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Events at Smith

Connecting Threads- Working Together Towards Activating April
April 4, 2022
Get ideas, plan or work on your project, practice or learn new techniques, meet other amazing fiber artists/activists, and enjoy some creative time in community. Tasty snacks provided!
CEEDS, Wright Hall lower level
4:30 pm to 5:30 pm

Smith Voices for Climate Justice: a multimedia presentation and community dialogue
April 5, 2022
Join us for a screening and a conversation about a series of short videos created by Smith students that reflect on the climate crisis, environmental justice, and strategies for facing an uncertain future. Snacks provided.
CEEDS, Wright Hall 005
4:15 pm

A Focus on the Environment as a Source for the Recuperation of Memory
April 5, 2022
William Allan Neilson Professor Miguel Angel Rosales, filmmaker and anthropologist, will deliver the final spring Neilson lecture. A reflection on current projects, in which Rosales’s multifaceted identity as forest engineer, anthropologist and documentary-maker interweave and fuel his continued search for “the traces of the unthinkable" and the recovery of Afrodiasporic historical memory in Andalusia and Spain in general. Open to the public. Hosted by the Department of Spanish and Portuguese with support from the Kahn Liberal Arts Institute.
Neilson 102
5:00 pm

SAL Workshop: Tactile Mapping
April 8, 2022
Tactile maps are designed with blind and/or visually impaired users in mind, to be read by touch. We will practice design thinking principles to prepare 3D printable maps that are empathetic and useful by the intended audience. Register for the workshop below:
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Sabin-Reed 104
12:15 pm to 1:15 pm

Night at the Botanic Garden with SCJC and Al Iman
April 9, 2022
Join the Smith College Jewish Community and the Muslim Students Association Al-Iman in making perfumes and spice boxes, going on a scavenger hunt in Lyman plant house, and sharing our cultural traditions of Havdalah and Ramadan! Please RSVP (below) by Sunday, April 3. Attendance limited to the first 150. Smith students only.
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Lyman Plant House
7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Events Off Campus

Webinar: Enclosing Agriculture's Messy Natures
April 7, 2022
Disruptive aspirations, exuberant acclaim and impatient capital rush towards vertical farming, a technology promising environmental salvation in sunless and soilless indoor agriculture. Vertical farming is a kind of Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA), whose technologies and techniques are widespread in the production of high-value specialty crops. CEA's environmental promises are predicated on vastly reducing the natural resources needed for agricultural production, chiefly land and water. Mark Bomford's research examines the promissory narratives and performance of three large US vertical farming companies, considering what these sites enclose (keep in), exclose (keep out), and what futures they may foreclose (prevent from happening). With Mark Bomford, Director of the Yale Sustainable Food Program. Register below:
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Virtual
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Stories of the Land: A Day on the Farm with Abenaki Storyteller Jesse Bruchac
April 10, 2022
Join us! Storyteller, musician, and Abenaki language teacher Jesse Bruchac weaves the telling of traditional stories with flute music and playful language games to explore seasonal awareness and some of the many gifts of the land. Activities led by summer camp staff will include: -Preparing the garden for planting pollinator flowers and traditional companion plants, -Exploring the many uses of maple sap and syrup, -Learning about birds and the coming of Spring! This is an ALL AGES event, families welcome. Suggested donation of $20 per person or up to $60 per family. Register below:
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Hampshire College Farm Center at 793 West St. Amherst, MA
1:00 pm to 4:30 pm

Events at Smith

Smith Community Event Series Lunch-- Becoming Carbon Neutral: Smith's Geothermal Energy Plan
April 14, 2022
Smith College is committed to being carbon neutral by 2030 and addressing heating and cooling is key to our success. Attend one (or more) of the campus community events we have planned over the coming weeks to learn more about our plans for achieving that goal using geothermal energy, renewable electricity, operational transformations, and community engagement. These events are open to all staff, faculty and students. Bring your questions! Lunch will be provided for the first 25 attendees. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free options available. Email ceeds@smith.edu with questions.
CEEDS, Wright Hall lower level
12:15 pm

Events Off Campus

Webinar: The Birds, the Bees and the African Chocolate Trees
April 14, 2022
Humans destroy the equivalent of one Ireland-sized swath of tropical rainforest every year – mostly due to expansion of agriculture; meanwhile, the human population of Africa will quadruple by the end of the century, putting enormous pressure on natural resources. Fortunately, cacao, most of which is grown in Africa, need not be as destructive as other crops – it is grown under a lush canopy of rainforest trees, which if managed appropriately, can support biodiversity comparable to that of primary rainforest. These shade trees also provide habitat for the African birds and bats that save farmers millions of dollars through pest control. Using cutting edge techniques to sequence insect and plant DNA left in birds and bat feces, researchers are mapping thousands of species in the food web – including shade trees and important pest insects. With this novel framework, they aim to create a system in which African farmers benefit through inexpensive, sustainable management of cocoa, and rainforest animals benefit through the planting of trees that mimic their natural habitat. Luke L. Powell, PhD, is a Principal Researcher in the TROPIBIO program at CIBIO/BIOPOLIS/UPorto and the Founding Director of the NGO Biodiversity Initiative. Register below:
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Virtual
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Climate Action: Inspiring Change
April 16, 2022
How can we transform the climate crisis into hope for our shared future? Peabody Essex Museum’s timely exhibition brings together dynamic contemporary art, hands-on experiences and inspiring works by youth artists to help guide us toward making a difference for the planet. On view in the Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center, this exhibition highlights local and regional climate issues and opportunities. Most of the 30 featured artists are based in New England — including works by 10 award-winning youth who participated in the Climate Hope: Transforming Crisis international student art contest in 2020 organized by Bow Seat Ocean Awareness Programs. The exhibition will be on view April 16, 2022 through June 25, 2023. Museum hours are Thursdays, Saturdays & Sundays 10 am–5 pm and Fridays 10 am-7 pm.
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Peabody Essex Museum, Dotty Brown Art & Nature Center

Climate Change and the Pace of Seasons in the Valley
April 16, 2022
Join Dr. Peter Curtis, Professor Emeritus of plant ecology at the Ohio State University in exploring the “science of appearances,” known as phenology, to learn what it tells us about our environment. In this webinar, you’ll find out how and why species adjust their behaviors to climate, how different sensitivities to climate among interacting plants and animals will affect their ecology, and how citizen scientists of all types, from school groups to individual observers, can participate in the exciting effort to document the changing pace of life around us. Find more information and register for the event at the link below:
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Virtual
6:30 pm

Events at Smith

Coding the MacLeish Field Station: The "macleish" R Package
April 19, 2022
Albert Kim (SDS), Ben Baumer (SDS) and Dominique Kelly '22 (ENV) present as part of the Sigma Xi lunch talks series. All faculty, staff and students welcome! Lunch served.
McConnell 103
12:15 pm

Walking Tour to See Smith's Geothermal Energy Project -- A Becoming Carbon Neutral Community Event
April 19, 2022
Smith College is committed to being carbon neutral by 2030 and addressing heating and cooling is key to our success. Attend one (or more) of the campus community events we have planned over the coming weeks to learn more about our plans for achieving that goal using geothermal energy, renewable electricity, operational transformations, and community engagement. These events are open to all staff, faculty and students. Attend this event for a visit to Smith's first geothermal research site. See a hands-on demo of how geothermal works and get your questions answered. Part of the Becoming Carbon Neutral: Smith's Geothermal Energy Plan Community Event Series being hosted by CEEDS. Questions? Email us: ceeds@smith.edu
Meet at the Field House (cross Lamont Bridge, turn left and you will come to the building)
4:15 pm

Smith Community Event Series Lunch-- Becoming Carbon Neutral: Smith's Geothermal Energy Plan
April 20, 2022
Smith College is committed to being carbon neutral by 2030 and addressing heating and cooling is key to our success. Attend one (or more) of the campus community events we have planned over the coming weeks to learn more about our plans for achieving that goal using geothermal energy, renewable electricity, operational transformations, and community engagement. These events are open to all staff, faculty and students. Bring your questions! Lunch will be provided for the first 25 attendees. Vegan, vegetarian, gluten-free options available. Questions? Email us: ceeds@smith.edu
CEEDS, Wright Hall lower level
12:15 pm

The Health of Our Future: Seeking Justice in Transitions to Low-Carbon Health Systems
April 21, 2022
with Dr. Maria Merritt, Core Faculty, Berman Institute of Bioethics and Associate Professor, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The 2021 UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) called urgently on health systems worldwide to reduce their emissions of carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases (GHG) that contribute to climate change. Over 40 countries, including the United States, have committed to developing low-carbon health systems. Strategic investment to this end, in addition to protecting the planet from climate catastrophe, may secure better, fairer health system functioning. Ethical challenges abound, however. The idea of just transition, with origins in late-20th-century labor movements, has recently gained wider currency in climate policy and activism. Regarding societal efforts to limit the harmful climate impacts of human activity, advocates of just transition seek to ensure that progress toward a climate-friendly future will explicitly consider and protect the well-being of society’s worse-off or more vulnerable members. Practical approaches to just transition draw on robust democratic participation. With this lecture, Dr. Merritt aims to encourage reflection, dialogue, and practice regarding democratic participation in seeking climate justice.
Seelye 201
5:00 pm

Events Off Campus

Opportunities for Climate Solutions and Green Careers
April 19, 2022
Deadline for the Planet! Young Adults are needed, come join us! Want a green job? Want a cleaner, safer and healthier future? Join Change the Chamber*Lobby for Climate and Climate Action Campaign for a workshop that goes beyond climate doom and gloom. Learn about climate solutions, get expert tips on pursuing a green career or a summer job, and discover how to create and implement climate solutions for your community. Register at the link below:
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Virtual
7:30 pm

Webinar: Conservation Through a Lens: Why Stories Matter
April 21, 2022
Stories have the power to persuade and motivate. In conservation, they can be a critical first step in convincing people to take action. In this talk, photographer Jen Guyton will discuss her journey from scientist to storyteller, and take you along on some adventures that she have had in conservation photography. She will also explore how storytelling has contributed and continues to contribute to conservation. Speaker Dr. Jen Guyton is a photographer with a background in science, holding a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from Princeton University. Her scientific training influences her work, which focuses on documenting the interface between humans and nature. She's passionate about investigating how people and wildlife are adapting to our changing planet. Register below:
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Virtual
12:00 pm to 1:00 pm

Hampshire College Land & Climate Teach-In
April 21, 2022
Hampshire College is hosting a Land & Climate Teach-In on April 21st, focused on local and regional actions people can take to help steward land for climate recovery and justice. Join in conversation with leaders in carbon sequestration, renewable energy, public policy, conservation/land management, and indigenous land sovereignty to discuss how we can work together to take action. Attendees will leave with a deeper understanding of the climate and justice implications of land use, and be ready to engage in local action on land policy or stewardship. The Teach-In is open to the Hampshire College community, Five Colleges, and the public. **In-person attendees from outside the Five College system will need to show proof of current vaccination. All participants must be masked indoors. Get more info and register below:
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Franklin Patterson Hall & on Zoom
5:00 pm to 7:00 pm

RED: Passion and Patience in the Desert - a wild adaptation
April 24, 2022
Enjoy a play written by UMass MFA student Bianca Dillard that focuses on themes of land conservation, environmental issues, and climate change. The script is is based largely on the writings of activist and conservationist Terry Tempest Williams. UMass Play Lab. More info online at the link below.
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Curtain Theatre at UMass
2:00 pm