September 25, 2019
Welcome to the Environmental Center (EC) Digest!

Every two weeks, this little gem of digital media arrives in your inbox full of all things environmental, sustainable, socially responsible, and just plain "green".

Scroll down to check out:
  • Environmental Center happenings and chances to get involved
  • Community and campus events, initiatives, and opportunities
  • Jobs, internships, workshops, and trainings

And of course, our thought-provoking opening thoughts from EC students and staff. Enjoy!
Tonight I presented to the Associated Students of Fort Lewis College (ASFLC, the college's student government) about the Environmental Center. Where many Executive Directors present to a Board - as EC Coordinator I present to a table of FLC students. Why? Because the EC grew out of being a student club 28 years ago, and through all those years we have maintained our commitment to being a student-centered organization with deep ties to the needs and desires of the FLC student body.

What does it mean to be a student-led organization that has two professional (non-student) staff? First and foremost it means valuing students and taking them seriously. This is especially critical during a time when adults are constantly undermining the legitimacy of young people when those young people speak out. The EC professional staff may have more experience than many of our students, but that doesn't mean we necessarily have better ideas. We're here to provide guidance, connections, consistency, and advice. But ultimately, the success of the EC falls on our students' shoulders.

All summer as I've been speaking with campus and community stakeholders about potential projects and programs, I've had to end many discussions with: "sounds good, but I'll have to wait to hear from our student teams before I can commit." Well, now our teams are up and running, and I can't wait to see what they can do.
Marty Pool
Environmental Center Coordinator
Environmental Center Happenings
Events, programs, and ways to help make a difference!
FLC Sustainability Summit - Find Your Action

Learn what sustainability means to you and how you can get involved to make a difference at this year's Sustainability Summit. It's an amazing chance for students, staff, faculty and anyone from our greater community to get plugged into sustainability. The event will feature updates and stories from FLC's ongoing push for sustainability, inspiration to find your action, and lots of campus and community organizations looking for folks who want to get involved (or find a job or internship)! Did we mention free food featuring locally grown and environmentally friendly fare?

When: Tuesday, Oct. 15 from 4:30 to 7 PM (open tabling from 6 to 7 PM).
Where: Fort Lewis College Student Union Ballroom
Cost: FREE! Open to all with no registration needed.

For more information or to inquire about hosting a table contact EC Coordinator Marty Pool at mlpool@fortlewis.edu
EC Students at Uplift 2019!

The EC recently sponsored three students - Kashia, Carsyn, and Brookelynn, to attend the Uplift conference in Gallup, New Mexico - ancestral land of the Diné, Hopi, Pueblo, Western Apache, and Zuni peoples. Over the course of the weekend, they learned about climate justice, the impact of climate change on Native communities, as well as powerful communication and organizing skills.
Fundraise While You Shop

Anyone out there a regular City Market shopper? You can help raise funds for the EC every time you shop - available for anyone with a City Market Rewards Card!
  1. Go to http://www.citymarketcommunityrewards.com and login (or create an account if you haven’t already).
  2. Once logged in go to the “Community Rewards” section under My Account
  3. Enroll in supporting the Fort Lewis College Environmental center (organization AJ646)
  4. Shop at City Market, use your standard rewards ID, and a the EC will receive a donation from City Market at no charge to you!

The EC definitely encourages you to check out all the local and environmentally friendly food options here in town for your groceries!
EC Proudly Supports Student-Organized Climate Strike

As part of the global climate strike on Friday, Sept. 20th, FLC students self-organized to draw attention to the fact that their future demands action! The EC opened our space to a poster making party organized by the even'ts student leaders.

The strike, which included dozens of FLC students, drew a large crowd here in Durango, and was part of a coordinated global effort to draw awareness to this critical issue. The strike builds off the momentum generated by teenage activist, Greta Thunberg's. Learn more from her speech at the U.N. Climate Action Summit.
Join Us for Campus Garden Workdays

The start of school can be stressful. So how about you get outside to de-stress and get your hands dirty!? Join our Growing Spaces Steward, Maggie, for a Garden Workday, this Thursday during College Hour

When: Thursday, from 1-2 PM
Where: EC Campus Garden, located just north of Center of Southwest Studies Parking Lot. ( Link to Map.)
Community Events and Happenings
What's Going On at FLC and in Our Local Community
The EC is Hosting Green Drinks this Month!

Green Drinks is a monthly get together that's all about creating a well-connected community around all things environmental and "green". It takes place the last Thursday of every month at Carver Brewing.

This month's hosts are the FLC Environmental Center (yay, that's us!) and San Juan Citizen's Alliance

FLC is Recognized for its Sustainability Achievements

In case you hadn't seen, the Durango Herald published a great article highlighting Fort Lewis College's progress toward our sustainability goals and the EC's important role. We've come a long way, but there's still a lot of work to be done!
Fruit Gleaning Season is Here!

Fall is upon us, which means that it's time to get food onto plates instead of rotting on the ground or tempting local bears. Use the fruit gleaning program run by The Good Food Collective and Bear Smart. The online platform specializes in matchmaking those with excess fruit on their trees with happy harvesters to eliminate food waste, reduce bear-human conflict, and fight hunger!

For more information, to list a tree, or to sign up to harvest free food visit FruitGlean.org
Old Fort Farm Stand is Open!

Come get your fresh local food from FLC's own Old Fort Market Gardens! Veggies are sooo much tastier when they're locally grown.

When: Wednesday at 1 PM
Where: Student Union plaza

The Old Fort's Facebook Page for more information
Reinventing Power Film Screening

Join San Juan Citizen's Alliance for this feel-good film! Reinventing Power takes us across the country to hear directly from people working to rethink what's possible and make our clean energy future achievable. The stories in this film are proof that we don't need to choose between keeping our lights on and protecting our communities. SJCA is bringing this film to Durango in light of an upcoming important decision-making process happening at the Public Utilities Commission that could impact the future of our energy supply.

When: Thursday, Oct. 3 from 6 to 8 PM
Where: Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave.

Durango Farmer's Market

The Durango Farmers Market is still open through October 26th!

The Durango Farmers Market is a venue for local agriculturalists, ranchers and artisans to meet and share their harvest and talents with the Durango community. The market also offers hot ready to eat food from local vendors, value added foods such as jams, jellies and sauces and local artisans who make high-quality handcrafted items. And don't forget: Durango Farmers Market accepts SNAP and offers Double Up Food Bucks! 

When: Saturdays from 8 AM to 12 PM until October 26
Where: TBK Bank parking lot, across from the Transit Center on 8th St.

For more information visit www.durangofarmersmarket.com
Four Corners Flood Focus Groups

In partnership with National Weather Service, Nurture Nature Center will be hosting two focus groups in the Four Corners Region about flood and river forecast products. These focus groups will provide meaningful feedback to NWS to help improve their river forecasting products for the community. The sessions are fun and engaging, and provide a very valuable service to National Weather Service. Plus, participants will be paid $50 for their time and input!

When: Monday, Oct. 7 at 6 PM
Where: Durango Public Library, 1900 E. 3rd Ave. - program room #1
Registration:  www.focusonfloods.org

For more information or questions, contact Rachel Hogan Carr, Executive Director of Nurture Nature Center, at rhogan@nurturenature.org
Creating a Future for Ranching in SW Colorado

See how Cachuma Ranch and Fozzie’s Farm are working to create a future ranching and farming in SW Colorado. Hear about Ken Lausten’s vision for the 8th generation of his family ranch and Jay Loschert’s passion to foster community engagement in agriculture with place based experiential learning. Hear how they are using livestock and innovative approaches restore land health and productivity, increase financial viability, and develop good working relationships with neighbors and the agricultural community.

When: Saturday, Sept. 28 from 8:30 AM to 4:45 PM
Where: At 8:30 AM, meet at Dolores County Public Service Center, 8477 Rd 7.7, Dove Creek, CO 81324, then travel out to Cachuma Ranch

For more information visit the event page on the HMI website or contact event organizer Cindy at 970-882-4222 or opengate@wholenewconcepts.com
Opportunities
Jobs, Scholarships, Internships, and more!
Path to Power Organizing Workshop

Learn how to organize your community the Planned Parenthood way!
Workshop participants will learn to develop strategies for change, tactics for engaging their communities, and skills to lead successful campaigns through Planned Parenthood’s unique model of grassroots organizing.

When: Saturday, Sept.28 from 1 to 5 PM
Where: Fort Lewis College, Education Business Hall (EBH) room 119
Registration RSVP: BIT.LY/PPRM_PTP

For more information email feministvoiceflc@gmail.com
Regional & Beyond
Further Resources and Opportunities
Check back next time for more happenings and opportunities beyond FLC and Durango. If you know of any, you can always email them to us!
Environmental Center | Fort Lewis College | 970-247-7676 | envcenter@fortlewis.edu