Still time to register for ISEE 2016!

 

The 2016 Conference of the International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE) will focus on an Economic Transformation to Sustain Food, Water, Energy and Justice. Such an economy supports the resilience of our planet and its live support systems rather than undermining it. And it has implications for both local and global decision making.

We expect 500 participants from all over the world, and look forward to a lively exchange between policy makers, researchers, and citizens committed to advancing tangible solutions for a sustainable and resilient economy. Plenary speakers include:

• Frances Moore Lappé, author of Diet for a Small Planet and the Small Planet Institute Director.
• Dr. Renato Maluf, President Emeritus of the Food Policy Council of Brazil, and Professor at the Federal Rural University of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
• Mokgadi Monamati, Senior Natural Resources Specialist of the Department of Environmental Affairs and Industry of Botswana. 
• Jairam Ramesh, former Minister of Rural Development, Minister of Drinking Water and Sanitation and Indian Minister of State of the Ministry of the Environment. 
• Shi Yan, President of Shared Harvest, and founder of the Community Supported Agriculture movement in Beijing, China.

The conference will be held on the campus of the University of the District of Columbia at 4200 Connecticut Ave. NW, Washington, D.C. For registration details and further information please visit www.isee2016.com.  

ISEE 2016 is sponsored by the International Society of Ecological Economics and the College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) of the University of the District of Columbia.

East Capitol Urban Farm April Update

By Dr. Dwane Jones, director, Center for Sustainable Development

Dear Friends & Partners of East Capitol Urban Farm,

I want to personally thank you, the Ward 7 community and our long list of partners for your continued support of East Capitol Urban Farm (ECUF), located at 5901 East Capitol Street SE, WDC. ECUF is a unique urban space that includes opportunities for education, access, and community engagement for residents of Ward 7. It consists of community gardening beds, walking trails, a kids play area, an aquaponics facility, public art spaces (mural + sculpture) and a community plaza.  

We have scheduled a re-opening day for East Capitol Urban Farm for the Spring 2016 season. The event will take place at the farm on Saturday, May 21, 2016 from 9:00 a.m. - 1:00 p.m. There will be free food, a farmer’s market, health screenings, information about programs & soil testing. Additionally, a ribbon cutting for the UDC Urban Food Hubs Education Vehicle (aka Education Food Truck) and an aquaponics system (growing of fish + produce in the same space), both funded by Sustainable DC and District Department of the Environment, is planned.

In addition to the grand re-opening, here is a short list of many more noteworthy updates and upcoming event:

• 33 garden plot applications have been assigned (excluding community schools). Garden plots are FREE for residents of Ward 7. Please contact Harris Trobman at harris.trobman@udc.edu or (202) 274-6682 for inquiries or to request a garden plot or volunteer application.
• 35 volunteers (up from 22 in December) have committed to and completed the processes required to help operate East Capitol Urban Farm.
• UDC’s Institute of Gerontology has also been assigned gardening space in an effort to launch educational programs targeted towards the elderly (contact: claudia.john@udc.edu or (202) 274-6659 for additional information).
• An East Capitol Site Improvement Day is scheduled for Friday, April 22, 2016 (Earth Day!) from 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. Volunteer assistance is requested.
• Engaged middle + high school and UDC students in learning about Urban Agriculture and Green Infrastructure (using ECUF as an outdoor classroom).
• UDC shared updates at two recent ANC meetings (7C + 7E).
• Begun preparing the site for the Art Sculpture.

Senior nutrition fair held in celebration of National Nutrition Month

In celebration of National Nutrition Month, the CAUSES Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health, the Institute of Gerontology, the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics and the Department of Health Education held a Senior Nutrition Fair on March 16, 2016. The fair included cooking demonstrations on healthy eating, using herbs and spices to reduce salt intake, and a variety of other stations and workshops centered on healthy nutrition and ageing. The event was held in Heritage Hall of the new UDC Student Center and included the following nutrition stations.

• Giant Foods In-Store Nutritionist Roxana Ehsani, MS, RD, LDN 
• Healthy Food Demonstration by Chef Tyrome Henson (CNDH/EFNEP) with Vegetable Marinara & Whole Wheat Noodles and Couscous with Tomato, Chicken & Basil 
• MyPlate for Seniors with Ana Laura Vasquez-Quino (CNDH/SNAP-Ed) 
• Healthy Food Demonstration by Chef Herbert Holden (CNDH/SNAP-Ed) 
• Kale & Quinoa Salad, Sweet Potato & Kale Soup and Mango, Avocado & Black Bean Salad 
• Savor the Flavor with Herbs and Spices with Helen Naylor (CNDH/SNAP-Ed) 
• Know Your Sugar with Sandra Contreras (CNDH/SNAP-Ed) 
• Savor the Flavor using Healthy Fats with Michaele Tompkins-Davis (CNDH/SNAP-Ed) 
• Food Safety with Paul Brown Jr. (CNDH/SNAP-Ed) 
• Senior Survey conducted by the Nutrition and Dietetics program 
• All About CAUSES with Marshelle Hailstock (CAUSES) 
• College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences 

Dr. Lillie Monroe-Lord stated that the Senior Nutrition Fair was designed for seniors in an attempt to reintroduce them to healthful eating using local foods. Many of the foods demonstrated were grown at the CAUSES Firebird Farm and on the UDC green roof.

Participating seniors were tasked with visiting every station in order to receive a complimentary gift bag.

"It was important to have this event in celebration of National Nutrition Month. We wanted to provide seniors with nutrition information and provide them with healthy snacks and food, and help them to understand the importance of eating healthy," explained Claudia John, project specialist, Institute of Gerontology.

This type of event showcases the best of CAUSES--the integration between our academic and landgrant programs. Members of CAUSES and fair participants comment on why this type of event is so beneficial:

Chef Herb Holden, CNDH: The seniors know what they should be doing. And if they aren't, once they taste some of the of samples, they make the connection about eating healthy at their age. I love doing things for senior because it's not true that you can't change minds after a certain age; it's not about reinventing the wheel, but being reintroduced to it."

Loretta, senior participant: "I'm very impressed. The information was thorough and the food was good!"

Roxana Ehsanim Giant nutritionist: "It's great to be able to provide nutrition education materials to seniors. I'm showing a sugar display for a lot of foods people don't realize contain a lot of sugar, like BBQ sauce or oatmeal. My job is to bring awareness to the seniors."

Jessica Guinyard, Health Education major: "The need for nutrition education and the promotion of health and wellness is strongly needed in this community. Participating in these types of events give people outlets and resources to learn how to manage healthy lifestyles. One would think that seniors are stuck in their ways, but they're actually really receptive and want to learn how to use what they have to maintain a healthy lifestyle."

Ayesha Moten and Michelle Jasso, Nutrition and Dietetics majors: "I love working with seniors. They were very helpful and informative even though our survey was eight pages long."

"We plan on surveying the community in Wards 5,7, and 8 and used this event as a trial run. Once the information is collected and barriers to senior nutritional health have been finalized with supporting data, that information will be turned over to the DC Government.

James Lee, Institute of Gerontology: "At this event, seniors get a better understanding about healthy eating. Plus, our senors love giveaways!"

Chef T, CNDH: "We get the opportunity to do outreach to the community and provide them with nutrition education - as well as make new friends! They also appreciate the fact that we supply them with cost-effective recipes."

Paul Brown, CNDH: "The importance of making sure our seniors get vital information they may not read or see on TV. Us being able to talk to them face to face and helping them with their health problems is definitely a good thing, especially when it comes to food safety and teaching them things like cooked food should not be refrigerated more than seven days. Seniors are also pleasantly surprised to learn they can take the food safety certification course for $28 (the cost is normally $147).

Dorothy, senior participant: "I loved today. I do a lot of exercise. I'm 83 and do Tai-Chi and yoga at St. Alban's, so this was the perfect even for me."

"The seniors are happy with this event and are asking to host it again next year; so I'm hoping to make this an annual event for the University of the District of Columbia," said Ms. John. "And I must say thank you to CNDH. They've done a phenomenal job. And thanks to CAUSES for pulling together as a team to make this happen. it was a tremendous event."

For additional information on the Center for Nutrition, Diet and Health, contact Dr. Lillie Monroe-Lord at lmonroelord@udc.edu. For more information on the Institute of Gerontology, contact Ms. Claudia John at claudia.john@udc.edu. For more information on the Nutrition and Dietetics degree program, contact Dr. Prema Ganganna at pganganna@udc.edu. Additional photos are available on our Facebook page.

CAUSES TV: Water Management

Washington, DC, might not be the first place that comes to mind when we talk about green jobs, and a green city, but there is in fact a lot going on here and our nation’s capital is becoming a leader in green roofs, green infrastructure, urban agriculture, the local foods movement and other green initiatives.

As Washington, DC’s, public land grant university, the University of the District of Columbia conducts research and provides community outreach programs to expand knowledge about urban agriculture, urban sustainability, healthy eating habits, greener and more livable neighborhoods, right here in our nation’s capital. 

Joining Dr. O'Hara is Dr. Dwane Jones, director, UDC CAUSES Center for Sustainable Development, and Seth Charde, with DC Water, who works to develop and implement the agency's Water’s Green Infrastructure Program under the DC Clean Rivers Project. Together, they discuss green jobs and the growing interest in making our cities greener and more livable.

East Capitol Farm Re-Opening May 21!

McKinley Tech Clenches 2016 4-H LifeSmarts Competition

by Carilyne Vance

The 2016 District of Columbia LifeSmarts competition was held on Friday, March 11, 2016 at the University of the District of Columbia David A. Clarke School of Law. LifeSmarts, established in 1994, is a program of the National Consumers League, the nation’s pioneering consumer organization. LifeSmarts, the ultimate consumer challenge, is an educational opportunity for students in 6th-12th grade. This competition prepares students to enter the real world as smart adult consumers. Participants focus on five key topic areas: consumer rights and responsibilities, the environment, health and safety, personal finance, and technology.

This year’s competition featured five teams from McKinley Technical High School and the Cesar Chavez Educational Center.  Hosted by the National Consumers League’s Seth Woods and including guest judges James Kahler of the National 4-H Council and the National Consumers League Executive Director Sally Greenberg, the competition was an exciting event with a McKinley Technical High School team emerging victorious.  The team is now headed to the National LifeSmarts Championship, April 9-12, 2016, in Denver, Colorado.  The team has set-up a GoFundMe page in order to pay for the trip.  Please visit    https://www.gofundme.com/techlifesmarts to contribute. 

For more information, contact Mrs. Rebecca Bankhead at rbankhead@udc.edu or (202) 274-7081. Visit www.udc.edu/4h to learn more about the District’s 4-H program. For additional resources on bullying, visit http://www.stopbullying.gov/. 

Spring Sustainable Urban Agriculture Certificate Course Begins March 28!

In 2008, for the first time in recorded history, the world's population became primarily urban. Some urban areas are growing at twice the rate of rural areas. While the District of Columbia is not growing as rapidly, its population continues to increase. This trend is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. The College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) is uniquely positioned as a world-leader in the urban agriculture movement, through its research, academic, and outreach programs. In response, it launched a non-credit bearing certificate program in sustainable urban agriculture in fall 2014. Register here!

Program Length/Structure: Each Certificate Program consists of 4 classes. Classes usually meet twice per week, in the evenings, or once on the weekend. A certificate of completion will be issued at the successful completion of each class.

Cost: To receive a certificate in Sustainable Urban Agriculture, participants will pay a one-time fee of $200. If a participant wishes to take an individual class, the cost is $60 per class. Payment will be made at the time of the first class, by check or money order, made payable to the "University of the District of Columbia."

Prerequisite required to receive certificate of completion:

• Principles of Sustainable Agriculture 
• March 28 &30, 2016, 6:00 -9:00 p.m., Van Ness Campus

Option 1:   Urban Agriculture Techniques

• Urban Bio-intensive Farming 
• April 2, 2016, 9:00 a.m. -4:00 p.m., Firebird Farm, Beltsville, MD

• High Efficiency Production Methods  for Urban Growers          
• April 16, 2016, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Firebird Farm, Beltsville, MD

• Urban Agriculture: Innovations           
• April 30, 2016, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m., Firebird Farm, Beltsville, MD

Option 2:   Business Principles in Urban Agriculture                 

• Business Principles of Sustainable Agriculture                                               
• April 4 and 6, 2016, 6:00 -9:00 p.m., Van Ness Campus
• Non-Profit Management of Community Food Programs                           
• April 12 and 14, 2016, 6:00 p.m. -9:00 p.m.,Van Ness Campus
• Urban Agriculture Site Planning and Design                                                    
• April 19 and 21, 2016, 6:00 -9:00 p.m., Van Ness Campus

Special Course:  

• Aquaponics                      
• May 7, 2016, 9:00 a.m. -3:00 p.m., Firebird Farm, Beltsville, MD

Register here!

Washington Post Garden Editor Q&A with DC Master Gardeners

Adrian Higgins with Sandy Farber Bandier

On March 8,2016, Washington Post Garden Editor Adrian Higgins spent an evening with current and former master gardener trainees in an evening lecture at the David A. Clarke School of Law, arranged by DC Master Gardener Coordinator Sandra Farber Bandier. We've been fortunate to have the esteemed writer, who has been with the Post for 22 years, visit our research farm in Beltsville, Maryland, as well as the green roof on our Van Ness campus. 

"We live in two worlds - the screen world and the physical world; and we've learned to straddle both of them," said Mr. Higgins in his opening. "Gardening to me is not a hobby or a past time; it's an essential element of being a human being. Life is connected to nature."

Not only is gardening about creating a beautiful environment, it's the union of horticulture and ecology. As for the changing "landscape" of garden design, Mr. Higgins explains,"We're moving much more to an ecological design. We're seeing this in dealing with our stormwater run-off and heat island effect."

Before he took audience questions, he shared his five gardening secrets:

1. Gardening isn't only just for spring.
2. Don't rely on instant gratification (i.e. take shortcuts).
3. Embrace mistakes and learn from them.
4. Build the soil.
5. Learn from others.

Continue reading for Mr. Higgins' response to audience questions. 

Arbor Day Fest is April 29!

Arbor Day Fest

National Arbor Day Celebration

      Celebrating Urban Sustainability and Greening in the Region

April 29th, 2016

10:00 a.m. – 8:30 p.m.

At the U.S National Arboretum

Register at www.arborday2016.brownpapertickets.com

www.washingtonyouthgarden.org

The Washington Youth Garden is excited to welcome you to our 1st Annual Arbor Day Fest on April 29, 2016, from 9:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the U.S. National Arboretum.  Join us for a day of social, educational, and cultural programming that celebrates environmental awareness and stewardship!

PARTICIPATING ORGANIZATIONS INCLUDE:

Anacostia Watershed Society
Arbor Day Foundation
Art Soiree  
City Blossoms
DC Department of Health SNAP ED Program
DC Department of Energy and Environment
DC Greens
Fairtrade America
George Washington University
George Mason University
Good Food Markets
LISC DC
Oyé Palaver Hut
University of the District of Columbia - CAUSES
University of Maryland, Program for Society and the Environment
11th Street Bridge Park, a project of Building Bridges Across the River at THEARC
Washington Performing Arts' Mars Urban Arts Initiative
Washington Parks and People

Featured Activites and Entertainment :

·       Panels on environmental, health, and nutrition topics

·       Healthy cooking demonstrations

·       Musical performances

·       Farmers Olympics

·       Yoga and movement sessions

·        

The Washington Youth Garden’s 45^th Year Anniversary: This is the first event in a year-long celebration commemorating the Washington Youth Garden's 45 years of making school gardens and young minds grow!

2016 NCR Water Resources Symposium Agenda

Friday, April 8, 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

University of the District of Columbia

David A. Clarke School of Law
4340 Connecticut Ave., NW, Washington, DC

This year's symposium, Rethinking the Value of Water: Innovations in Research, Technology, Policy, and Management, will bring together experts from governmental agencies, academia, the private sector, and non-profits to present and discuss innovations in water research, technology, policy, and management to respect and reflect the true value of water. The program will include a keynote address, panelists, and breakout sessions featuring oral and poster presentations. Speakers include:

• G. Tracy Mehan, III: Executive Director for Government Affairs, American Water Works Association (Keynote)
• Radhika Fox: CEO, US Water Alliance
• Kimberly Jones: Chair of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Howard University
• Saul Kinter, Innovation Program Manager, DC Water
• Eugene Stakhiv: Associate Research Scientist at the Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, Johns Hopkins University and Visiting Scholar at the Institute for Water Resources, USACE
• Thomas Grizzard: Founding Director of the Occoquan Watershed Monitoring Laboratory and Professor Emeritus of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Virginia Tech
• Wilbert Thomas: Senior Technical Consultant, Michael Baker International

Please keep reading to review the agenda.

CAUSES and social media

In addition to the CAUSES page, Firebird Farm (formerly known as the Muirkirk Agricultural Experiment Station) now has its own Facebook page, so like us at www.facebook.com/UDCFirebirdFarm!

And that's not all. we are now on Instagram! If you use the platform, be sure to visit www.instagram.com/udc_causes to follow @udc_causes:

Finally, did you know that we are on Flickr and have photos galore? Check out some of our albums at www.flickr.com/photos/udc_causes/albums!

CAUSES TV: DC Master Gardener Program

On this edition of CAUSES TV, Sandra Farber Bandier joins Dean Sabine O'Hara to discuss the DC Master Gardener program. The USDA Master Gardener program is a volunteer program affiliated with landgrant universities all over the United States. As your local landgrant university, we are proud of our network of master gardeners here in the District of Columbia. Farber Bandier is the DC Master Gardener coordinator and green roof manager. The episode was taped last summer on the UDC green roof located on our Van Ness campus. 

Free Ethnic Crops Workshop March 19

We are offering an ethnic crops workshop at Firebird Farm on Saturday, March 19, in conjunction with the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE). It's free with an RSVP, and you will get to sample some delicious entrees using crops grown at the farm! RSVP HERE

We're soliciting Urban ag and Sustainability proposals

CAUSES is requesting multidisciplinary proposals that use Urban Agriculture and Urban
Sustainability as a tool to advance at least one of the NIFA programs and the Sustainable DC goals. Proposals that focus on any dimension of Urban Agriculture and Urban Sustainability are welcome, such as architecture, biology and ecology, economics, engineering, health/nutrition, social/community, and technology. Proposals that focus on 1) maximizing yield and nutrient density in urban spaces and 2) elucidating the positive health effects of fresh, local foods on residents of Washington, DC are particularly welcome. The Principal Investigator must be a member of the program staff or faculty of UDC and must include at least one co-PI from CAUSES. 

Partnerships and collaborations across UDC, with other DC Consortium Universities, as well as with DC public, private, and non-profit sector organizations are encouraged. Proposals that offer student mentorship and training opportunities or use the UDC research farm are also encouraged. Faculty members can use funds to buy the release time necessary to fulfill the demands of the proposed work. Click here for more details.

UDC Architecture Chair, Student Win NOMA Awards

The Washington, DC Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architects (DCNOMA) hosted the 8th Annual Lankford-Giles-Vaughn (LGV) Minority Architect Awards on February 25, 2016, at the University of the District of Columbia’s (UDC) new Student Center. With a theme of "Celebrating the Journey" the event honored five individuals in the fields of architecture, development, scholastic excellence, architectural education, and community service. Dr. Susan Kliman, chairperson, UDC Department of Architecture and Urban Sustainability, and UDC student Karl Griffin were among the award recipients. Philip Freelon, FAIA, NOMA, Director of Design with Perkins Will and Architect of Record for the Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture, delivered the keynote address.

Named for three African-American architects who worked in the city in the early 1900’s and helped to shape the District of Columbia through their designs, the awards recognize collective works and not a particular design or project. UDC architecture student, Karl Griffin, was named Student of the Year, while Dr. Susan Kliman received the Barbara G. Laurie Educator of the Year Award. 

“I am very humbled to have been honored by the DC Chapter of the National Organization of Minority Architect as the 2016 Barbara G. Laurie Professor of Architecture of the Year," said Dr. Kliman. "What an honor to be recognized for simply doing a job that I love.”