Warren Wilson College is partnering with the Asheville Museum of Science (AMOS) to host a Science Pub series on sustainability this summer. The series takes place at The Collider in Downtown Asheville.

The speakers and panelists include an impressive lineup of Warren Wilson alumni, professors and staff who are experts in green building, clean energy and land stewardship.

“One of the highlights for me in kicking off this series is to interact with Warren Wilson alumni who have committed their work and their businesses to bettering our region,” said Lynn Morton, president of Warren Wilson College. “We’re in the midst of some of Western North Carolina’s finest green builders, solar advocates and land management experts who are the models for sustainability in the region and the state.”

Morton said she was thrilled when AMOS shared the idea of bringing experts in the field to talk about what can be done to respond to climate change.

“In our new 2022 Strategic Plan, Warren Wilson College has developed a strategic imperative on environmental sustainability, and we specify climate change initiatives in that imperative,” Morton said. “While other colleges might shy away from a bold and very public approach that names climate change as an imperative to be addressed, we stepped in.”

The first event in June, which focused on green building, drew a crowd of 90 people. The event featured an expert panel of Warren Wilson alumni in the green building field including Green Built Alliance, Jade Mountain Builders, JAG and Associates Construction, River Birch Builders and Steel Root Builders. The panel shared how using climate science to create sustainable home design is making a significant impact on the region.

Two remaining events on clean energy and land stewardship will take place on Thursday, July 11 and on Thursday, August 22 at The Collider.

 

Clean Energy | Thursday, July 11 | 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Buncombe County Commissioner Brownie Newman, an alumnus of Warren Wilson College who has worked in solar energy for 10 years and sponsored the policy to make Buncombe County the first county in the Southeast to commit to utilizing 100 percent renewable energy, will provide local updates on technology, costs, and big picture trends in renewable energy. Attendees will learn how future innovations and considerations in renewable energy are shaping a healthy future in Western North Carolina. A panel of Warren Wilson alumni in the renewable energy field with Community Action Opportunities, Headwaters Solar, SolFarm Solar, and Sugar Hollow Solar will follow, led by moderator and faculty of environmental studies at Warren Wilson, Dr. Amy Knisely.

 

Land Management | Thursday, August 22 | 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Dave Ellum, dean of land resources at Warren Wilson College, will present about innovative land management practices for landowners and those interested in stewarding the land for sustainable agriculture and agroforestry. Ellum will facilitate an expert panel of Warren Wilson alumni managing local businesses and partnerships in the land management world.

 

Science Pub events take place at The Collider, Suite 401 of the Callen Building, and are free to the public. Drinks and light snacks are also complementary, thanks to the generous sponsorship of The Collider, Wicked Weed Brewing, Ingles Markets, and the Buncombe County Tourism Development Authority. Doors open at 5:30 p.m., and talks begin at 6 p.m.