Free educational and entertaining environmental events will be offered as the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point marks Earth Week April 17-22.
Events include an eco-fair, concert and various speakers, films and activities with the theme, "diversity in the natural resources."
Speaking at 6 p.m. in Room 116 of the College of Professional Studies are:
- April 17: Noé U. de la Sancha, assistant professor of zoology at Chicago State University, who researches biodiversity, conservation and wildlife ecology; and Shiba Kar, assistant professor of natural resource planning and policy at UW-Stevens Point and sustainable energy specialist with the UW-Extension.
- April 18: Ka Yeng Vue, the first Hmong-American hired as a conservation warden by Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources; and Huda Alkaff, founder and director for Wisconsin Green Muslims, a group focused on integrating environmental education and environmental practices into religion, including Islam.
- April 19: James Mills, journalist and natural resources adventurist based in Madison. Mills heads the Joy Trip Project, which inspired the film, "An American Ascent," and book, "The Adventure Gap."
- April 20: Peterson Toscano, Christian LGBTQ activist and gardener who sees climate change as a human rights and LGBTQ issue.
All presentations are free and open to the public.
An Eco Fair will be held from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Tuesday, April 18, in the Alumni Room of the Dreyfus University Center. Student and community organizations committed to sustainability will provide information about their groups and activities. With the theme "Acts," they will focus on reducing society's daily consumption. To inspire ways to reuse waste, visitors can learn to make lava lamps from old plastic water bottles and nature journals from reused cardboard.
The fair is sponsored by the student Environmental Educators and Naturalists Association, which will offer fresh lessons in the three R's - reduce, reuse, recycle. It will host an eco-fair concert from 8-10 p.m. Tuesday in the DUC Encore featuring Soul Symmetry and The Rumble Roots.
At 5 p.m. Tuesday, the Women's Resource Center will offer an informational session on sustainable alternatives to sanitary pads/tampons in DUC 223.
Friday, April 21, is Schmeeckle Appreciation Day. Interested volunteers are invited to meet at 2 p.m. at the Schmeeckle Reserve Visitor Center for invasive species removal, trail maintenance and litter clean-up until 5 p.m. Tools will be provided, but please bring your own gloves.
On Saturday, April 22, students will be involved in various volunteer activities in the community from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., coordinated by the Student Involvement and Employment Office. At 2 p.m., Students for Sustainability will have a commemorative tree planting between the Dreyfus Center and Student Services Center.
Earth Day was founded on April 22, 1970, by U.S. Sen. Gaylord Nelson of Wisconsin as a peaceful teach-in to raise environmental awareness and protection.
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