In keeping with tradition, Ohio State’s Signature Earth Day 2022 program was memorable, featuring incredible and inspirational speakers, students and professionals coming together for networking, learning, and sharing.
Please check out some photos of the event here.
As many experienced or watched, there was conflict and commotion as well, which occurred alongside some of the keynote remarks. In theme with the climate crisis, the changes underway in our community, both through ecological, material, and cultural forms, are challenging while also open to opportunity. To some, including many young people in our communities, this crisis feels uncontrollable, painful, and hard to channel or address through the existing organizations and platforms available to them.
As environmental professionals we can work to control our emotions, expand our empathy, and our relationships. The dynamics of the past two years have made this expansion, in some ways further challenging. However, please recognize and know there are thousands in the EPN receiving this message today, and many more, who make the decisions daily to bring their best to doing what they can, in how they can, to increase our understanding of nature’s systems and our coexistences within them. The EPN seeks to create spaces for those wanting to advance themselves professionally and grow others in our work to limit the suffering and enhance the flourishing of our environment, ourselves and fellow humans, and the ecologies in which we are embedded in Ohio and beyond.
Due to time limitations, we were unable to share a message created for our program by Jennifer Morris, the CEO of The Nature Conservancy, that was to be shared to program attendees. A link to that video is at the bottom of this message.
Please note that the full video of our Signature Earth Day 2022 program is unedited from its original livestream feature. Please skip ahead to the specific sections you would like to view using the minute intervals below. Sophia’s remarks at minute 50:25 are a particular highlight for us, and we invite you to watch at least that moment for inspiration and perspective on this holiday.
- Minute 16:33. Program welcome by Jeff Sharp, PhD, director, School of Environment and Natural Resources, The Ohio State University.
- Minute 19:58. “Footprints in the Himalayas,” a video produced by the Byrd Polar and Climate Research Center.
- Minute 22:27. Cathann A. Kress, PhD., vice president for agricultural administration and dean, College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences.
- Minute 29:57. The 2022 Lorax Award, which is awarded to those who “speak for the trees” by the Chadwick Arboretum and Learning Gardens, presented by Dr. Kress and Dr. Dewey Mann to Kristina M. Johnson, PhD., president, The Ohio State University.
- Minute 31:48. Shortened remarks by President Johnson.
- Minute 35:31. Some participants provide remarks. Some remarks are planned and some spontaneous. The Lantern, an Ohio State student-oriented media group, published a report that provides some information about their cause at the link here.
- Minute 48:26. Elena Irwin, PhD., distinguished professor of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences in Economics & Sustainability in the Department of Agricultural, Environmental, and Development Economics and faculty director of the Sustainability Institute at Ohio State.
- Minute 50:25. Sophia Buggs, owner, Lady Buggs Farm, and Mahoning Food Access Coordinator.
- Minute 1:36:40. Audience Question and Answer with Sophia Buggs.
- Minute 1:47:00. Program conclusion by Dr. Sharp.
- Minute 1:50:15. “If you listen carefully…It Sounds like Love,” an EPN video promotion.
To view Jennifer Morris’s Earth Day at Ohio State remarks, then please view here.
To re-watch Footprints in the Himalayas, in full form, then please view here.
We are grateful to be surrounded by this community of environmental professionals, natural resource enthusiasts and more. Thank you for your ongoing work and colleagueship.
Happy Earth Day!
Joe Campbell and Cecil Okotah
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