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Community Partner Spotlight: TRC&WMC, Environmental Summit Community

March 23, 2009

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MACOMB, IL -- Numerous community and campus organizations will feature environmental health- and sustainability-related topics as part of the Sixth Annual Western Illinois University Environmental Summit, "Healthy Planet, Healthy People," from 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Wednesday, April 8 in the University Union Grand Ballroom on the WIU-Macomb campus.

According to Mindy Pheiffer, program coordinator of Western's Horn Field Campus and summit chair, Western Illinois' Environmental Summit, which is open free to the public, promotes environmentally sustainable values, lifestyles and educational activities. The event features keynote speaker Sandra Steingraber (noon, Grand Ballroom; 7 p.m., Figge Art Museum, Davenport, IA), roundtable discussions, poster presentations and displays. The annual summit ties in with the 2008-2009 Universitywide theme, "Health and Wellness -- Challenges and Responsibilities."

This year, the Tri-County Resource & Waste Management Council (TCR&WMC) is not only hosting a tabletop display, but also serving as the 2009 summit community sponsor. Administered by the Western Illinois Regional Council in Macomb, the TCR&WMC assists in the establishment of new recycling programs and aids in the expansion of existing programs. TCR&WMC educators provide presentations, hands-on projects and solid waste curriculum for both academic and public forums. A library, which includes state certified curriculum for Pre-K-12, provides immediate resources to teachers. Grant-writing assistance is also available for school waste reduction and recycling funding.

Each year, the council participates in numerous activities for the betterment of the west-central Illinois region and its environment. TRC&WMC sponsors annual township clean-ups, and last year alone, more than 58,000-pounds of metal, unused paint and electronics were collected from Bethel, Hale, Industry, Macomb, Preemption, Scotland and Chalmers townships. The council has also held collections for unused medications, and works with community organizations to implement recycling systems. In 2008, TRC&WMC worked with staff and residents of Wesley Village in Macomb to implement an in-house recycling system.

Other organizations participating in the 2009 summit include the WIU departments of health sciences, women's studies, African American studies, curriculum and instruction, English and journalism, chemistry and geography; Beu Health Center's Alcohol and Other Drug Resource Center; Botany Club; the Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs; Institute for Environmental Studies; Horn Field Campus; Physical Plant; Horn's Environmental Learning Project (HELP); Campus Greens; Go West; Friends of Argyle; Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Four Winds Energy; Illinois Renewable Energy Association; University of Illinois Extension; Lamoine River Ecosystem Partnership; Heart of Illinois Sierra Club; McDonough County Health Department; Environmentally Concerned Citizens; ePower Synergies, Inc.; and the Food Initiatives Group (FIG). Poster sessions and displays will be held in the Grand Ballroom, while roundtable discussions will be held throughout the Union.

Western's Environmental Summit is sponsored by the University Sustainability Committee, the University Theme Committee, Horn Field Campus, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, Physical Plant, the Institute for Environmental Studies, Women's Center, Western Organization for Women, University Libraries, Centennial Honors College, Purchasing Office, Program for the Study of Ethics, College of Education and Human Services, Sodexo Campus Services, The Radish, TRC&WMC, and the departments of health sciences and recreation, park and tourism administration.

For more information or to host a roundtable discussion or poster presentation, contact Pheiffer at (309) 833-5798 or e-mail MJ-Pheiffer@wiu.edu.


Posted By: Darcie Shinberger (U-Communications@wiu.edu)
Office of University Communications & Marketing