestock, and wildlife bodies, interconnecting our bodies with our environments in increasingly complex ways.
Thursday, April 24
Student Display of Groundwater
11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m., Reeve Concourse
Geology students will display a model that demonstrates how groundwater works.
Student Posters on Sustainability
11:00-1:00 p.m., Reeve 201-202
Students in ES 490: Environmental Studies Senior Seminar will display posters on a variety of sustainability issues. This is part of the larger annual Celebration of Scholarship.
Earth Dinner
Speaker: John Peck, Executive Director, Family Farm Defenders
6:30-9 p.m., Reeve 227BC
6:30 p.m., Reception
7 p.m., Organic dinner (food donated by Organic Valley)
The mission of Family Farm Defenders (FFD) is to create a farmer-controlled and consumer-oriented food and fiber system, based upon democratically controlled institutions that empower farmers to speak for and respect themselves in their quest for social and economic justice. Organic Valley is a cooperative of family farmers. Its philosophy and decisions are based on the health and welfare of people, animals and the earth. In today’s world, in order to make a difference, companies need to think differently. Tickets are free, but the suggested donation at the door is $5 for students, $15 for others. Tickets are available at Titan Central.
Friday, April 25
The Clean Water Act, Storm Water and UW Oshkosh
1-2 p.m., Reeve 214
Steve Arndt, director of facilities, will discuss the Clean Water Act, how it impacts UW Oshkosh, and how we can help protect our water.
Campus Cleanup
2-4 p.m., Reeve 214
Steve Arndt, director of facilities, will lead students on a clean-up of the Fox River near campus.