Contact: Michael Medler, Huxley College of the Environment, (360) 650-3173
BELLINGHAM - Western Washington University's Huxley College of the Environment Speaker Series will host Andrew Light at 3 p.m. on Friday, May 9, in Communications Facility 110 as he presents "The Promise and Peril of Ecological Citizenship: The Case of the Chicago Wilderness."
Light, associate professor of Philosophy and Public Affairs at the University of Washington, specializes in the ethical dimensions of environmental policy, restoration ecology and more recently climate change. His discussion will tell the story of the Chicago Wilderness, an umbrella environmental organization in Chicago that includes over 80 public and private organizations and institutions. The origins of the coalition go back to a long-standing effort to restore the extensive forest preserve network in the city to its pre-settlement conditions. Given the high degree of public participation in this project it is ideal for a discussion of how restoration ecology could become a source of "ecological citizenship," a model of environmentalism focused on community building exercises. However, Chicago Wilderness has faced some controversy. Light's discussion will offer ethical analysis of its outcome.
Huxley's speaker series was created to bring the environmental studies community together with the Western and Bellingham communities; speakers address topics of contemporary environmental concern in the region and the world. The event is free and open to the public.
WWU's Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized national leader in producing the next generation of environmental stewards. The College's academic programs reflect a broad view of the physical, biological, social and cultural world. This innovative and interdisciplinary approach makes Huxley unique. The College has earned international recognition for the quality of its programs.
For parking information, please stop at the south campus Visitor Center, open from 7:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. weekdays. There is a $2 hourly charge for parking from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. Parking meters at various locations on campus are also $2 and hour.
For more information, contact Michael Medler, Huxley College of the Environment, at (360) 650-3173.
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