A Natural Builder Presents "Earth, Art, and Fire: Reviving Traditions for Post-Industrial Dilemmas"

Kiko Denzer with one of his mud ovens.

CHESTERTOWN, MD—The Center for Environment & Society (CES) at Washington College will present “Earth, Art, and Fire: Reviving Traditions for Post-Industrial Dilemmas” by Kiko Denzer at Litrenta Lecture Hall in the Toll Science Center at Washington College on Tuesday, October 30 at 7 p.m. This talk is free and open to the public.

A leading proponent of natural building, Kiko Denzer has worked with earth as a building material since 1994. His work has included low-cost, friendly structures for schools, playgrounds, gardens, and community events. The goals of his work are two-fold: “to bring the art and beauty of life and nature into spaces where we work and live, and to inspire people to create what they need with the materials they have on land.” In order to accomplish these things, Denzer begins with primary tools such as our hands and bodies.

Since 1994 Denzer has been involved in numerous projects involving mud – constructing mud ovens, stoves, fireplaces, and sculptures. His other interests include stone- and wood-carving, teaching and writing.

Based in Oregon, he self-publishes how-to books on natural building methods through his company Hand Print Press. His first book, Build your own Earth Oven, is widely regarded as the authority on the construction of traditional earth ovens. He also has written and published Dig Your Hands in the Dirt: A Manual for Making Art out of Earth, and Make a Simple Sundial.

Denzer’s talk at Washington College is sponsored by the Center for Environment and Society, the Student Environmental Alliance, the Anthropology Department, and the Anthropology Club. For more information, visit http://www.ces.washcoll.edu or call 410-810-7161.

Environmental Studies Major Jeffery Sullivan Earns $5,000 Udall Foundation Scholarship

CHESTERTOWN, MD—Washington College student Jeffery D. Sullivan, class of 2014, has been awarded an Undergraduate Scholarship from the Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Foundation. Sullivan was named one of just 80 recipients of the $5,000 prize, which is awarded annually to students committed to careers related to the environment or Native American affairs. An added perk to the scholarship will be the opportunity for Sullivan to meet elected officials and environmental and Native American tribal leaders at the four-day Udall Scholars Orientation in Tucson, Arizona this coming August.

Sullivan’s interest in the environment is what led him to choose Washington College after graduating from Lake Forest High School in Felton, Delaware. An environmental studies major, he participated in the College’s unique Chesapeake Semester program (http://chesapeake-semester.washcoll.edu/) in the fall of 2011. The program combines fieldwork, intensive study and outdoor adventure throughout the 64,000 square mile watershed of the Bay and ends with a journey to Peru to compare the cultural, economic and political forces at work in each region.

“The Chesapeake Semester was an incredible experience, better even than I hoped it would be,” Sullivan says. “It brings together a lot of aspects of environmental work that are often disconnected, bringing all the stakeholders together to look at the issues that affect the health of the Bay.”

Sullivan, the Finn M. W. Caspersen Scholar, is involved in a wide range of campus activities. He came to the College as a Presidential Fellow and is now a member of the Cater Society. In his freshman year, he became a parliamentarian for the Student Government Association, and he will be a Residential Advisor for the Presidential Fellows in Kent House for the 2012-2013 academic year.

As a member of the Student Environmental Alliance, he recently teamed up with a fellow student to start a Bike Share program on campus. This summer, he will intern in the College’s Chester River Field Research Center at Chino Farms, where he will band migratory birds and conduct research on songbirds.

The Udall Scholarship will significantly benefit Sullivan and his career goals. “I am very pleased to receive this scholarship, not only for the recognition and the financial assistance, but also for the opportunity the conference will bring,” he says. “I’ll be able to explore environmental careers and network with legislators and EPA officials, as well as with other students interested in environmental studies.”

The Udall Scholarship Foundation was created in 1992 to honor Congressman Morris K. Udall and his brother Stewart and their legacy of public service. The foundation awards roughly 80 scholarships of up to $5,000 and 50 honorable mentions of $350 to college sophomores and juniors who intend to pursue careers in environmental public policy and to Native American and Alaska Native undergraduate students who intend to pursue careers in health care and tribal public policy.

'Green Friday' at Washington College, April 25

Chestertown, MD — April 25 might well be dubbed "Green Friday," as it is the date for a series of "George Goes Green" events at Washington College.

The Friday flurry begins with tree plantings on the campus lawn at 3:00 p.m., highlighted by the Arbor Day Tree Dedication at 3:30 p.m. The Virginia Gent Decker Arboretum, the Center for Environment & Society, the Student Environmental Alliance, and the Student Events Board will plant and dedicate a young descendant of the historic Wye Oak, the centuries-old landmark and nation's largest white oak tree until its tragic loss in a thunderstorm in 2002.

At 4:00 p.m., the Center for Environment & Society, the Department of Business Management, the Office of Alumni Relations and the Office of Information Technology will present "Green Business & Entrepreneurship" at Litrenta Lecture Hall. The symposium will feature key players in banking, eco-tourism, agriculture, real estate development, and advocacy. Panelists who integrate ecological and social values in their fields of work will explore sustainability in terms of business ventures, operations, minimizing risks, seizing economic opportunities, and ensuring continued growth. Admission is free and open to the public.

The momentum continues with "Green Drinks & Eco-movies" in the McLain Atrium from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Celebrate "George Goes Green" and the power of film as forces of environmental change. Network with eco-minded professionals, students, faculty, staff and alumni who support environmental awareness and social responsibility. Catch the premiere of "Driving Greener" by the Office of Information Technology's Brian Palmer—"see the car and meet the star," as the tagline goes—then enjoy the best of "60 Seconds or Less" student videos on "recycle-mania," energy conservation and water conservation.

Litrenta Lecture Hall and McLain Atrium are located in the John S. Toll Science Center. For more information, call 410/778-7295 or visit www.georgegoesgreen.com.

"George Goes Green" is a campaign for campus- and community sustainability. The name is a light-hearted reference to George Washington, the College's first benefactor, who was one of the first public figures to promote sustainable community practices even as he built a new nation and laid the foundation of the American Presidency.

April 17, 2008

Saving the Western Wilderness: 'Wild Utah' at Washington College

Chestertown, MD — The effort to save some of the most strikingly beautiful lands in the West will be described when Jackie Feinberg, National Grassroots Organizer for the Southern Utah Wilderness Alliance (SUWA), presents "Wild Utah: America's Redrock Wilderness" at Washington College's Litrenta Lecture Hall on Wednesday, January 23, at 7 p.m.

"Wild Utah" is a multi-media slide show featuring stunning images by noted wilderness photographers and narrated by Robert Redford. Feinberg will lead the audience on a journey through the redrock county of Southern Utah, offering inspiration to take action to preserve some of the most unique and breathtaking landscapes of the world.

SUWA has been working for 25 years to protect Utah's remaining desert wild lands. At stake is the preservation of the outstanding wilderness at the heart of the Colorado Plateau, and the management of these lands in their natural state for the benefit of all Americans.

SUWA promotes local and national recognition of the region's unique character through research and public education; supports both administrative and legislative initiatives to permanently protect the Colorado Plateau wild places within the National Park and National Wilderness Preservation Systems, or by other protective designations where appropriate; builds support for such initiatives on both the local and national level; and provides leadership within the conservation movement through uncompromising advocacy for wilderness preservation

Feinberg's lecture at Washington College is sponsored by the Center for Environment & Society, the Student Environmental Alliance, the WC Wilderness Club, and Echo Hill Outdoor School. Admission is free and open to the public. Litrenta Lecture Hall is located in the John S. Toll Science Center. For more information, call 410/778-7295.

January 10, 2008

Celebrate Earth Day with Washington College, April 21

Chestertown, MD, April 12, 2007 — Washington College's Service Council and the Student Environmental Alliance (SEA) invite the public to celebrate Earth Day at Wilmer Park on Saturday, April 21, from noon to 5 p.m.

This year's Earth Day festivities will feature food, live music, tie-dying, henna, bookbinding, mural painting, trash sculptures, Washington College club activities, displays by area environmental organizations and much more.

Four bands will perform throughout the afternoon: Spartan Hound, the Big Picture, Hot Rock and the Heat Strokes, and Chester River Runoff.

Bay Organics—whose president, Lonnie Heflin, gave an environmental lecture at Washington College in February—has donated Earth Day t-shirts to the Student Environmental Alliance as a way for the SEA to raise funds for its ongoing initiatives.

Held each April, Earth Day has become a growing tradition at Washington College, involving the vast majority of the College's clubs, organizations and environmental groups.

This year's Earth Day celebration caps off a week's worth of environmentally themed events at Washington College—including a National Wildlife Federation national broadcast on Wednesday, April 18. Featuring a special message from Al Gore and an interactive discussion with campus environmental leaders, the broadcast will be presented in the Johnson Lifetime Fitness Center seminar room from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Admission to Wednesday's presentation and Saturday's Earth Day celebration is free and open to the public.

Join the "George Goes Green" Campaign to Conserve Energy

Chestertown, MD, March 22, 2006 — Concerned about soaring oil prices? Noticing that something is definitely up with the weather? Take charge and do your part to conserve energy.

During the month of April, Washington College's Committee of Sustainability, in cooperation with the Student Environmental Alliance, Buildings and Grounds, Student Affairs, Dining Services, the Office of College Relations, and the Center for the Environment and Society, is sponsoring the first Washington College Energy Conservation Competition, otherwise known as "George Goes Green."

Each residence hall on campus will compete by attempting to reduce its energy consumption by the highest percentage. The winning dorm will be announced Earth Day, April 22, and its residents will delight in an exclusive party April 30 at Hynson Pavilion, featuring the musical talents of Hot Rock and the Heat Strokes.

Throughout April, the students with the most creative ideas for conservation will also be featured on the home page of the college Web site, along with the residence hall in the lead for the week. Additionally, the overall amount of money, energy, and carbon dioxide saved through the "George Goes Green" campaign will be calculated.

Ideas and photos of energy-saving solutions should be directed to Shannon Holste at tholste2@washcoll.edu by Thursday at 5 p.m. each week to appear on the Web site.