Bozeman Magazine

The Montana State University Office of Sustainability will host its third annual Sustainability Summit on March 25-26. The summit will provide an update on progress toward the university’s sustainability and carbon-neutrality goals while showcasing campus-wide research and connecting the Office of Sustainability with the Bozeman community.

“We want to celebrate the creativity and hard work of our faculty, staff and students who are working to solve sustainability challenges on our campus and in our community,” said Kristin Blackler, director of the Office of Sustainability.
The summit schedule is listed below. The events are free and open to the public, but attendees must register for various tours.
Monday, March 25
All events take place in the Procrastinator Theater in the Strand Union Building on the MSU campus.
6 p.m. – MSU sponsor group networking and student group information sessions.
6:30 p.m. – Screening of “Spirit of the Peaks.” This 40-minute documentary film focuses on Hunkpapa Lakota skier Connor Ryan, whose story illustrates the importance of reciprocity between the land and its people and how connection can create an equitable future for Indigenous people and skiers.
Tuesday, March 26
All events take place in the Strand Union Building’s Ballroom A unless otherwise noted.
9:30 to 11:30 a.m. – Welcome and presentation by the Campus Sustainability Advisory Committee on progress toward goals set in MSU’s Sustainability Framework. After the presentation, attendees are invited to ask questions and engage with CSAC members.
10 a.m. to noon – Drop-in poster session.
Tours of underground utility tunnels, the Plant Growth Center and the campus landscape, leaving from SUB Ballroom A. The tours will highlight the MSU’s geothermal wells, energy-efficient technology and sustainable design elements of the campus landscape. Space is limited for the tours, and registration is required.

11:50 a.m. - Lunch is served.
12:10 p.m. – Keynote speaker Connor Ryan. A Hunkpapa Lakota and passionate skier, Ryan was born and raised on the Arapaho, Cheyenne and Ute homelands at the foot of the Rocky Mountains. He considers these among his greatest inspirations and closest relatives. Ryan seeks to decolonize, reconnect and learn to better all his relations through adventure and activism.

1:05 p.m. to 2:45 p.m. – Workshop on navigating climate anxiety facilitated by MSU Counseling and Psychological Services and the Office of Sustainability.
2:05 p.m. to 3 p.m. – Teaching sustainability panel discussion led by the Center for Faculty Excellence.
3:10 to 4 p.m. – Five students will present their sustainability-centered projects across a wide range of disciplines and subject areas.
To view the full schedule and register for a tour, visit montana.edu/sustainability/summit.

RSVP HERE