Upcoming Events
Events List Navigation
Talk – Ditching the Divide: Rejecting Abrasive Political Culture and Cultivating Healthy Local Democracy
Quixada Moore-Vissing Civic Researcher and Community Engagement Designer In a time when many of us just want to silence the noise of uncivil, polarized national politics, local democracy offers a hopeful alternative. People who live as neighbors in the same town or region have an opportunity to demand that local politics and civic life in their community stay civil, respectful, collaborative, and remain a space where many different kinds of people can voice their perspectives and listen to others. Universities,…
Find out more »Talk – Let’s Start With Why: Distinctive stories of Maine’s unique food system and its impact on the state
Sarah & Bryce Hach Founders, Maine Food for Thought The restaurant scene in Portland has become globally renowned for its’ innovation and quality. But there is also an important and vibrant story behind the plate that interconnects the land, the sea and the people of Maine, that have made it, over time, into the celebrated food destination it is today. Maine Food for Thought Co-Founders, Bryce and Sarah Hach, will discuss how they saw the medium of local, sustainably sourced…
Find out more »Talk – Conservation: No Longer Just for Do-Gooders
Spencer Meyer, Senior Conservationist, Highstead Spencer will share his passion for the new Sebago Clean Waters initiative, which is bringing local, regional and national stakeholders together to create new investments in clean drinking water, healthy forests, and community conservation in the Sebago region of Maine. This initiative is one of about 30 water funds around the world that are linking conservation uplift with the business case to reinvest in watersheds that provide our clean drinking water. The Sebago watershed provides…
Find out more »Talk – Crossing boundaries to better understand forest sustainability
Crossing boundaries to better understand forest sustainability and the influence of forest certification Erin Simons-Legaard, Research Assistant Professor, School of Forest Resources, UMaine Multiple, often conflicting forest values are maintained only when management actions are integrated over large areas. To-date, two key mechanisms have been utilized as safeguards for forest sustainability in Maine: regulations (such as Maine’s Forest Practices Act) and certification through programs such as those sponsored by the Sustainable Forestry Initiative or the Forest Stewardship Council. Maine is…
Find out more »Talk – Can Homesteading Provide Sustenance and Surplus in an Age of Scarcity?
Steve Coghlan Associate Professor of Freshwater Fisheries Ecology, Department of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Conservation Biology, University of Maine; and Director, Maine Chapter of the Center for the Advancement of the Steady State Economy Human population growth is on a collision course with biophysical limits of Planet Earth and economic limits of modern industrial-financial capitalism, but current political institutions seem incapable of identifying and responding to these existential crises. This has motivated some people to plan for a future of resource…
Find out more »