Outreach Projects
The scope of the Institute is primarily within the St. Croix River Watershed, but the need to address sustainability goes beyond this area to embrace and serve on a global perspective. The outreach segment of the organization includes consultation services and educational initiatives that cover local, county, regional, state, national, and international needs. Organizational chart (PDF)
Some examples:
River Falls
The relationship between university campuses and the local communities (if not the region) in which they are embedded, commonly referred to as "Town and Gown," dates back to at least the Middle Ages. It is a relationship that is unique to each community in which it is referenced, but never has it been more important than in the context of sustainable community development. The Town / Gown relationship between UWRF and the community of River Falls (both municipal and town) is one of the most critical, as each of our destinies over the long haul rests largely in each other's hands — ecologically, socially, and economically. The projects noted below are indicative of the extraordinary commitment and efforts that we are all making to this end and the good of the whole.
Pierce / St. Croix / Polk Counties
While UWRF and the Institute commonly reference their geographic and service relationship to the St. Croix River watershed as "The St. Croix Region," UWRF has a very unique commitment to its three closest contiguous counties. This is especially important as we think about economies of scale that contribute in real terms to local self-sufficient models for energy, food, water, shelter, and transportation, not to mention exportable surplus. The examples below are some of the most important relationships we have in realizing the SCD objectives we have set for ourselves.
St. Croix Region
The St. Croix watershed encompasses almost 7,800 square miles. Despite that size, it is still a "community" in larger context, not only in geographic, socio-political, and biologic terms, but also economically. The Institute's attempts at "Re-Localization" and "Self-sufficiency" in community is only maximized when our sustainability systems recognize and integrate the needs and opportunities of our neighboring communities. Besides air, water is the single most essential shared resource critical to the health and survival of all communities and their economies. Watersheds then are the most practical and beneficial boundaries for our attention, and "The River" the single greatest indicator of the quality of environment and the quality of life. What happens in the watershed is ultimately reflected in the river. The projects noted in the St. Croix Region are a reflection of that holistic, systems-thinking approach to building an economy thoroughly grounded in a regional partnership approach to local self-sufficiency in energy, food, water, shelter, native habitat, and sequestration as the platform from which exportable commerce can truly be sustainable.
State
Our state focus for sustainable community development ranges from projects from within the UW System to broader non-profit and commercial contexts. Fortunately, the State of Wisconsin has one of the most progressive programs in the country for community energy independence and climate change response (http://power.wisconsin.gov/), which is a rallying point for many other projects and organizations.
National
We are not alone in our quest for sustainability as a campus. We are an institutional member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and a Charter & Leadership Circle Signatory for the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). UWRF is also a leading campus for the integration of sustainability with the Integrated Planning Certification Program offered through the Society for College and University Planning (SCUP). We maintain an active role in all of these and others on the horizon.
International
UWRF has a long history of global engagement for both faculty and students. This is reflected through research and service projects by faculty and their students, as well as a wide variety of Semester Abroad, Traveling Classroom, and Study Tour Programs. The Institute is engaged in a variety of international projects with sustainable community development as the platform for eco-tourism projects as an economic diversification vehicle, as well as many other contexts, especially energy and food.
