From the release from Dr. Kenny:
I invite all members of the campus community to participate in a Stony Brook tradition — the campus-wide celebration of “Earthstock 2009,” this Friday, April 17, on the Academic Mall and Student Activities Center Plaza (rain location will be the Wang Center) — five days prior to the national observance of Earth Day. Earthstock is an award-winning program comprising 29 programs over 9 days on the main and Southampton campuses of Stony Brook, and is made possible through the support of more than 40 university and private/corporate sponsors and collaborators.
Our signature Earthstock event, the Opening Festival on main campus, begins at 10 a.m. with over 100 educational exhibitors, Spring Pride Patrol, music, dance, entertainers and activities, with the official opening ceremonies at 12:15 p.m. near the fountain, followed by activities continuing throughout the day and evening. The day will center on the theme of “Sustainability – The Future is Now,” providing exhibits and activities all afternoon, and culminating in a special Provost’s and Living World lecture – a live telecast from Australia to the Wang Center Theater at 7:30 p.m. entitled “The Coral Reef Crisis” by the Director of the Center for Marine Studies at the University of Queensland, Ove Hoegh-Guldverg.
The festivities kick-off at Stony Brook Southampton on Wednesday, April 15 with Vice President and Dean, Dr. Mary Pearl’s lecture, “New Frontiers in Conservation Science” at 1 p.m.in the Avram Theater, and continue throughout the week with a Green Film Series, a Green Formal, and one hour ecological boat rides on the bay.
Earthstock 2009 includes significant involvement from our academic sector, such as the panel presentation “The Baked Apple: Metropolitan New York in the Greenhouse,” featuring Stony Brook faculty and members of the New York City Panel on Climate Change. Other highlights include an Environmental Exhibition of Student Research on April 17, a lecture on April 19 as part of the department of Geosciences “Our Environment” series, a showing of the award-winning film, “Farming our Future” on April 20, and participation in “IBM’s Smarter Planet University Jam,” a 72 hour global online conversation to help develop solutions to climate change involving 180 universities worldwide.
Earthstock activities extend from April 15 through April 22. Last year, more than 4,000 students, faculty, and staff enjoyed the festivities and the opportunities to learn about environmental sustainability. I hope you will find time in your day to join us on the Academic Mall and other locations for this exciting and educational event. For a complete Earthstock weeklong schedule, more specific information about each event, and information about taking the Green Pledge online, please visit the Earthstock website
My few cents to add:
- Peat Moss & The Fertilizers will be playing on the Academic Mall on Friday at 11:30. Woo!
- Don’t forget to buy a duck for the 2:00 duck race down the “stony brook”!
See you on campus on Friday!