Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College will continue the annual campus tradition of celebrating Earth Week through a week-long celebration of planet Earth set for April 20-24, 2020. The Environmental Institute at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College, along with the American Indian College Fund Indigenous Visionary Fellowship, collaborated to plan the Earth Week 2020 activities.
The overall theme of Earth Week 2020 is “It’s a Small World.” All Earth Week activities will use online virtual connecting technologies including Zoom and Facebook Live. No activities will meet in person on campus due to the current COVID-19 situation. All Earth Week activities and presentations are free and open to everyone.
“Every day of the week we will focus on a different topic,” said Courtney Kowalczak, Director of the Environmental Institute at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College. “The topics include microplastics, research on toxic contamination of raptors, how to get out and document our spring phenology, light pollution and how our regional students are doing with their research on issues that impact our environment. Every day there will be Zoom presentations, photo contests posted on our Environmental Institute Facebook page, and links to other resources celebrating Earth Week from around our region.”
On Monday, April 20 (Ishkwaa-anama’e-giizhigad), University of Minnesota- Duluth researcher Elizabeth Minor will hold a 2:00 p.m. Zoom presentation on “Plastic Pollution in the Environment: Insights from Lake Superior.”
On Tuesday, April 23 (Niizho-giizhigad), the topic is raptors. Nevada State Researcher Joe Barnes will host a Zoom presentation at 2:00 p.m. on “Peregrine Falcons as a Bio-monitor: A local study taken to a continental scale.” A photo game called “Picture of a Raptor or Bird in your Backyard” will be held on the Environmental Institute Facebook page and the winning photo will be eligible for a prize.
Wednesday, April 24 (Aabitoose), the focus will be on phenology and how to appreciate Spring season plant and animal changes. Glenn Swanson from Carlton’s Oldenburg House will host a 2:00 p.m. Zoom presentation on “Using iNaturalist to Document Spring.” This session will be an overview of how to use the iNaturalist app as well as how to take great nature photos. The photo game of the day on the Environmental Institute Facebook page will be “Spring Phenology in your Backyard, What Grows in Spring.”
Thursday, April 25 (Niiwo-giizhigad), the focus will be on an ignored type of pollution that is of regional concern. Cynthia Lapp from Duluth Starry Skies will lead a 2:00 p.m. Zoom presentation titled “Light Pollution in Our Region.” The daily photo game topic is “Pictures of the Sky: Night or Day.”
Earth Week activities conclude on Friday, April 26 (Naano-giizhigad), with the film “Smog of the Sea.” A Vimeo link for viewing of the film will be posted on the Environmental Institute Facebook page. The photo game of the day will be “Capture the Your Spring Wildlife.”
For more information about Earth Week 2020 activities at Fond du Lac Tribal and Community College and to get the Zoom links to the daily presentations, contact Courtney Kowalczak via email to courtneyk*AT*fdltcc.edu.

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