Sustainability@UC Week 2026 is just a couple weeks away! This week full of sustainability-related events and activities for students, researchers, educators, staff, and the public is organized by the UC Office of Sustainability, the School of Environment and Sustainability (SEaS), Student Government, and PEWS.
Learn more about the PEWS-sponsored events below (with offerings for both the UC community and the public), then check out the full schedule and register! Questions? Email us at engagingscience@uc.edu.
Reimagining Nature Centers
Tuesday, January 27th, 1:00-3:00pm
Trailside Nature Center, Burnet Woods (3251 Brookline Ave, Cincinnati)
Open to the UC Community
Sponsored by the Trailside Nature Center; organized by PEWS faculty affiliate Andrew Bernier
Trailside Nature Center in Burnet Woods invites members of the UC community to help us better understand what a modern nature center would look like to better serve the needs and wants of the UC community. The event will consist of a brief tour and history of the facility and the park, along with a description of current programs and the strengths and limitations to what the center can offer.
Participants will be asked to ideate about what would make the center more attractive to them given the strengths/limitations of the center (for example, what programming and/or exhibits in and out of the building would be relevant to the UC community, what can the staff offer, etc.). This can also include increased research and/or field study work in the whole Burnet Woods park, in addition to the already existing recreational amenities. In the remainder of time, we hope to share out practical and feasible ideas, sketches, and potential shared working partnerships on specific outcomes.
Sustainability at the World Wildlife Foundation
Wednesday, January 28th, 12:30-2:00pm
Aronoff 3430 (College of DAAP)
Open to the All (Public and UC Community)
Organized by PEWS faculty affiliate Braden Trauth
Join Evan Walker, World Wildlife Foundation US Director of Corporate Engagement, for a talk about his work around the US to bring sustainability to Fortune 500 Companies. Evan Walker is Director of Corporate Engagement at World Wildlife Fund (WWF) where he works with business leaders to advance sustainability, fund global conservation, and inspire people to protect places and save species. Prior to joining WWF in 2012, Evan received a Master of Science degree in the Human Dimensions of Natural Resources, with a specialization in Conservation Leadership, from Colorado State University and Mexico’s El Colegio De La Frontera Sur. He began his conservation career at The Nature Conservancy. In his spare time, Evan leads the Cincinnati Skatepark Project and serves on the board of Groundwork Ohio River Valley.
About WWF: Since 1961 World Wildlife Fund (WWF) has been committed to protecting nature and its resources. WWF understands that nature is our planet’s greatest asset, intrinsically linked to human survival — and that it needs our help. WWF’s work to reverse nature loss and conserve biodiversity has never been more urgent. As the world’s leading conservation organization—with offices on six continents and in nearly 100 countries—WWF’s global reach includes the world’s most critical forests, river systems, wetlands, savannas, and ocean habitats. By conserving these places and supporting sustainable livelihoods within them, we can keep the Earth in balance for people, wildlife, and the planet
Student Poster Session and Community Tabling Event
Thursday, January 29th, 5:00-6:30pm
Clifton Court Hall Lobby/Atrium, University of Cincinnati, 2800 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati
Open to All (Public and UC Community)
Sponsored by the Office of Sustainability and PEWS
Check out student research on sustainability from a variety of disciplines, and network with community organizations working on sustainability around Cincinnati. Open to all!
Reception included!
Public Keynote
Thursday, January 29th, 7:30-9:00pm
Clifton Court Hall 1170, University of Cincinnati, 2800 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati
Open to All (Public and UC Community)
Sponsored by PEWS and SEaS
Join us for the Sustainability@UC Week 2026 Public Keynote by Dr. Teresa Mares: Biting the Hands that Feed US: Labor and Social Sustainability in the Food System
Talk Description: Consumers are increasingly concerned with what goes into their food and are demanding a healthier and more ecologically focused food system. However, labor is rarely part of the so-called sustainable food discussion. This talk examines the legal, social, and political contexts of labor in the food system, highlighting themes of migration, agrarian exceptionalism, and racial and gendered inequality. Stretching from dairy farms in Vermont to superstores around the country, today’s food and farmworkers are on the frontlines. Given that their work is essential to a sustainable food system, what will it take to bring dignity to their lives and labor?
Bio: Teresa Mares is Associate Professor of Anthropology at the University of Vermont, where she has been a faculty member since 2011. She is also affiliated faculty with the Graduate Program in Food Systems. For the past two decades, Dr. Mares has been conducting ethnographic research on topics related to food security, immigration, labor, and food justice, both in the Pacific Northwest and in New England. She is the author of Life on the Other Border: Farmworkers and Food Justice in Vermont (UC Press 2019) and co-author of Will Work for Food: Labor Across the Food Chain (UC Press 2025).
Environmental Storytelling Through Games
Friday, January 30th, 12:30-1:30pm
Clifton Court Hall 5102
Open to the UC Community
Sponsored by the UC Game Lab and PEWS; organized by PEWS Faculty Affiliate Nancy Jennings
Play environmental board games with the UC Game Lab and the PEWS R&D (Research and Discussion) Group and learn how games can serve as an effective means of storytelling about the environment!
Screening of “When Silence Becomes the Song”
Friday, January 30th, 4:30-6:30pm
Clifton Court Hall 5280, University of Cincinnati, 2800 Clifton Ave, Cincinnati
Open to All (Public and UC Community)
Sponsored by SEaS; organized by PEWS faculty affiliates Laura Zanotti and Nancy Jennings
Wrap up Sustainabiltiy@UC week with a screening of a 60-minute documentary and talk-back with director Ella Marcil. Popcorn and snacks!
“When Silence Becomes The Song” is a documentary following a determined film student as she teams up with passionate biologists and conservation videographers on a journey across the remote and rain-soaked Alakaʻi Plateau in search of the ʻAkikiki, a critically endangered forest bird found solely in the mountains of Kauaʻi.
Director bio: Emmanuella (Ella) Marcil is a student at The University of Cincinnati. She grew up on the island of Kauaʻi, Hawaiʻi, where she developed an appreciation for community and conservation work. She is an extremely passionate storyteller, with an interest in digital media. Once out of college, Ella aspires to write and produce web/television shows and films for audiences of all ages.
