Inspiring! Lively! Dynamic! are words that community members have used to describe the annual Sustainability Fair & Town Hall.
This years event will take place on Thursday, March 9, at the CH2MHill Alumni Center on the OSU campus. Organized by the Corvallis Sustainability Coalition, both the Fair and Town Hall are free and open to the public, although registration is required for the Town Hall.
The Town Hall is being planned as a hybrid event, so that everyone feels safe and included.
Registration for virtual attendees is here.
(Please note that your registration confirmation email will come from theCoalition’s Administrator, Brianna Bendall.) Registration for in-person attendance at the Town Hall closed on 3/1/23.
During the in-person Town Hall, participants will be seated at tables of 6-8 for a fast-paced, interactive Town Hall program that includes presentations from the main stage, followed by discussion and activity at the tables. Virtual attendees will participate in discussions via Zoom breakout rooms.
A highlight of the program will be presentations by a climate action “dream team”, featuring Bill Ripple, OSU Distinguished Professor of Ecology; Kathleen Dean Moore, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy; Chris Quaka, Former Federal Disaster Coordinator of the Corporation for National and Community Service; and Julie Williams, President and Founder of Seeds for the Sol. Their presentations will lay the foundation for the Town Hall launch of a new 5-year, community-wide initiative developed by the Sustainability Coalition’s Energy Action Team to guide and support our community as we shift together toward a more secure energy future.
The Town Hall program will also include brief remarks by Corvallis Mayor Charles Maughan and Benton County Commission Chair Pat Malone, as well as presentation of the annual “Community Scrapbook”, a slide show highlighting the sustainability achievements of local organizations and businesses during the past year – helping to move our community toward greater environmental quality, social equity, and economic vitality.
The annual Sustainability Fair will be held at the Alumni Center from 5 to 7 pm, just prior to the Town Hall. More than 45 hands-on exhibits will be featured, representing Sustainability Coalition partner organizations and action teams. A fabulous spread of delicious local food will be offered by New Morning Bakery, and attendees will delight to the sounds of the Rivard Woodman Guitar Duo.
The entire event will be waste-free, and attendees are encouraged to walk, bike, carpool, or take the bus to the event. Bike racks will be available on the south side of the building. (Registration is not required for attendance at the Fair.)
Primary event sponsors are the OSU Office of Sustainability, First Alternative Co-op, Energy Wise Services, and G. Christianson Construction. Additional sponsors are Audubon Society of Corvallis, Flicker & Fir, Seeds for the Sol, First United Methodist Church Environmental Care Team, Greenbelt Land Trust, Marys Peak Group of the Sierra Club, Corvallis Chapter of the Native Plant Society of Oregon, Public Good PR, Western Pulp Products, and Willamette Gardens.
We hope to see you there!