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The University of Minnesota Rochester strives to sustain an open exchange of ideas in an environment that embodies the values of academic freedom, responsibility, integrity, and cooperation. In support of this, UMR has launched a weekly series for the Rochester community and visitors titled "UMR CONNECTS".
Every Tuesday at 7:00 pm ~ 4th floor ~ UMR Campus
UMR CONNECTS will be moving outdoors to Peace Plaza again this year during the months of June, July, and August - weather permitting!
Following a specific theme each month, this weekly showcase will connect you to speakers, authors, panels, etc. on a variety of engaging topics, such as:
- May ~ Silent Spring, Fifty Years Later
- June ~ Building Community Through Music
- July ~ Athletics and Sports
- August ~ The Great Outdoors
- September ~ Election 2012
- October ~ Healthcare Policy
UMR CONNECTS is committed to supporting the University's overall mission of public engagement and outreach by fostering connections between the University, its students, and those who live in or visit our community. No pre-registration is required, and we hope you will join us!
There will be NO UMR CONNECTS sessions held on the evenings of August 14 (state primary election), November 6 (general election), December 25, or January 1.
Questions, please contact Mary DeWitt at 507-258-8053 or dewit007@r.umn.edu.
Upcoming Sessions
May Theme ~ 50th Anniversary of "Silent Spring"
"To still the song of birds and the leaping of fish in the streams, to coat the leaves with a deadly film, and to linger on in soil - all this though the intended target may be only a few weeds or insects." - Rachel Carson
2012 marks the 50th anniversary of Silent Spring, the landmark book credited with launching the modern environmental movement. Rachel Carson sounded the alarm to an unsuspecting public about the detrimental effects of pesticides on eagles, fish, and many other forms of wildlife. Join us this month as we discuss the book and its continued importance as a guide for bringing environmental issues into the public forum, even fifty years later.
May 22 ~ Bald Eagle Informational Program
This presentation will introduce you to the resident birds that live at the National Eagle Center in Wabasha, MN, with their own personal histories of how they came to live there. Facts about these raptors will be discussed, including their eggs, nest, eyes, talons, and food sources, and how eagles have been affected by human encroachment. As a result of the pioneering work of Rachel Carson, we will consider the effect of DDT on egg shells and how recovery efforts by captive breeding hope to strengthen the population. The life-threatening effect of lead consumption by eagles from hunting or fishing equipment will also be discussed. Designed to be interactive and informative (and fun!), questions are encouraged. Please join us to learn more about our relationship with these magnificent creatures. PLEASE NOTE: a live eagle will NOT be present.
Speaker: My name is Bridget Befort and I started my career at the National Eagle Center as an intern from Winona State University, when we were still located in the little store front right off of Main Street, Wabasha. I continued to volunteer once I completed my internship and then became a staff member after graduation. I currently live in Rochester, MN, which is about an hour drive, but it is all worth it just to work with these wonderful birds and meet all the interesting people. I hope to pass on my love for the outdoors and all animals to my husband's and my new addition, our little girl who was born in April of 2010. www.nationaleaglecenter.org
May 29 ~ Silent Spring 50 Years Later: Reflections on a Mixed Legacy
The biologist Rachel Carson wrote her 1962 book Silent Spring to educate the public about detrimental effects of the large-scale use of chemical pesticides, calling for a shift in man's attitude toward nature. Silent Spring is seen as one of the cornerstones of the modern environmental conservation movement, as well as the creation of the Environmental Protection Agency.
However, Carson left behind a mixed legacy with Silent Spring. Some of the main criticisms were her allegedly single-sided view of pesticide use as well as the scientific back up of her claims. The controversy about her book has been likened to the debate surrounding climate change research during the last decade. Thus, even 50 years after its publication, Silent Spring remains to have a profound impact on our view of the environmental issues of our times.
Speaker: Franziska Schrodt is a research associate working on the Plant Data Synthesis Discovery Grant in collaboration with the U of M departments of forest resources and computer sciences and the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry. She develops new algorithms to fill sparse matrixes in plant functional trait databases. Franziska earned her Ph.D. in geography at the University of Leeds, UK, on biogeochemical comparisons of tropical forest-savannah zones of transition in Africa and South America. Franziska is also interested in the socioeconomic aspects of environmental change, especially in sub-Saharan Africa.