Join ESLP this Spring quarter at UC Davis! Engage in discussion with educators, environmentalists, students and community members from April 7 – May 26.  Learn about Recyclables:  the next generation.  Engage in discussion on Water Conservation.  Look into food justice and urban gardens.  Learn the truth about plastics and wildlife in the oceans.  contemplate building communities in a capitalist society.  And of course, nurture the bees.

Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) is a class (ESP 98/198) coordinated by ASUCD’s Campus Center for the Environment. It is a student-coordinated course taught on several UC campuses, and has been organized each Spring at UC Davis since 2006. The objective of the class is to create an interdisciplinary learning environment with guest lecturers, faculty, and community members to explore and discuss the concepts of sustainability, while connecting to real world issues so that students can feel empowered to create tangible change in the world. It is open to the public for free!

The class will consist of:
1. A 2- unit lecture series hosting renowned educators, environmentalists, and progressive thinkers. Lectures are open to the public to encourage collaboration between the campus and local community.
Tuesdays from 4:10 to 6 PM in 242 Asmundson Hall

2. A 1-Unit discussion in which students reflect on the theme and speaker of the week.
Wednesdays from 5:10 to 6 PM in 2004 Plant and Environmental Sciences.

3. A 2-unit internship in collaboration with community partners as part of Action Research Teams (ARTs). These groups focus on campus/Davis specific issues which promote social & environmental awareness. Student groups work 6 hours a week to plan, execute, and present their accomplishments to the class at the end of the quarter.

Students may enroll in 2 to 5 units depending on which sections of the class they would like to participate. Participate in one section, or all! All sections of the class will be offered for Pass/No Pass units based on attendance and submission of weekly reflections. Anyone is welcome to attend the seminars, regardless of whether they are taking the course.

The planned speakers and topics are:
•4/7 Recyclables, The Next Generation – Larry Fischer, Cool Davis’ Eco-Hero, shares his visions of innovative waste reuse

Tinker, tailor, eco-hero


•4/14 Water Conservation & Take Back the Tap – Tia Lebherz, CA organizer for the non-profit Food and Water Watch
http://www.foodandwaterwatch.org/water/take-back-the-tap/
•4/28 Planting and Environmental Justice – Oakland-based non-profit introduces their work with food justice and urban gardens
www.plantingjustice.org
•5/5 Wildlife & Plastics in the Ocean – UCD post-doctoral scholar Chelsea Rochman talks about her research on the effects of plastic pollutants in the ocean on wildlife
http://www.chelsearochman.com/Home.html
•5/12 Building Communities in a Capitalist Society – kiran nigam from the AORTA Collective leads a workshop on communities and movement building based on shared resources
http://www.aortacollective.org
•5/26 Beekeeping & Gardening – Visit the Davis Bee Sanctuary to learn about natural beekeeping with beekeeper and certified permaculturist, Derek Downey
www.beelovepermaculture.org

The planned ART projects are:
Food Recovery Network – recover excess food from local grocery stores
Growing Your Own Garden in the Experimental Community Garden, with produce donated to a local food bank
Campus Water Conservation with UCD Facilities Management
Real Food Challenge – increasing sustainable and socially responsible food on the UCD campus

Read the class syllabus, and brief description of each of the ART projects. If you have any questions, or are interested in joining the class, contact Rhia at rabordon@ucdavis.edu