It is still possible to pre-register via Erin Gibson: see contact information above. Folks from OWU should feel free to drop in if interested.
The Forum will be held on the 3rd floor of OWU’s Merrick Hall, from 9am-4pm on Wednesday, October 27.
Category: Special Events
DOES Lunch: Alex Clemetson: Environmental Justice & Race: Tues. Oct. 5 @ Noon
Environment and Race: The Work of Sustainable Community Building
Department of Environment & Sustainability @ OWU
We welcome Alex Clemetson to Ohio Wesleyan to speak to us about his work and experiences surrounding environmentalism and race.
The intention of this discussion is to begin an initial examination into the intersections of environmental justice and injustice, race, and the communities that surround these co-existing realities. Within this DOES Lunch we will also examine the foundations of the communities we are connected to and the sustainable practices of community building that may or may not be in place.
Please come and learn about his experiences and collaborating to make the field of the environment a more equitable space.
When: Tuesday 05 October 2021 at noon
Where: SCSC #207 (GIS Lab)
We’re currently working on some form of food available, so please let Dr. Rowley know if you have any food restrictions.
OWU Sustainability Task Force Meeting: Sept 27 @ Noon @ Merrick 201
Dr. Krygier in the OWU ENVS Dunk Tank at the Olentangy River Festival (Sept. 2021)
Our first STF Meeting for the Fall of 2021 is Monday, Sept. 27 @ noon in 201 Merrick Hall.
Organizer: AJ Lashaway
Dr. Krygier/AJâ OWU Outside update (hopefully MTSO reaches out, call Audubon)(make QR code for groupme)
â Chimney Swift tower
â Energy Projects: big and small
â Bioretention Cells
â any other sustainability things going on on campus
Ed Pullenâ recycling + waste management on campus
Erin Wolfeâ sustainability in Delaware
â watershed
â events OWU students can attend/opportunities available to them
SK (Treehouse) â Green Week, house events outside students can attend/help with
And SO much MORE.
May Move Out ’21
After a year’s pause, due to the COVID, May Move Out is back for 2021.
May Move Out is OWUâs student-created and managed program to keep tons of usable materials out of the landfill each spring.
Volunteers contact Meg Edwards:Â email or sign up on this spreadsheet.
It’s simple:
Students can easily donate unneeded stuff to Goodwill as they move off-campus.
Mobile storage pods with May Move Out banners are placed around the residential side of campus for ease of donation.
Dump your stuff in the pod and get on your way. Itâs that easy.
In previous years we’ve deferred up to 10 tons of reusable stuff.
More info here:Â http://maymoveout.owu.edu
OWU Sponsored Event: 17th Annual Virtual Olentangy Watershed Forum, Thursday, Oct. 22
17th Annual Virtual Olentangy Watershed Forum, October 22, 2020
Recording of event is here.
Please register using this Eventbrite link. To get the Zoom link, check your email (OWU students, staff and faculty) or contact Carline Cicerchi or John Krygier.
The Annual Olentangy Watershed Forum brings together a series of speakers to discuss the status of the watershed. This year features Keynote speaker Jonathan Overpeck, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize as part of the United Nations advisory group on climate change and Dean of the School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, âAmerican Rivers and Climate Change: a Tale of Two Hydrologic Extremesâ
The forum is great for regional practitioners as well as students, who can network and make contacts for internships and projects.
8:00 – 8:10 Welcome and introductions, Sean Kay, Ohio Wesleyan University
8:10 – 8:55 Keynote speaker: Jonathan Overpeck, co-recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize as part of the United Nations advisory group on climate change and Dean of the School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, âAmerican Rivers and Climate Change: a Tale of Two Hydrologic Extremesâ
8:55 – 9:05: Q & A
State of the Watershed Updates
9:05 – 9:15: Update from Friends of the Lower Olentangy Watershed (FLOW) by Kelly Thiel. FLOW was formed as a non-profit 501(c)3 in August 1997. FLOWâs mission is to keep the Olentangy River and its tributaries clean and safe for all to enjoy, through public education, volunteer activities, and coordination with local decision-makers.
9:15 – 9:30: Update from Del-Co Water by Jeff Kauffman. Del-Co Water Company, Inc. was formed in 1969 and provides quality drinking water to seven counties (Delaware, Morrow, Marion, Knox, Franklin, Union, and Crawford) serving a population of over 140,000.
9:30 – 9:45: Update from City of Delaware and Olentangy Watershed Alliance (OWA) by Caroline Cicerchi. The City of Delaware works diligently to protect existing stormwater infrastructure as well as the Olentangy River and its tributaries through its Stormwater Management Program. OWA was formed as a non-profit in April 1999, with a mission to inspire appreciation and stewardship of the Upper Olentangy River and its watershed.
9:45 – 9:55: Update from Preservation Parks by Chris Roshon. The mission of Preservation Parks of Delaware County is to protect and conserve the natural and historic features of Delaware County and to inspire outdoor exploration and learning.
9:55 – 10:05: Q & A and Break
10:05 – 10:15: Vanessa Bishop, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
10:15 – 10:30: Erin Wolfe, Delaware Soil & Water Conservation District. âDel-Aware Water: Outreach Efforts in the Watershedâ
10:30 – 10:50: Jim Palus, FLOW. âPutting FLOW’s Greenspace Implementation Plan Into Actionâ
10:50 – 11:20: Ed Rankin & Anthony Sasson, Midwest Biodiversity Institute, âFish and Mussels Trends in the Central Scioto River Basinâ
11:20-11:50: Jesse Womack, The Nature Conservancy. âThe Nature Conservancy & the Agricultural Conservation Planning Frameworkâ
11:50 – 12:00: Janelle Valdinger, Ohio Wesleyan University, âConnecting with Career Connectionâ
OWU Zoom Event: Rock and Roll Environmental Non-Profits – conversation with Lauren Sullivan of Reverb
Dr. Sean Kay is hosting a Zoom to the Classroom event this Tuesday at 12:00-1:00 PM – over the lunch hour. This is built around his Environmental Politics and Policy course, but all are very welcome to join: please email Dr. Kay for a Zoom invite.
Our guest this week is Lauren Sullivan, who with her husband Adam Gardner of the band Guster, formed Reverb – one of America’s most active non-profits working in the music industry, in particular, green rock and roll touring – they work with groups from the 1975, to Dave Mathews to Santana and many more. This will be a fun chance to take a deep dive into how environmental non-profits work and how they intersect with mass culture in the United States.
Details on what Reverb does:
We partner with Musicians, Festivals and Venues to green their concert events while engaging fans face-to-face at shows to take environmental and social action.
We create and execute comprehensive programs to reduce concert and tour footprints from eliminating single-use water bottles to coordinating local farm food to fueling sustainable biodiesel in tour buses to composting and donating food waste and much more.  See Example HERE
In our fan-facing Action Villages, concertgoers connect with local and national nonprofits and campaigns, fill up at our RocknRefill free water stations, win prizes like signed guitars, and ticket upgrades for taking action, and much more.
Event: 3rd Annual Ohio Microfarm Project Symposium
NECIC invites you to the 3rd Annual Ohio Microfarm Project Symposium
October 23, 2020 @ 9am-4:15pm
October 24, 2020 Â @ 9am-11am
Register Here
(Registration will close on October 22nd at 12pm)
In partnership with The Ohio State University-Mansfield Campus, please join us for an updated overview of the Ohio Microfarm Project.
See the second-year results of this three-year project! The October 23rd event virtually showcases community partnerships, urban farming, resiliency of farming, and co-op development. The October 24th event is brought to you by the Richland Gro-Op and will exhibit two urban microfarm and two rural microfarm outings, all a result of the input received from last yearâs symposium.
Schedule: 2020 Ohio Microfarm Project Virtual Symposium October 23, 2020
2020SymposiumScheduleVideos: Careers in Water Management Speaker Series (October, 2020)
Careers in Water Management Speaker Series I: Video
- Jeff Paetz, Phoenix Environmental (15 minutes)
- Heather Sheets, Ohio Clean Marinas (15 minutes)
- Caroline Cicerchi, City of Delaware (15 minutes)
Careers in Water Management Speaker Series II: Video
- Sarah Orlando, Ohio Sea Grant (15 minutes)
- Chad Spring, City of Delaware (15 minutes)
- Erin Wolfe, Delaware SWCD (15 minutes)
- Janelle Valdinger, Ohio Wesleyan University (10 minutes)
Careers in Water Management Speaker Series III: Video
- Christine Szymanski, ODNR Scenic Rivers (15 minutes)
- Jeff Kauffman, Del-Co Water Company (15 minutes)
- Chris Roshon, Preservation Parks (15 minutes)
This Week: OWU Event: Water Management Careers – Students hear from Professionals
Ohio Wesleyan, City of Delaware, Ohio EPA Hosting Free Three-Day Speaker Series
OWU and the City of Delaware will collaborate with the Ohio EPA for an upcoming grant-supported speaker series on water management careers.
DELAWARE, Ohio â Designed for high school and college students, youâre invited to participate in a three-day, online âCareers in Water Management Speaker Series.â
The free event will be held Oct. 5-7 and provide information about careers in stormwater, wastewater, watershed, and drinking water management, among other fields.
Contact Caroline Cicerchi for Zoom Details:
Careers in Water Management Speaker Series I
 Monday, Oct. 5 from 9:30 AM – 10:20 AM:Â
- Jeff Paetz, Phoenix Environmental (15 minutes)
- Heather Sheets, Ohio Clean Marinas (15 minutes)
- Caroline Cicerchi, City of Delaware (15 minutes)
Careers in Water Management Speaker Series II
Tuesday, Oct. 6 from 6:30 PM – 7:30 PM:
- Sarah Orlando, Ohio Sea Grant (15 minutes)
- Chad Spring, City of Delaware (15 minutes)
- Erin Wolfe, Delaware SWCD (15 minutes)
- Janelle Valdinger, Ohio Wesleyan University (10 minutes)
Careers in Water Management Speaker Series III
Wednesday, Oct. 7 from 11:50 AM – 12:40 PM:Â
- Christine Szymanski, ODNR Scenic Rivers (15 minutes)
- Jeff Kauffman, Del-Co Water Company (15 minutes)
- Chris Roshon, Preservation Parks (15 minutes)
The event is supported by a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency and presented by the OEPA in collaboration with Ohio Wesleyan University and the City of Delaware Public Utilities Department.
The speaker series will include panelists from both the public and private sector, and each session will conclude with a question-and-answer session.
Organizations confirmed to speak during the series include:
- City of Delaware Public Utilities
- Del-Co Water Co.
- Delaware Soil and Water Conservation District
- Ohio Clean Marinas
- Ohio Department of Natural Resources: Scenic Rivers
- Ohio Sea Grant/OSU Extension
- Phoenix Environmental
The sessions â also part of the OWU classes Introduction to Environment and Sustainability 100.1 and Conversations Toward a Sustainable Future 100.2/400.1 â are scheduled for the following dates and times:
- 9:30 a.m. to 10:20 a.m. Oct. 5
- 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6
- 11:50 a.m. to 12:40 p.m. Oct. 7
For access to the online Zoom sessions, email Caroline Cicerchi, Delawareâs watershed and sustainability coordinator, at ccicerchi@delawareohio.net. Learn more about Ohio Wesleyanâs Environment and Sustainability Program at owu.edu/environment.
Zoom Event: Midwest Climate Summit: October 2020
Midwest Climate Summit to Accelerate Climate Action for Midwest Region
If the 12 Midwest states were a country, it would be the fifth-largest greenhouse gas-emitting nation on the planet. The Midwest Climate Summit, hosted by Ohio State and Washington University: St. Louis with support from the Bloomberg Foundation, kicks off its Fall 2020 Think Tank program on Oct. 2 at 11 a.m. EDT, featuring Robert Bullard, the Father of Environmental Justice. The Think Tank continues with additional sessions Oct. 9, 23, Nov. 6, 20 and plans are being developed for a large spring event. Join us as experts from Ohio State and across the Midwest accelerate climate action, develop a Midwestern response and plan the next steps in solving our climate crisis. About the summit: https://midwestclimatesummit.wustl.edu/
Each virtual session will have a unique theme and discussion goals, so join us for all sessions or the sessions most important to your interests. You can find detailed information, session themes and Summit schedules at midwestclimatesummit.wustl.edu. All sessions are free and open to the public but registration is required to gain entrance.