Earth Day's 13-hour "Teach-in" offers deep look at eco-issues
In celebration of Earth Day, April 22, SUNY Fredonia will host a daylong Teach-In on environmental issues in the Multipurpose Room of the Williams Center. Featuring presentations by more than 30 individuals, the program will include workshops, a poetry reading, a political forum, a food-tasting event, “mini lectures” by faculty members and guest speakers, and an Eco Fashion Show. A student environmental art show and a range of vendors that offer sustainability products and services will complement the day’s programs. The events, all of which are free and open to the public, will start at 9 a.m. and run in one-hour increments all day until the two-hour Eco Fashion Show, 8:00 p.m.
“We wanted to get back to the grass-roots origins of the first Earth Day in 1970,” said Dr. Christina Jarvis, this year’s Earth Week Coordinator. “That’s why we’re drawing on local talent, student energy, and collective planning. Departments and student groups from all across campus and many community members have been involved in organizing the teach-in,” Jarvis explained.
Designed to incorporate a wide range of educational approaches and learning styles, the teach-in will offer opportunities to learn about many of today’s most pressing environmental issues. Morning and early afternoon sessions will explore topics such as “Open Source Software, Peace and Environmental Justice” (9:00 a.m.), “International Environmental and Climate Solutions: From Toronto, Canada to Curtiba, Brazil” (10:00 a.m.), “Historical, Cross-Cultural, and Local Insights on Food and Gardens” (11:00 a.m.), and “Coal Mining Issues and Controversies” (1:00 p.m.).
At 11:30 there will be a tree-planting ceremony adjacent to the Williams Center, during which a flowering dogwood tree, donated by Glen Acres Nursery will be planted near the Kirkland Complex. President Dennis L. Hefner will dedicate the tree with an official proclamation, and elected officials have been invited to attend. Materials will also be available which provide tips and how-to strategies for planting and maintaining a variety of trees.
At noon, two special events will run concurrently. Inside the Multipurpose Room, the Faculty Student Association will host “A Sustainable Taste of SUNY Fredonia,” which will include a light, informal buffet lunch showcasing a variety of sustainable food options. In addition, departing from the front steps of Jewett Hall, three biology professors will lead a series of nature walks on campus. Dr. Timothy Strakosh will help walkers explore aquatic life in Canadaway Creek; Dr. Jonathan Titus will lead an expedition through the college Ring Road Woodlot to highlight early spring plant life; and Dr. William Brown will guide participants with a walk entitled, “Wings, Paws, Teeth and Claws: Spring Wildlife on Campus.”
Drawing on this year’s slogan, “Rethink. React. Restore.,” the afternoon sessions will strive not only to educate people, but also to inspire them to make changes in their everyday lives. In keeping with SUNY Fredonia’s first Earth Day celebration 20 years ago, there will be a series of workshops designed to promote personal awareness and social change.
At 2:00 p.m., Chris Burger, Chair of the New York State Sierra Club Solid Waste Committee and Binghamton’s Regional Sustainability Coalition, will present “The First Two R’s: Workshop on Reducing Personal Footprints.” A nationally acknowledged expert on waste reduction, Burger will demonstrate why it is important for all of us to reduce waste and minimize our carbon footprints, followed by practical “how to” suggestions for families, businesses, communities and beyond. Following the workshop will be a town hall forum at 3:00 p.m. where Western New York residents can share their concerns about proposed energy projects with elected officials. Participants will include Susan Mackay, Fredonia Village Trustee, Lori Cornell (representing Assemblyman William Parment), Sam Teresi, Mayor of Jamestown, and representatives from Congressman Brian Higgins’ Buffalo office and the Dunkirk Mayor’s office.
At 4:00 p.m., Political Science professors David Rankin and Raymond Rushboldt will lead a workshop which explores how individuals can participate in issues at the local level and use examples drawn from our college and community, as well as nationwide youth activism /engagement. At 5:00 p.m., a panel of educators will share strategies they have used to bring the natural world into their practice and the lives of students. Speakers include Scott Foley of Silver Creek Elementary School, Amy Lauer of Fredonia Middle School, and Terry Mosher, associate professor of English at SUNY Fredonia.
Rounding out the day’s events will be a poetry reading at 6:00 p.m. featuring performances by Sigma Tau Delta (the National English Honor Society) and the Writers’ Ring (the English Department’s student-led creative writing club). In addition, English faculty members and internationally acclaimed, award-winning poets Aimee Nezhukumatathil and James Stevens will read various selections.
The final event, the 8 p.m. Eco Fashion Show, will showcase the talents of campus improvisation group Random Acts, while students model clothing designed to make use of re-used, vintage and environmentally friendly materials. At least 15 student models are scheduled to participate.
For more information about the Teach-In or other Earth Week programming, please contact Dr. Christina Jarvis, Earth Week Coordinator, via phone (679-9254) or email (jarvisc@fredonia.edu).
