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What is a Sustainability Lab?
In partnership with OneSTL, Madison County hosts Sustainability Labs the last Tuesday of every month at Old Bakery Beer Co. in Alton, Illinois. The Sustainability Labs are hubs of collaboration for people working on, learning about, and advocating for sustainability. The Sustainability Lab was initially established in partnership with T-Rex to give the many organizations working on projects related to OneSTL the opportunity to meet regularly and share their successes, lessons, and challenges. By forming a ‘sustainability lab' we have provided space for innovation, creativity, and collaboration; merging the often independent efforts of public and private sectors; and strive to achieve shared goals for the region, for organizations, for our communities and for ourselves on positively impacting equity, the environment, and the economy. The Sustainability Lab has been expanded to Alton and St. Peters to make it accessible for more community members in the region.
Where: Labs are hosted at The Old Bakery Beer Company - 400 Landmarks Blvd, Alton, IL 62002
When: 5:00 - 5:30 PM - Check-in and Networking
5:30 - 6:45 PM - Presentations and Post Discussions
In efforts to achieve our goals and expand our reach, we highly encourage members of our communities to attend these 100% free events!
February 25th, 2020
Farming in America has become dominated by corporate, factory farming and concentrated animal feeding operations, impacting our planet and human health. Join a discussion about Known & Grown STL, a program of the Missouri Coalition for the Environment that promotes local, environmentally responsible farmers within 150 miles of St. Louis. Attendees will learn how to take action to improve our food system, including learning to decipher misleading labels, vetting Community Supported Agriculture programs and farmers markets, and encouraging restaurants and institutions to increase their local sourcing.
Presented by Jenn DeRose Known & Grown Manager www.knownandgrownstl.org
Missed the presentation? Find the main points in the PowerPoint here.
January 28th, 2020
SIUE's Successful Communities Collaborative (SSCC) is a sustainability-focused initiative based on the EPIC model that connects university resources to meaningful community-initiated projects. Both municipalities and community organizations often have a goal of being more sustainable but lack the political space, knowledge, capacity, or time that is needed to make innovative changes. In this session, we will outline the EPIC model, highlight outcomes and ongoing partnership projects, and collect feedback from Lab attendees on how SSCC can connect with new municipalities and community organizations.
Presented by Connie Frey Spurlock, SSCC Director, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
PowerPoint here.
October 29th, 2019
Dr. Stacey Brown Amilian, Associate Professor in SIUE's Department of Geography presents - An Oasis or a Mirage: Analyzing the Impact of Dollar Stores in Food Deserts in the Metro East of St. Louis, MO-IL
Powerpoint here.
September 24, 2019
Presented by Aaron Young, Sustainability Planning Manager, East-West Gateway Council of Governments
Powerpoint here.
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The OneSTL regional plan for sustainability was completed in 2013. A lot has happened since then and more is on the horizon. Aaron will give an overview of the full OneSTL collaboration and activities of the working groups, and discuss options for individuals and organizations to contribute to the regional effort.
July 30th, 2019
BiodiverseCity Talk Presented by Sheila Voss, Vice President, Education at Missouri Botanical Gardens
PowerPoint here.
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Voss will discuss our region's reliance on biodiversity, the variety of life and natural systems, and how the Biodiversity Working Group is planning to meet their OneSTL target.