For A Brighter Future, It’s This Way To Sustainability

Conference volunteers with Chico Country Day School’s Greenie Award winner Ian Roye. Ian was awarded as 2nd Place winner in the K-6 grade category.

California State University, Chico, hosts its 11th annual This Way to Sustainability Conference held on campus March 24 and 25, 2016.

This nationally recognized event includes keynote speakers and lively and informative panel presentations. There are topics for everyone, including: water issues, lifestyle, health and wellness, sustainable agriculture, energy, transportation, community gardening, laws, policies, business and more. In all the conference features nearly 100 sustainability professionals during the two-day event.

Kids of all ages are welcome to attend. The conference’s Greenie Awards honor students in K-12 and higher education categories, recognizing student projects that address and seek to resolve sustainable and environmental concerns. 

Keynote presentation highlights include:

On Thursday, March 24, 12-1pm: Dr. Daphne Miller, family physician, author and associate professor in the Department of Family Medicine at the University of San Francisco, presents Farmacology: Total Health from the Ground Up.  The author of Farmacology and The Jungle Effect, and founder of WholefamilyMD, Miller uncovers aspects of farming that have a direct and powerful impact on our health. Known for her ability to bridge the traditional divide between agriculture and medicine, she shares insights, discoveries and lessons learned from farmers, biomedical researchers, and her patients. Miller offers a compelling vision for sustainable healing as she shares a treasure trove of farm-to-body lessons that have immense value in our daily lives.

Also on March 24, from 4-5pm, Sandra Postel, director of the Global Water Policy Project, presents The Global Freshwater Challenge: New Solutions for a Thirsty World. Climate disruption is altering the global water cycle – from Australia to Brazil to California, severe droughts have forced curtailments of water use as rivers are running dry, lakes are shrinking, and groundwater is being depleted. Postel addresses the question of how we can meet our future water needs while at the same time sustaining ecosystems that support our economies and the planet’s web of life. In 2010 Postel was appointed Freshwater Fellow of the National Geographic Society, where she co-created Change the Course, the national freshwater restoration campaign.

On Friday, March 25, 3-4pm, meet Roger Doiron, founder and director of Kitchen Gardens International, a nonprofit network of over 30,000 individuals from 120 countries. Doiron presents Eat the View: The Fight for Edible Landscapes, telling the story of how millions of people are taking on big, international problems like diet-related disease, climate change and social injustice by growing small, edible gardens. He focuses his spotlight on an inspiring group of change-makers who’ve taken risks and encountered opposition in their efforts to promote gardens and healthy foods. Offering a message of hope and empowerment, Doiron invites his audience to become the next generation of garden groundbreakers.

Also on March 25, from 12-2pm, the conference presents a screening of the documentary feature film, Symphony of the Soil. Filmed on four continents and sharing the voices of some of the world’s most esteemed soil scientists, farmers and activists, the film explores the complexity and mystery of soil and portrays soil as a protagonist of our planetary story.

Attendance at the conference is free for students of any age, and the general public can attend for $35/one day or $50/two days. Find registration details and the conference schedule online at http://www.csuchico.edu/sustainablefuture/conference or call (530) 898-3333.