Sustainability Institute

Earth Charter Community Summit 2023: Committing to Sustainability and Social Justice 

 

The Earth Charter is an international declaration that provides shared values for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society. It is based in four guiding principles: Respect and Care for the Community of Life, Ecological Integrity, Social and Economic Justice, and Democracy, Nonviolence, and Peace. UW Oshkosh became a signatory of the Earth Charter in 2001, and each year we celebrate our commitment to its values with series of events. 

 

At SIRT we think it is especially important to reassert our commitment to the Earth Charter at this time. We face significant challenges as a university community, as a nation, and as individuals, and we are reminded daily of the links between environmental issues, social and economic injustice, and health and well-being. The Earth Charter Community Summit can remind us of what we stand for, the common values we hold as UW Oshkosh community members, and why we keep working together to make this world a better place in the face of such challenges. We hope you will enjoy the menu of events we have put together in that spirit.         

 

InterTribal Student Council Land Acknowledgement:

Wednesday, Sept 13,

Evenings in the Prairie

5:00 pm – 6:30 pm

UWO FDL campus, Gottfried Prairie and Arboretum.

Please join us for the final event of the Evenings in the Prairie series on the Fond du Lac Campus with a guided tour by Lisa Mick.  

 

Monday, Sept 18

“Solving the Great Food Puzzle: The role of what we eat for people and planet, global food sustainability”  

5:30 pm

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Dr. Brent Loken, Global Lead Food Scientist for the World Wildlife Fund, will speak to how we can use  food as a lever for improving human health and environmental sustainability. His work focuses on connecting top down and bottom up processes by ensuring a food system approach is adopted in UN Conventions while simultaneously stimulating action at national and individual levels.  

 

September, 5th – 30th

“Climate of the Mountain: Memories of the Past, Crises in the Present and Portal to a Future” 

Aylward Gallery, Fox Cities Campus

This SIRT-supported, interdisciplinary exhibition explores topics of mountain ecosystems and climate change through the lens of art and science. A series of complementary events during the Aylward exhibition includes a gallery walk-and-talk with the creators—artists and scientists—, a piano concert performed by pre-college music students, a poetry reading and a discussion panel. Aylward Gallery will host an exhibit reception on Sept 30 from 5 to 7 p.m. https://uwosh.edu/fox/community/cac/aylward-gallery/

 

Tuesday, Oct 3

SIRT seminar “Biodiversity in Wisconsin: Why It Matters and Why We Should Protect It” 

4:45 pm

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Engage with a panel of UWO experts on questions about the biodiversity crisis and how it is impacting Wisconsin: 

• Dr. Laura Ladwig, Biology, is a plant ecologist studying how and why biodiversity changes in prairies and savannas. 
• Dr. Misty McPhee, Environmental Studies, is a behavioral ecologist focused on the reintroduction of endangered species. 
• Dr. Rob Mitchell, Biology, is an entomologist studying chemical communication in insects.

 

Tuesday, Oct 10

Earth Charter Keynote: Dr. Randy Jackson 

5:30 pm

Location TBA

Dr. Randy Jackson is a professor of Grassland Ecology in the Department of Agronomy at UW Madison. He studies how we can improve agricultural practices to protect our drinking water, climate, and biodiversity.  He is the director of the Grassland 2.0 Project, a collaborative group of farmers, researchers, and representatives from the public and private sector working to achieve increased profitability, production stability, and nutrient and water efficiency, while improving water quality, soil health, biodiversity, and climate resiliency through grassland-based agriculture. 

Live streaming will be provided for this event. 

 

Wednesday, Oct 11

“This is Earth Charter”  

10:20-11:20 am

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This event will offer an interactive explanation of the Earth Charter, and why we celebrate it at UWO, led by Environmental Studies Director Jim Feldman. The intended audience for this event is students, especially USP students, but anyone is welcome to attend!

A virtual attendance option will be available. 

 

Late October or early November

Screening of “Rhythms of the Land”  

Details TBA

“Rhythms of the Land” is a valentine to generations of Black farmers in the United States from the enslavement period to the present, whose intense love of the land and dedication to community enabled them to survive against overwhelming odds.  These farmers have largely been written out of the dominant narratives of US agriculture. 

In 1920, there were over 920,000 Black families farming in the United States, although the majority were sharecroppers and tenant farmers.  Today there are just over 48,697, a 95% decrease in 100 years. Black farming families have lost their land and their stories are quickly disappearing and should be preserved so that we may understand the history and nature of lives on the farms.  

The goal of this documentary is to preserve their stories and honor their lives and agrarian legacies. This films was created by Dr. Gail Myers, cultural anthropologist and co-founder of Farms to Grow, Inc. 

 

 

Check back often for frequent updates!