ENVISION THE FUTURE OF SUSTAINABILITY THIS HUMBER EARTH MONTH

Humber Earth Month has arrived and the Office of Sustainability has organized several events designed to bring the community together to celebrate and think about the future of sustainability at Humber College.

Gabi Hentschke, sustainability communications and engagement coordinator at Humber, said the theme for this year’s Earth Month is the future of sustainability – what it will look like but also what role the Humber community can play in shaping it.

“We’re bringing forward the idea of connection and how sustainability is something that all parts of the Humber community can help advance,” said Hentschke. “We’re creating our future together at Humber.”

At Lakeshore Campus, there will be a guided tour of the Facing Future exhibit on March 13 from 12 p.m. to 1 p.m. Facing Future speaks to the realities of the present and the world to come, dealing with themes of the climate emergency, immigration, migration, identity, connection to one’s ancestral land and with their current place in the world.  

On March 19 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m., the Shaping Sustainable Futures event will take place at North Campus in the Barrett Centre for Technology Innovation’s Polytainers Atrium. It will also be live streamed to Lakeshore Campus in L1017 and at the International Graduate School’s Learning Commons.

Shaping Sustainable Futures is the cornerstone event of Humber Earth Month and is organized into two parts. The first is a panel session where panelists will talk about Afrofuturism, Indigenous Futurism, and other lenses that imagine a more inclusive and sustainable society.  

“We have a very diverse panel who will bring many different perspectives, and this is a great opportunity to expose participants to these ideas,” said Hentschke. “Our hope is that the panel will inspire participants and have them reflect on what they want the future to look like as seen through these lenses.”

As Hentschke notes, with the Office of Sustainability now part of the Inclusion and Belonging department, they continue to find ways to further integrate their sustainability efforts from a standpoint that’s intersectional and intentional.

Following the panel discussion, there will be a community engagement session to gather feedback and thoughts on Humber’s Sustainability Vision, which was previously known as the Sustainability Strategic Plan. The Vision will guide the Office of Sustainability’s commitment and actions for the next several years.

This will be just one of many opportunities for the Humber community to share their ideas, including a survey that will be made available in March.

Another part of Humber Earth Month is Earth Fest. It happens March 27 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at North Campus and March 28 from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. at Lakeshore Campus. It’s offered in partnership with First Year Experience and will explore the many dimensions and future of sustainability.  

Representatives from green organizations will be in attendance and there are hands-on activities to experience sustainability in action. At Lakeshore Campus, a Thrift Pop Up Store will be set up where attendees can purchase second-hand clothing at discounted prices.

For a full list of events, visit the Humber Earth Month events webpage.