Redesigning Our Future

By Kayla Blackburn Campers prepare to exit kayaks after geocaching on the pond in the preserve. During the 5th annual National Environmental Summit for High School Students at Catawba College in Salisbury, North Carolina, student campers began their Wednesday morning with an exploration of the college's 189-acre ecological preserve . Armed with GPS navigation systems and several bottles of bug spray, the 46 campers went geocaching to learn about biomimicry , or the innovation used by humans when they model nature's behavior. For example, students learned that phytochemicals found in the inner bark of black willow trees can often be used in medical advances. Salicyclic acid is involved in both aspirin and acne medications, with its use beginning among Native Americans hundreds of years ago. Some types of salamanders excrete a fluid that provides defense against leeches, and they also have the ability to regenerate lost limbs. Scientists could eventually use these me...

Robin Emmons opened up the annual Redesigning the Future Environmental Summit at Catawba College. She explained that having a homeless brother with a mental illness inspired her to work to help feed the hungry with high quality foods. You can read more about what we learned from Emmons and about the huge issue of hunger for the poor, homeless, mentally ill, and working poor. High school students from the Environmental Summit moved out to the atrium outside the Tom Smith auditorium at Catawba College to talk about the excellent opening program and to get acquainted and enjoy some cookies, goldfish crackers, and lemonade. It was nice to process the information which was pretty serious while taking a break. Students were surprised at some of the concerns that are not often addressed. The "down" time gave them a chance to think about the keynote speech and share the experience.   High school students from around the country took some time to think about this new...

Catawba College and the Environment By Emma Sophia Catawba College in Salisbury North Carolina is a great place to hold an Environmental Summit for teens. The college's atmosphere and its facilities are great for young people with hopes and dreams of creating change in our future. Not only does Catawba have a beautiful 189 acre nature preserve and a 300 acre wildlife refuge, but it is also continuously working to make the rest of its campus more environmentally friendly. Many of the newer buildings on campus are LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) certified. There are also many things that go on during the school year that are driven by inspired students and faculty who care about the environment There are a few clubs on campus including Catawba Outdoor Adventures and Environment Catawba Outreach, which both work in different ways to prove that the outdoors and the environment are important and should be protected. There is also a program called "G...

Dr. John Wear meets with counselors, staff, and faculty to prepare for Redesigning Our Future - a summer environmental summit for high school students across the United States. It's an early morning at the Center for the Environment as everyone goes over last minute details while enjoying coffee, cake, and fruit. Counselor Jenn is a recent graduate in Environmental Science. She likes the coffee cake and is looking forward to meeting the summit students. Counselor Eli is a sophomore in Environmental Science, and Counselor David is an alumnus who teaches classes at RCCC. Counselor Ka'Shara will be working with the "Environmental education through Theatre" focus group and Professor Linda Kesler will be coordinating the "What We Have Learned" festival on the final day of the summit. Staff members help get everyone outfitted in summit t-shirts.The soft gray shirts feature the "Redesigning Our Future" logo and the event spons...