A Year of Sustainability | National Food Day and more...

We want to thank Michelle Schmidt, associate professor and chair of the psychology department, and the Emerging Leader Scholarship students for hosting two events related to National Food Day (October 24).

On National Food Day, the Bethlehem Food Co-op had a table in the HUB.  The Bethlehem Food Co-Op is a diverse community encouraging physical, social, and economic health by providing healthful, affordable food; emphasizing local, sustainable, humane and natural food systems; and offering unique educational opportunities to the entire community.

Above is a photo of our emerging leaders group at the food co-op table: (left to right.) Photini Petrides, Megan Mummey, Carl Cara, Joseph Ward, Matthew Nesto, Tessa Haney, Dana Sencindiver, Kaitlyn Gill, Dylan Joyce, Megan Troutman, Caitlin McGann, Justin Pilchman, and Michael Hofmann.

In addition, tables were set up in the HUB with literature, and fresh apples and goodies from Scholl’s Orchard on Center Street (owner, Moravian College alumnae, Martha Scholl Ryan).  Students stopped by the table to grab an apple, and learn more about healthy eating and buying locally!

The Center for Leadership and Service hosted a viewing and discussion of the documentary, Cafeteria Man, in Prosser Auditorium This award-winning documentary featuring Chef Tony Geraci, focuses on an effort to reform school lunches in Baltimore’s urban school district, which serves 83,000 students.

We also want to thank Aaron Thieme, president of Phi Alpha Theta, and all of the History Honors Society, for organizing a panel to discuss sustainability that was held on October 18th.  The panel looked at how this issue of sustainability has been viewed over the course of history and looked into the different ways in which sustainability has either allowed civilizations or society to thrive or be destroyed.

Diane Husic
Don St. John
Co-directors of the Sustainability Center of Investigation

Moravian Ecology Class Monitors Turtle Populations

Frank Kuserk's ecology class was busy the weekend of September 20-22 participating in TurtlePOP, a nationwide project organized by the Ecological Society of America that is designed to gather long-term information on turtle populations. Turtles and other reptiles have experienced significant declines in recent years due to roadkill and habitat loss from development. The 30+ colleges and universities participating in TurtlePOP plan to establish a database of information on the status of current populations and intend to follow future trends. The ecology class trapped, marked for future identification, and measured 50+  Eastern painted and musk turtles at several ponds located at the Lehigh Gap Nature Center. The evidence is that, at least for these two species, populations are at healthy levels.

Journey of the Universe Film Screening with Producers

InFocus and the Environmental Film Series will hold a special screening of the Emmy Award-winning documentary, Journey of the Universe on Wednesday November 7, at 7:30 p.m. in Dana Lecture Hall, Collier Hall of Science.

Executive producers Mary Evelyn Tucker and John Grim, will visit Moravian to discuss the film, that was the winner of the Montana CINE International Film Festival “Global Award.”

Journey of the Universe presents for the first time the epic story of cosmic, Earth, and human transformation. Beautifully filmed on the Greek island of Samos, this engaging narrative combines scientific discoveries in astronomy, geology, biology, and ecology with humanistic insights concerning the nature of the cosmos. Astrophysicist Brian Swimme  invites humans to consider the meaning of their role in this  awe-inspiring 14 billion year drama and their responsibilities to the diverse ecosystems, life forms  and cultural expressions of this wondrous planet.

Professors Tucker and Grim hold joint appointments at Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, Yale Divinity School. They are co-founders and co-directors of the Forum on Religion and Ecology at Yale(http://fore.research.yale.edu/). This semester, Tucker and Grim are visiting scholars at the Princeton Environmental Institute.

Sponsored by the Religion Department, Moravian Theological Seminary, and the Arts & Lectures Committee. 

Moravian sending three to COP18

Three representatives from Moravian College will be traveling to the U.N. climate change negotiations meeting (COP18) in Doha, Qatar at the end of the month. Professor Hilde Binford, Marla Bianca '13, (dual chemistry and environmental science major), and Professor Diane Husic will be at COP18 from November 26 to December 3. They will be blogging about the issues that arise in the negotiations and educational side events (http://moraviancollegeatunfccc.blogspot.com/).  

Marla, along with 3 other students from across the country, will also be officially representing the American Chemical Society contributing to a blog for ACS as a way of informing undergraduates and the larger chemistry community about the events at the negotiations.

Sustainability Grant Opportunities

The In Focus Committee is pleased to offer mini grants of $200 for a special project or program regarding this year’s theme- sustainability.  Please contact Ann Claussen at meaec01@moravian.edu or x1492 if you have an interest in applying for a grant. 

We look forward to any new activities or program ideas representing a multitude of disciplines or field of study and welcome all interested in applying.  Our goal is to enrich and engage the campus community in a variety of ways as we learn more about sustainability.

Community Service Opportunities

Students should contact Community Service to get involved in volunteer work in the community. Opportunities for students to volunteer at a food pantry, homeless shelter, local schools, and other community organizations are organized through the Center for Leadership and Service. To learn more, click here.

Service Trips

Students, faculty, and staff will have the opportunity to participate in service trips focused on sustainability throughout the year. These trips are sponsored by the Center for Leadership and Service. Click here for a full listing of trips