Fleming College

Nobel Peace Prize nominee to speak at Changing Climate Changing Communities conference at Fleming College’s Frost Campus

City of Kawartha Lakes ON – (March 11, 2015) – Nobel Peace Prize nominee and author Sheila Watt-Cloutier will be the keynote speaker at an upcoming conference at Fleming College’s Frost Campus.

The Changing Climate Changing Communities conference will take place on Saturday, March 21, 2015 and is organized by students in the Ecosystem Management Technology program.

Watt-Cloutier is renowned for her work on turning public opinion into public policy. She was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2007 for her advocacy work in showing the impact of global climate change on human rights – especially in the Arctic, where it is felt more immediately, and more dramatically than anywhere else in the world.

The conference also features three blocks of environmentally-themed sessions, which get underway at 10 a.m. and run throughout the day. These include:

– Robert Shirkey is a Toronto-based lawyer, the founder of the environmental not-for-profit organization Our Horizon, and a TedTalks participant.

– Peter Brooks from BedfordBrooks Design and GreenUP’s Alix Taylor will address the pros and cons of permeable paving. A free book, Greening your Grounds: A Homeowners Guide to Stormwater Landscaping Projects, will be provided to all participants courtesy of the Toronto Region Conservation Authority.

– Let’s Talk Science is offering interactive workshops for children and youth ages 8-14. They will be exploring themes around what contributes to climate change and what individuals can do to lower climate change impact. Participants will have a chance to build a mini greenhouse, and children’s entertainers the Paddling Puppeteers will be performing environmentally-themed stories.

Additional workshops will be led by Terry Moore (author of This Changes Everything: Capitalism versus the Climate); Ellen Schwartzel (Environmental Deputy of the Environment Commission of Ontario); Tanya Gulliver-Garcia (expert in environmental justice, community development) and Rachelia Giardino (Kawartha World Issues Centre).
“As the effects of Climate Change are becoming an ever more pressing issue, communities need to do their part to stop the current destructive path we are on. This conference is a great opportunity for Fleming College students and the community to come together and learn more about climate change and what they can do to help. The conference was designed with the whole community in mind; there is something here for everyone,” says Michael Bagnall and Jennifer Greene, of the EM Conference 2015 marketing team.

A dinner in Auk’s Lodge will take place following the daytime workshops at 5 p.m. Watt-Cloutier will speak at 6:30 p.m., followed by a book signing at 8 p.m.

Tickets will only be available for purchase that day. For more information on ticket packages: http://www.emconference2015.com/.

This is the seventh annual EcoHealth conference hosted by third year Ecosystem Management students, with a different theme each year. The public, local residents, community groups, and businesses are essential to the success of these conferences and are invited to attend, participate and learn.

For more information about Fleming’s Ecosystem Management Technology program, visit: http://flemingcollege.ca/programs/ecosystem-management-technology

About Fleming College
Located in the heart of Central Ontario, Fleming College has campus locations in Peterborough, Lindsay, Cobourg and Haliburton. Named for famous Canadian inventor and engineer Sir Sandford Fleming, the college features more than 100 full-time programs in Arts and Heritage, Business, Environmental and Natural Resource Sciences, General Arts and Science, Health and Wellness, Justice and Community Development, Skilled Trades and Technology, and Continuing Education. Fleming College has 5,900 full-time and 10,000 part-time students, and more than 68,000 alumni.

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For more information:
Katie Rosa
Co-Chair
Changing Climate Changing Communities Conference
Katherine.Rosa@flemingcollege.ca
Erinn Lawrie
Co-Chair
Changing Climate Changing Communities Conference
RachelErinn.Lawrie@flemingcollege.ca

Barbara Elliot
Professor, Fleming College
barb.elliot@flemingcollege.ca
(705) 324-9144 x 3272

Laura Copeland
Communications Officer, Fleming College
laura.copeland@flemingcollege.ca
(705) 749-5530 x 1370