April  2011      Greetings all!  
 
 

Our next Meeting/Gathering.  Our next meeting will be held at 7:00 p.m., Thursday, May 5 at the Stockton Municipal Building. 

Sustainable Stockton Film Series Presents:  “Asparagus! Stalking the American Life”

In partnership with Sustainable Stockton, MREA will be showing “Asparagus! Stalking the American Life” at its headquarters in Custer on Thursday, April 14th at 7:00 p.m.  “This subtle but powerful film unveils intricate connections among community identity, family farming, national politics and international trade, while at the same time revealing the aplomb and good cheer of these indomitable, spear-struck Michiganers.” – Full Frame Documentary Film Series.

For any questions, please contact Ellie Jackson This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or call 715-592-6595 or
watch the trailer here: http://www.vimeo.com/11055965

Ellie Jackson, Community Outreach Assistant (AmeriCorps Member), is currently interning at the MREA.  As one of Ellie’s projects, she has chosen to continue the green-themed documentary film/lecture series at the MREA.  We’re very happy she has decided to keep these going and ask that you support her project.  Please help spread the word regarding the April 14th film to folks you know, work with, etc.

Upcoming Area Events:

? April 6 & 7, UWSP Campus, “Environmental Sustainability and Economic Development – Problems and Prospects”
This Small City and Regional Community Conference session which is free and open to the public will be held at the UWSP Dreyfus University Center.  Many local people will be speaking including Margaret Bau, Jeremy Solin, Lynn Markham, Alan Haney, Eric Olson and Erin Yudchitz.

Schedule includes:

7:00 p.m. – April 6th, Alumni Room at the Dreyfus University Center
Keynote speaker, Jamie Druckman, Payson S. Wild Professor of Political Science and faculty at the Institute for Sustainable Practices, Northwestern University will present.

9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. – April 7th,
Fifteen theme-related session are scheduled.  Information about the sessions will be available, on site, at the Laird Room the day of the conference.  Some topics to be covered include:

-- Economic Opportunity & Environmental Sustainability
-- Climate Change: Environmental Sustainability and the Future
-- Food and the Food System
-- The Ethics of Sustainability
-- The Central Wisconsin Resiliency Project

For more Info:  www.uwsp.edu/poli-sci/smallcity/center.html or e-mail
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

? April 10, 1-4 p.m., Building a Sustainable Future TODAY (Special Community Open House)
1900 W Zinda Dr (former Jackson School), St. Point
Spend an afternoon at the headquarters of the Central WI Resiliency Project to learn about existing sustainability activities in the region and share your ideas for building a more sustainable future.  Activities include: nature walks at Jackson, food tastings, kids games, Panel discussion on community topics, networking with sustainability groups and asset-mapping. 

? April 15-17, “A Celebration of Grasslands.”
The Central Wisconsin Prairie Chicken Festival
Four wildlife areas (Buena Vista, Leola, Mead, and Paul Olson) will be holding events to include prairie chicken viewing, bird tours, wildlife presentations, local food, art, literature and vendors.  Contact Golden Sands Conservation and Development Council, Inc. (715-343-6215) for details.

? April 17, 30-4 p.m., “Rabbit! A Chorus of Frogs.”
Resiliency Project Headquarters, 1900 W Zinda Dr (former Jackson School), St. Point
Another in the “explore the phenology (study of how plants and animals respond to the change in seasons) of Wisconsin” series. This family event is FREE and open to all.  Dress appropriately as a portion of the program will be held outside exploring nature.

This event is part of the “Wisconsin Through the Seasons Family Programs” sponsored by the Central Wisconsin Resiliency Project and the Aldo Leopold Audubon Society.

? April 18, 7 p.m., “Green Fire” – Stevens Point Public Library, Pinery Room.
Sponsored by the Aldo Leopold Society, this one-hour documentary about Aldo Leopold and the evolution of his insights into conservation is being shown FREE and open to the public. The film examines the development of Leopold’s thinking about the relationship between people and nature, and especially his concept of land ethics as it relates to the environmental challenges we now face.  It was produced in partnership with the Aldo Leopold Foundation, the Center for Humans and Nature, and the U.S. Forest Service.
 
Doors open at 7:00 p.m.  Patty Drier, Portage County Executive, will introduce the program at 7:30 p.m. with the film to follow. Conservation organizations have been invited to set up displays highlighting Central Wisconsin activities.  Organization representatives will be available before and after to discuss their activities and programs.

? April Meetings Continue Re: Portage County Lakes.
Linda Stoll has notified us of the April Lakes Planning Meetings.  The remaining discussions do not include Stockton lakes but anyone is welcome to attend any of the meetings.  I’m attaching Linda’s notice to this e-mail if you are interested in attending. 

? An early notification -- Don’t miss this upcoming sustainability webinar series opportunity, beginning May 26th.

Register for an exciting 6-part series of webinars that will teach people in your organization how to enlist wide-spread participation, from all walks of life and with diverse perspectives, in the development and planning for community-wide sustainability initiatives. 

On Thursday, May 26th, at 1 p.m. in the Prairie Room at the downtown branch of the Portage County Library, Sarah James will speak about--Enlisting Others: Bringing About  Participation in Sustainable Community Planning. 

There is an individual registration fee of $16.29 that covers all six sessions in this webinar series and can be paid through PayPal at www.naturalsteps.org/storage/pdfs-training/change-series-22011.pdf

When registering, list your job title as: volunteer and your organization as Central Rivers Farmshed.  Three more webinars are being scheduled for July 21, September 15 and November 17 at 1 p.m.  Depending on participant input, we may schedule the remaining two sessions for evening hours.  For more information about other sessions in the series go to the website listed above or call Mary at 715-592-4051 with questions.  The series is co-sponsored by Central Rivers Farmshed and the Center for Land use Education.

Other topics in the webinar series:
**John Ikerd: Respecting the Principles for Sustainability.  Ikerd will explore the basic ecological, social and economic principles of sustainability. (July 21st)
**Bob Pavlik: Hidden Assets in Plain Sight for Sustainability.  The seminar opens with an invitation to identify assets within individuals, associations, organizations, institutions and communities to select strategies for making connections that led to results of significance. (September 15th)
**Jeff Leinaweaver: Why Story Telling is the X Factor in Harnessing Your Sustainability Efforts.  This is about story telling as a key component in the tool kit for change. (November 17th)
**Bob Doppelt: Change We Can’t Live Without is based on Doppelt’s book The Power of Sustainable Thinking: How to Create a Positive Future for the Climate, the Planet Your Organization and Your Life. (Time to be determined)
**Anna Faley: Going for the Gut: Sustainability Framing and Messaging Strategies.  This session describes effective messaging tools to make the case for policy solutions and community action. (Time to be determined)