IN THIS NEWSLETTER: · Final Call for Board Nominations · April Membership Meeting - RSVP by Thursday April 7 · April 7-9 Gimme Shelter Symposium on Human Shelter and Sustainability · April 13 & 14 – 4th Annual Michigan Energy Conference · April 15 – 15th Annual Wege Speaker Series · April 23 Grand River Green Up (Grand Haven) A sincere thank-you to the Grand Rapids Public Library for their gracious hosting of our March meeting. Our most well attended ever! And thank-yous to Mayor George Heartwell, Haris Alibašić, and Michele Buckler for their excellent presentations on the City’s Energy and Sustainability initiatives. WMSBF Final Call for Board Nominations Due April 1 Bring your own energy, experience, and perspective to the governance of our organization by serving on the WMSBF Board of Directors. Establish policies for the care and conduct of the organization operations, including those that promote sound planning and fiscal responsibility. Nominations for one, two, and three-year terms, beginning in May, are now being accepted. Please contact Lisa Locke, llocke@wmsbf.org for more information. April Membership Meeting Monday, April 11, 2011 :: 12:00 pm to 2:00 pm Kentwood Office Furniture 3063 Breton Rd., SE, Grand Rapids We can’t solve problems using the same kind of thinking we used when we created them. Albert Einstein This month we will explore innovations in thinking, in research & design, in community dialogue. We will see a video presentation by Janine Benyus on biomimicry; get an introduction to the upcoming TEDx Grand Rapids event, “ideas that change the way we see, think, and do” http://www.tedxgrandrapids.org/; and challenge our own creative group processes. Alternate transportation strategies are encouraged. Contact Lisa Locke if you would like help in arranging carpooling. Space is limited. If you would like to attend this meeting, you must register by email at info@wmsbf.org by Thursday, April 7. Cost of attending is $10, payable by cash or check at the event. Credit card payments may be made through the home page of our website, Monthly Meeting Payment on the left hand menu, http://www.wmsbf.org. A $1 additional processing charge is included for credit card payments. Events Gimme Shelter – Symposium on Human Shelter and Sustainability April 7-9, 2011 Fountain Street Church, 24 Fountain NE, Grand Rapids A three-day symposium bringing together national and local scholars, professionals and philosophers to discuss the American image of shelter. April 7 at 7 p.m., NYT Best selling author of The Not So Big Life, Sarah Susanka, will deliver the keynote address. Day Two provides activities designed to explore themes of sustainable, affordable and accessible environments for all segments of the population. A final gathering on the third day will unveil a call to action for the Grand Rapids community, followed by hands-on opportunities to visit local projects and organizations in action throughout West Michigan. Admission is free. For more information contact Ryan Kilpatrick, ryan.kilpatrick68@gmail.com or Tony Kroes, tony.kroes@gmail.com. 4th Annual Michigan Energy Conference – Energy Innovation & Technology April 13 & 14, 2011 Holiday Inn & Conference Center, Big Rapids Focused workshops and technical break-out sessions. Keynote speakers include: The Honorable Vern Ehlers speaking on Public Policy and our Energy Future George Erickeck on Michigan’s Energy Future Rich Vander Veen on Private Wind Peter Varga on Energy Transportation For more information and register, go to www.ferris.edu/mec. 15th Annual Wege Speaker Series April 15, 2011; 4:00 p.m. Aquinas College Performing Arts Center, Grand Rapids Featured speaker is Chris Palmer, internationally honored environmental film producer. His presentation will include clips from some of his celebrated wildlife films. Screen credits include producing environmental films for prime-time television, including the Disney Channel, TBS Superstation, Animal Planet, Home and Garden Television, The Travel Channel, The Outdoor Life Network and PBS. Palmer is currently Distinguished Film Producer in Residence and full-time faculty member at American University. This event is free and open to the public. To RSVP, email harbuell@aquinas.edu by April 6. Limited seating is available. A reception will follow. Grand River Green Up April 23, 2011: 9:00 a.m. to noon Riverside Park, Grand Haven Grand River Green Up is organized by the Grand Haven Area Jaycees and the West Michigan Environmental Action Council and sponsored by the Grand Haven Community Foundation to remove trash and debris from the surrounding area while providing a hands-on learning experience to encourage people about preventive practices. Sponsorship opportunities are available. For more information, contact Kristi Klomp at kklomp@wmeac.org or call 616.451.3051, ext. 25, or Brock Rodgers at brockrodgers@gmail.com or call 616.485.6344.
THE WMSBF ON TWITTER, LINKEDIN, AND FACE BOOK We are now on Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn. We are using these media to update meeting information, member news, and general sustainability news. Follow or friend to remain in the loop!
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