Welcome
Sustainability Events Calendar
Green Drinks Saskatoon (monthly)
Location varies A get together of like minded people to discuss environmental issues. The informal gathering is open to anyone and usually occurs on the second Friday of every month at diffent local pubs and lounges around town. To check out when and where Green Drinks is happening in Saskatoon, go to: www.facebook.com/#!/groups/6871780868/members/ Green Drinks is a world wide phenomenon and to check out the www.greendrinks.org to see if you catch an event in your travels. ---- Nature Education Tours (ongoing) The Centre for Continuing and Distance Education provides a wide selection of lab-based, outdoor, and travel programs for all age groups to help participants learn about science, nature, and sustainable living. Their nature and science courses are available for adults, children, K-12 science teachers, as well as ecology immersion camps to destinations around Saskatchewan, Canada and the world. Based on a foundation of Science, Education, and Ethics. Programs include Churchill Manitoba Polar Bear Ecology Tour and trips to Jasper, South Africa and Costa Rica. Details at: http://www.extension.usask.ca/ExtensionDivision/noncredit/Nature/. ---- Pocket Mulch (Wednesdays and Fridays at 6:30pm) Tune in every Wednesday and Friday at 6:30 PM to CFCR, Saskatoon's Community Radio, for up-to-date on environmental happenings around the world and in Saskatoon, as well as interesting environmental issues in the news. To listen to Pocket Mulch, check your dial at 90.5FM or on the web at www.cfcr.caThis one-day workshop provides a comprehensive introduction to community-based social marketing and how it is being applied throughout the world to foster sustainable behaviour. Those who attend the workshop will learn the five steps of community-based social marketing (selecting behaviours, identifying barriers, developing strategies, conducting pilots, and broad scale implementation) and be exposed to numerous case studies illustrating its use. As such, this workshop provides an in-depth exposure to community-based social marketing and provides participants with the knowledge they need to design and evaluate their own community-based social marketing programs. Note that this introductory workshop is a mandatory prerequisite for attending advanced training offered by Dr. McKenzie-Mohr.
See more: https://register.cbsm.com/workshops/workshop-detail-purchase/Calgary_Intro_5_12This two-day advanced workshop provides an in-depth exploration of how community-based social marketing can be used to foster sustainable behaviour. The session will introduce leading-edge material on selecting behaviours, identifying barriers and benefits (including market segmentation), applying behaviour change tools (including some exciting new developments regarding the use of commitments, norms, communication and goal setting), and piloting programs. Further, participants will also be coached in making community-based social marketing presentations to their agency or community and will receive PowerPoint and Keynote presentations for this purpose. Finally, each participant will receive a copy of Dr. McKenzie-Mohr's "Fostering Sustainable Behavior: An Introduction to Community-Based Social Marketing 3rd Edition."
See more: https://register.cbsm.com/workshops/workshop-detail-purchase/Calgary_Advanced_5_12Ahead of the 2012 National Infrastructure Summit, the City of Regina & Regina Regional Opportunities Commission are seeking radical new approaches to sustainable urban planning.
Morph My City Challenge (MMCC) is a two-part innovation competition aiming to encourage and reward radical new approaches to sustainable urban planning. Architects, engineers, students, city planners and innovators from around the world are invited to enter this Challenge. Entrants in the MMCC can choose to enter one of two categories: The Greenfield Design Prize ($10,000 CDN) and the 2040 Prize ($50,000 CDN). Submissions will be accepted between 9th January and 29th May 2012, and can be made through this website. A panel of expert judges will review all entries, and the top competitors will be invited to the National Infrastructure Summit in Regina on the 10th-12th September, 2012. At the Summit, finalists will pitch their plans to an expert judging panel and audience including mayors and city planners from Canada's big cities. www.omnicompete.com/urbandesign.htmlThe United Nations Conference on Sustainable Development (UNCSD)—commonly referred to as Rio+20—is taking place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in June 2012. This important global event is happening 20 years after the original Rio Earth Summit in 1992. Details at http://rcen.ca/rio-20-uncsd and at http://www.earthsummit2012.org/
The 7th World Environment Education Congress (WEEC) will be hosted by Morocco in 2013. The theme chosen by the Local Organising Committee: the rural-urban relationship.
The deadline for proposing papers, posters, workshops, round tables or parallel events is 31 October 2012. Abstracts can be presented in Arab, English, French and Spanish. Stay tuned: www.environmental-education.orgAfter having received phenomenal feedback for his sold-out workshop in 2011, Soil Foodweb Advisor and soil expert, Doug Weatherbee (a.k.a. “The Soil Doctor”), is coming back to Canada! Don’t miss this unique opportunity to learn from an international expert!
During this workshop you will learn: •the basics of microbiology and why it is so important to bringing life and health to the soil •the secrets of making high quality compost that is customized for its end use (compost for gardens, grasslands, food forests, etc.) •all about vermicomposting (worm composting) •how to combat soil disturbances, soil compaction, plant diseases and pathogens •how to turn a small quantity of compost into a large quantity of quality compost tea & compost extracts •design recipes for your own compost tea brewer Not only will you learn valuable tools and techniques to turn your soil into rich and fertile ground, but you will get your hands dirty too! Permaculture Research Institute of Saskatchewan members: $450 Non-members: $450 before May 15 | $500 after May 15 Bringing a friend? Get $50 off both registration fees! To register, please contact info@permasask.caMore information about the conference can be found at: http://www.issrm2012.iasnr.org/
The California Higher Education Sustainability Conference (CHESC) highlights cutting-edge case studies as well as research, curriculum development, and community partnerships. This unique event is jointly organized by independent/private colleges, California Community Colleges, California State Universities, and the University of California creating the opportunity for dialogue across institutions.
The CHESC seeks speakers who have crossed silos within their institutions to create sustainable change, infuse concepts of sustainability into curriculum, and/or to pursue research questions related to sustainability (especially where the research has or could be applied to campus sustainability). We are especially excited about proposals where a connection has been made across academic and operational departments. In the words of Fritjof Capra: “The more we study the major problems of our time, the more we come to realize that they cannot be viewed in isolation. They are systemic problems, which means that they are interconnected and interdependent.” Campus staff, faculty, students, and administrators are encouraged to submit proposals on case studies, pilot programs, and replicable best practices. We are equally interested in projects where a key lesson was learned and projects that were successful in the traditional sense. This year potential speakers will be asked to submit proposals that highlight or create a link between at least two of our core topic areas (click the titles below for more information on each): a. Climate Action Planning b. Curriculum c. Energy d. Food Systems e. Green Building f. Healthcare g. Institutionalizing Sustainability h. Local (Regional Case Studies) i. Procurement and Business Services j. Research l. Social Equity m. Student Affairs and Auxiliaries n. Transportation o. Waste Reduction and Recycling p. Water and Landscape http://cahigheredusustainability.org/default.aspxDirt Craft Natural Building will be teaching a cob oven skill builder half an hour North of Saskatoon Sunday, June 24th, 2012, 9am to 5pm. Price: $90. A tasty lunch, tea and coffee will be provided.
To register contact Mike Jones at happybugfarms@gmail.com, @happybugfarms on Twitter, or by phone at 306-716-5394 or 306-717-4495. Come spend the day learning and "playing in the mud" in this hands-on workshop. You will learn how to build your very own wood-fired oven from natural materials, including clay, sand, straw, and bricks. This type of oven (also called a cob oven) can be built in a day with minimal cost and creates an exceptional environment for baking artisan breads and pizza, as well as stews, roasts and more. Topics covered in the workshop include how to: • create a base for an oven • identify suitable soil for making cob • lay firebricks • build a form • mix thermal cob & insulative cob • build cob layers for the oven • build the perfect door • use wood efficiently • bake perfect bread Cooking in an earthen oven connects us with the elements and our food in a profound way. By the end of this workshop you will have connected with some great people and you’ll walk away with the skills necessary to build your very own oven! About the hosts: Mike and Amber Jones, along with four other families, are working together to create a permaculture farm and community, that is just North of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Any proceeds from the workshop above cost will be donated to the Room to Grow Foundation to help orphan kids on the Thai-Burmesse border. www.dirtcraft.ca/content/how-build-cob-oven-near-saskatoon-sk-0http://www.watersummit.ca/
Dirt Craft Natural Building will be teaching a four day hands on workshop dedicated to earthen plasters from Friday, June 29th to Monday, July 2nd. Each day will start at 9 am and end at approximately 4:30 pm. These will be full days, so come prepared to have fun, learn, and get your hands dirty! Price: $425
You will be introduced to earthen plasters, and their role in completing a naturally built home. Some of the topics that we will be covering: • Wall preparation for various natural building techniques, including clay fiber, cob and straw bales • Preparing flashing details, wood details • Sourcing local materials • Learn to identify clay, and process this inexpensive local material • Recipes for exterior renders and interior plasters • Interior plasters that can be applied to a variety of wall surfaces and substrates, including drywall • Discussion on comparing earthen plasters to concrete stucco, especially in the areas of durability and vapour permeability • Plaster as it pertains to the long term health of a building with natural walls • Tool selection • Application techniques for base coats and finish plasters, including proper trowel techniques • Building design for earthen plasters • Different treatments to increase durability and weather resistance This four day workshop will be centered around working on a straw bale, timber frame home. The site is future home of a permaculture farm and community, that is just North of Saskatoon, Saskatchewan. Any proceeds from the workshop above cost will be donated to the Room to Grow Foundation to help orphan kids on the Thai-Burmese border. To register contact Mike Jones at happybugfarms@gmail.com, @happybugfarms on Twitter, or by phone at 306-716-5394 or 306-717-4495. Please note that the current price is for early bird registrations (before May 29th), thereafter the price will be $475. Space will be limited to 14 participants. Camping will be available on site for no charge, and suppers will be available upon request at time of registration for an additional $30 per person for three meals. Contact Mike (see above) for more information. Make sure to bring appropriate clothing for working in and getting dirty. We will be working outside, so consider a water bottle, sun protection and extra clothes in case of cool weather/rain. www.dirtcraft.ca/content/earthen-plasters-natural-buildings-near-saskatoon-skThe European Association of Environmental and Resource Economists (EAERE), the Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM) and the Venice International University (VIU) are pleased to announce their annual European Summer School in Resource and Environmental Economics for postgraduate students.
The 2012 Summer School will take place from 1st to 7th July, at the VIU campus on the Island of San Servolo, in Venice, located just in front of St. Mark’s Square. The theme of this Summer School is Management of International Water. See more: www.feem.it/ess/Please see website for details: http://www.saskrce.ca/content/straw-light-clay-building-workshop-craik-july-6-8-2012
The City of Regina will host the 2012 National Infrastructure Summit, September 10 – 12, 2012.
Due to the huge success of the first-ever 2011 National Infrastructure Summit, and the reality that continuing, collaborative efforts are needed to make further progress on the national infrastructure issue, we once again offer the collective opportunity for all orders of government and our local and national private sector partners to attend and participate in the 2012 Summit. The 2012 National Infrastructure Summit offers a more practical approach to the conceptual and creative insights explored in Summit 2011, and will include the following highlights: financing the opportunities; politics of infrastructure; citizen engagement; innovation; and defining the need. Local, national and international speakers with expertise in the theme areas will be invited to make presentations. The 2012 Summit will also offer the opportunity to lead by example, with two urban renewal competitions - “Morph My City”. The first competition involves submission of a long-term step-by-step neighbourhood design, beginning with a “canola field”, an undeveloped, unserviced section of land, morphing it into a creative, innovative, sustainable 21st Century urban neighbourhood. The second competition involves submission of a conceptual design plan to renew a pre-existing neighbourhood into an innovative, long-term, financially sustainable neighbourhood within the City of Regina. The competition, open to all, offers the opportunity for exposure to a national audience and other prizes. Another new feature we are pleased to add is the addition of an invitational Trade Show that will showcase innovative tools for resolving infrastructure issues. We welcome your participation in the 2012 National Infrastructure Summit – an opportunity to move further towards solutions that will result in the creation of a long-term, sustainable investment plan through innovative and creative solutions that meet the current and future infrastructure needs of our communities. www.nisummit2012.caCanadian and Environmental Studies are two fields in transformation. Initiated in part as emancipatory projects in the 1970s, seeking to define subjects and articulate their meanings, the two fields have diverged and been complicated by shifting ideas about nation and nationalism on the one hand, and the environment and sustainability on the other. Wilderness once stood as a central shared concern of the two fields, but constructivist critiques have highlighted its associations with race, gender, settler societies and social power, and the discourse of sustainability has transcended wilderness as a cultural and linguistic artifact, reliant on a binary vision of nature and culture. This conference asks what has replaced the culture of nature that once provided common ground for Canadian and Environmental Studies? How do area and interdisciplinary studies intersect, and with what benefits and problems? Does a shared agenda remain? This conference seeks to bring Canadian and Environmental Studies scholars together to discuss and debate the relations of their two fields and imagine the intertwined futures of Canadian and Environmental Studies.
Possible conference themes include: The place of nature in Canadian Studies The place of Canada in Environmental Studies What¹s left of wilderness and the culture of nature? Understanding Canada, regions and places in a world of global flows and environmental processes How to apply: Paper proposals for the conference should be 250 words in length and accompanied by a one-page c.v. We welcome proposals for >individual papers, whole panels and poster presentations. We are seeking funding to provide partial support for graduate student participants. Proposal Deadline: Wednesday, February 1, 2012 Please send queries and proposals to Matthew Evenden, Chair of Canadian Studies, University of British Columbia at: CNS-conference2012@geog.ubc.ca http://www.canadianstudies.ubc.ca/2011/11/16/beyond-the-culture-of-nature/Participate in NAAEE's 41st annual conference: Gaining Perspective: Seeing Environmental Education through new lenses
http://www.naaee.net/conferenceEducation and the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation: 8th International Congress on Education in Botanic Gardens.
The congress will have a strong focus on how botanic gardens can address the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation (GSPC) targets through education. This congress is for everyone involved in delivering communication, education and public awareness programmes in botanic gardens. During the congress we will focus on how gardens can address all targets of the GSPC through education. We will also agree on a common set of messages for plant conservation. http://www.bgci.org/education/mexicoform/