The Upper Midwest Association for Campus Sustainability (UMACS) conference is now OPEN for registration! The early bird deadline is May 1st.
We are required to use a 3rd Party Conference Registration platform, and you will be prompted to create a student username and password regardless of your BSU or other university position or affiliation. Please proceed and create a profile.
Also on the conference registration page are housing options, information for families (including kids’ activities), bike rentals, and information about the Bike Bemidji: Loop the Lake Festival.
The conference will be held along the shores of Lake Bemidji at Bemidji State University (BSU) in northern Minnesota on June 18th and 19th. Plan to be captivated, engaged, and enthused about amazing sustainability projects happening around our region. The title of this year’s conference is Healthy Planet = Healthy People, Campuses and Communities and will have specific sessions focused on workplace wellness and healthy living.
Pandora Thomas, co-founder of Earthseed Consulting LLC, will be the UMACS Conference keynote. Earthseed Consulting is a holistic cnsulting firm whose work expands the opportunities for sustainable living to diverse communities. She has taught groups as diverse as Iraqi and Indonesian youth to men serving in San Quentin creating inspiring and hands on programs around permaculture design, sustainability, and outdoor and environmental education. She has keynoted and lectured on topics ranging from diversity, social justice, youth and women’s leadership, social entrepreneurship and sustainability.
Students, faculty, and staff from around the region will share their experience and expertise on a wide variety of topics ranging from integrating sustainability into the curriculum to managing campus waste. Field trips will also be in the daily mix to places like a grocery store that has its own aquaponics facility or the Rail River Folk School with its many innovative sustainability initiatives.
Bemidji State University, located in northern Minnesota’s lake district, occupies a wooded campus along the shore of Lake Bemidji. Enrolling nearly 5,000 students, Bemidji State offers more than 50 undergraduate majors and nine graduate programs encompassing arts, sciences and select professional programs. BSU is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system and has a faculty and staff of more than 550. University signature themes include environmental stewardship, civic engagement and global and multi-cultural understanding.
Contact: Erika Bailey-Johnson
Sustainability Director
Bemidji State University and Northwest Technical College
1500 Birchmont Dr. NE, #31
Bemidji, MN 56601
218-755-2560
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