Cayuga’s Cultural Speaker Series Returns with Environment & Sustainability Discussion

Cayuga Community College’s Cultural Speaker Series resumes this fall, with the first free presentation discussing how people can reduce their environmental impact.

The sixth year of the Cultural Speaker Series launches with Marian Brown’s “Lightening Your Environmental Footprint,” a conversation about sustainability and how it factors into the economic, environmental and social aspects of everyday life.

The presentation is scheduled for 4-5 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 23, at Cayuga’s Auburn Campus, and Monday, Oct. 7, at the Fulton Campus. Both events are free to attend.

“We’re excited for the return of our Cultural Speaker Series, and especially to have someone with Marian’s expertise starting off the fall discussions,” said Emily Cameron, Cayuga’s Director of Community Education and Workforce Development. “Marian has dedicated years to educating, leading and practicing sustainability-focused initiatives, and we’re looking forward to a conversation about the environment and our role in preserving it.”

Brown said her discussion doesn’t focus on some of the more visible or popular topics related to sustainability, such as eating a vegan diet or buying an electric car. Sweeping changes like those can be difficult to start and maintain, she noted.

Instead, she focuses on how each person can factor sustainability into their daily life, and the impact those decisions can have on the environment.

“Sustainability doesn’t have to be about making a single, big change in our lives. It can be as much about being more informed in the choices available to us, and how to include sustainability as a factor in the decisions we make each day. If each of us can do that, we can have a measurable impact on preserving the environment for future generations,” she said.

Brown has a bachelor’s degree from SUNY Brockport and a master’s degree from Ithaca College, and an extensive professional background in sustainability. She led sustainability efforts at Ithaca College for more than a decade before joining Wells College, where for the past decade she was the director for the Center for Sustainability and the Environment. In that role, she taught sustainability courses, programmed the Sustainability Perspectives and Sustainable Business Speaker Series, and partnered with Cayuga on sustainable culinary events.

She has also participated in community-focused sustainability efforts such as Cayuga Climate Action and Solarize CNY.

Her presentations are the first of three topics scheduled for the Cultural Speaker Series this fall. On Nov. 4, Professor Robert Humphrey will discuss Lake Ontario’s Marine Sanctuary designation process at the Fulton Campus, and on Nov. 18 author Heidi Nightengale will present The Creative Writing Process at the Auburn Campus.

Registration is recommended for all Cultural Speaker Series events, and can be completed by calling the Office of Community Education and Workforce Development at 315-294-8841.