The Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University is about to kick off its 2011 series of MI Ocean Net Youth and the Oceans Conferences. Over 1,000 junior and high school students, teachers, speakers,volunteers, media, and numerous organizations are expected to gather all across NL. The Youth and the Oceans Conferences series present youth with fresh ideas to ocean sustainability issues here in NL. These young minds will be exposed to their role in some fairly challenging issues specific to NL and more importantly to the multitude of opportunities to study, train, and work on those issues right here in NL. Each conference ignites the energy and determination of youth to get engaged and take the first steps towards the education and training they’ll need to create positive change in our beautiful province.

NOTE: This evening’s screening of “Play Again” at the Suncor Energy Fluvarium (St. John’s) is going ahead as planned. Start time: 7:00 pm.

What are the consequences of a childhood removed from nature? One generation from now most people in the U.S. will have spent more time in the virtual world than in nature. New media technologies have improved our lives in countless ways; information now appears with a click, overseas friends are part of our daily lives, and even grandma loves Wii. But what are we missing when we are behind screens? And how will this impact our children, our society, and eventually, our planet?

Newfoundland and Labrador Environmental Educators (NLEE), in partnership with the Newfoundland and Labrador Environment Network, and the Suncor Energy Fluvarium will be holding a FREE Connections Event to screen “Play Again” to the public.

Date: Thursday, February 3rd
Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Location: The Suncor Energy Fluvarium, St. John’s.

Parents, teachers, youth, educators, community members – all are welcome to attend! There will be networking after the film; coffee, tea and snacks will be provided.

To learn more about this film, please watch the below trailers or visit: www.playagainfilm.com

TRAILER 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ3J0szCGqk

TRAILER 2 (with David Suzuki): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erVmBIx2lUY&feature=related

For more information about the event, please contact Stephanie Simms at info@nlee.ca, or call 709-753-7848.

Please see Play Again Information for EXTRA INFORMATION on the film’s background, synopsis and directors.

This event is made possible thanks to funding from the Wellness Coalition-Avalon East and the Suncor Energy Fluvarium.

** We hope to screen ”Play Again” in more communities across the province! Please contact the NLEN if you’d like the film screened in your community. **

Guest Speaker: Gideon Forman
Executive Director, Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment

Panelists:
Dr. David Saltman, Oncologist
Dr. Ian Simpson, Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides NL
Matthew Piercey, Executive Director, Canadian Cancer Society
Mayor Randy Simms, Mount Pearl
Craig Pollett, Executive Director, Municipalities NL
Moderator: Councillor Sheilagh O’Leary, St. John’s

E.B. FORAN ROOM, ST. JOHN’S CITY HALL
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2011, 7:00 P.M.

(www.pesticidealternativesnl.wordpress.com)

SPONSORED BY THE COALITION FOR ALTERNATIVES TO PESTICIDES- NL (CAP-NL)

Let’s Get Together.

This Saturday, February 5th from 10am – 2pm at the Foran Room in City Hall, we’ll have our second “Your City” event. This time we’ll focus on what we want our City to be in the future, and start talking about how to achieve that.

Here’s how it’ll work:

Our facilitator, Bui Petersen, will be following a model called “conversation cafe.” He’ll explain this further at the beginning of the day, but basically everybody breaks into smaller groups to chat informally about a given topic. They will be:

1. What makes St. John’s a great place to live?
2. What gets in the way of the City working for everyone?
3. Describe the future St. John’s of your dreams.

Then we’ll come back together to share our discussions with each other and determine what some of our shared concerns and values seem to be.
After a short (free!) lunch, we’ll have a chat about some of the current issues facing St. John’s (transit? taxes? sprawl?) and we’ll split up again to talk about how, based on our discussions earlier, how we might tackle some of these.
We’ll share these discussions with each other again, and then we’ll have a chance to talk about where to go from here. There are lots of ideas for getting our voices heard and for interacting with policy makers. Now is our chance to plan our future.

See you on Saturday at 10am in the Foran Room!

Invite your friends! And visit happycity.ca/february5 to stay up to date.

“Animal Tracks” at The Suncor Energy Fluvarium!

Every foot print tells a story … what stories are being told around the Fluvarium this winter? 

Help us find out what critters might be hiding in the woods and even make an Animal Tracks story of your own!

Saturdays & Sundays at 1:30pm

February 5 – 27, 2011

Program runs approx. 45-60 minutes

Preregistration is recommended

Fluvarium Kids Club Weekend Programs

Have you heard? Kids ages 5–10 and their families are invited to join Fluvarium Kids! Receive updates, collect stickers, and earn a Fluvarium Kids Fresh Water Friends certificate when you attend sessions in four different months!  This month: 

This Fluvarium Kids program is Family Fun and includes

An outdoor component, game, story and craft!

Fluvarium Kids programs are complimentary with admission.

Ask about our Annual Family Pass.

For more information contact:

Denise Hennebury – 754-3474 – dhennebury@fluvarium.ca

For the second time, The Co-operators is working closely with numerous academic and NGO partners to offer IMPACT! Youth Conference for Sustainability Leadership. The 3-day bilingual conference brings together students from all fields of study to work with business and academic leaders to develop and implement real sustainability solutions and to develop lasting networks.

IMPACT! Youth Conference for Sustainability Leadership

• September 15-18, 2011 at the University of Guelph, Ontario
• 165 university & college students from across Canada selected to participate
• Inspired by leading key-note speakers including Dr. David Suzuki, working on tangible sustainability solutions with business and academic leaders; and building lasting networks
• All conference related expenses covered
• Application process is now open www.impactyouthsustainability.ca. Applications close February 4, 2011

The first IMPACT! Conference in 2009 included students from 50 universities and 10 colleges. Marina from Guelph said: “Overall, the conference was more than I expected! [It] was committed to a lasting and meaningful connection and impact. I was very impressed by the diversity of delegates selected, the excellence of the engaging speakers, and the honest interest and support in the ideas generated.” Hear what David Suzuki and others had to say: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6AhvfHSfgM

The conference is nested within IMPACT! The Co-operators Youth Program for Sustainability Leadership which enables participants and alumni to: apply for seed funding; engage in post-conference webinars; benefit from post-conference training and internship opportunities; and, utilize platforms for ongoing learning, networking and collaboration.

Please contact impact@cooperators.ca with any questions.

Two experts from Memorial University and York University have recommended the creation of an Independent Environmental Authority for Newfoundland and Labrador’s offshore oil sector. In a letter to the premier dated January 20, 2011, Angela Carter (MUN) and Dr. Gail Fraser (York) state: “On the basis that worker safety and environmental protection are not independent, we recommend the establishment of an independent Environmental Authority, similar to the proposal of an independent Safety Authority. The Environmental Authority would have three branches: 1) Offshore Waste Treatment Guidelines Compliance, 2) Emergency Response, and 3) Environmental Effects Monitoring Programs Approval and Oversight.”

Read complete text:  Offshore Environmental Authority Recommendation

Seminar will be held at MUN, science building, SN2018 on Tuesday, February 1st at 12:00 – 1:00

“Ways of knowing, environmental change, and social context: How lessons learnt about residential pesticide policies can inform food security decision-making in Nunavut”

Presenter: Dr. Rachel Hirsch

Time:  7 p.m.-9:30 p.m.
Location:  LC-301, Library and Computing Building, Grenfell Campus, Corner Brook
Description: It’s a question that has become more and more pressing with the decline in the province’s pulp and paper industry. In order to move forward with confidence, the issues of private vs. public access and how these impacts on long-term sustainability must be addressed.

Led by Dr. Rainer Baehre, professor of Historical and Social-Cultural Studies at the Grenfell Campus of Memorial University, this public forum will discuss the historical context of forest property rights in Newfoundland and Labrador, compare forest policies in this province with those from other jurisdictions, and discuss the creation of the Model Forest in western Newfoundland.

The forum will also feature presentations by Dr. Sean Cadigan, professor of history at the St. John’s campus of Memorial University, Dr. Erin Kelly of the Environmental Policy Unit at the Corner Brook campus, and Sean Dolter of the Model Forest of Newfoundland and Labrador.

These presentations will be followed by a discussion session with the audience.
Sponsor: The Harris Centre
 

Description: Please join us as Dr. Johanna Wolf, tenure track candidate for geography, will be presenting.

Sponsor: Geography Department