All Aggies Invited to Celebrate 2017 Natural Resources Week at USU

The Utah State University community is invited to participate in a variety of activities during Quinney College of Natural Resources Week March 20-25.

“Our theme for the week is ‘Naturally Engaged’,” says Molly van Engelenhoven, QCNR student senator. “We invite all Aggies to join with us in a week of service, education and fun.”

Activities include engaging presentations from guest speakers, a Dutch oven potatoes cookout, a charity 5K fun run, a traditional Loggers’ Breakfast and a benefit lunch to fight hunger in the local community. The week’s activities are open to all. Many are free, unless otherwise noted.

The week’s activities include:

Monday, March 20
The week kicks off from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. with delicious Dutch oven potatoes prepared by the USU Range Club on the outdoor patio south of the Natural Resources Building. Cost per plate is $3.

Tuesday, March 21
Allison Jones, director of Wild Utah Project, a Salt Lake City-based non-profit conservation organization that provides scientific research and GIS services to non-profit partners and public agencies, speaks Tuesday at USU. Hosted by USU’s student chapter of The Wildlife Society, Jones presents “Wildlife Corridors and Habitat Fragmentation” at 5:30 p.m. in NR 217. All are welcome.

Wednesday, March 22
Enjoy a hearty Loggers’ Breakfast on the Natural Resources Building patio. A fundraiser for the USU Forestry Club, cost is $5 per plate and includes a drink. Meals are served from 7:30-11 a.m.

At 4 p.m., all are invited to a keynote presentation by environmental writer and communications expert Emma Marris in NR 105. Marris, author of Rambunctious Garden: Saving Nature in a Post-Wild World, will discuss tips for communicating science to the public.

Thursday, March 23
From 11 a.m.-2 p.m., all are invited to the sixth annual Empty Bowls Luncheon in the Natural Resources Building Atrium. For $7 to $10, select a hand-crafted bowl and receive delicious, all-you-care-to-eat portions of soup, along with bread and water. Keep the bowl to remind you to support hunger-fighting community efforts each time you use it. You may also bring your own bowl and receive unlimited soup portions for $5. All proceeds from the luncheon benefit the on-campus Student Nutrition Access Center and the Cache Community Food Pantry.  

Friday, March 24
From 4-6 p.m., all Aggies are invited to enjoy QCNR’s traditional “Chacos and Tacos” Social. Enjoy warm fellowship, free food and fun.

Saturday, March 25
All Aggie running enthusiasts are invited to participate in the annual Predator vs. Prey 5K Fun Run, starting at the sidewalk area west of the Taggart Student Center. Check-in time is 9:30 a.m. and the race begins at 10 a.m.

This year’s event is a fundraiser for Cache Refugee and Immigrant Connection, a local non-profit that assists local refugees and immigrants in achieving economic self-sufficiency and integration into the community. Cost per person is $12, which includes a Natural Resources Week T-shirt. Participants may register at a table in the Natural Resources Building Atrium during the week or day-of at the 5K site.

Race participants are encouraged to dress up as their favorite “predator” or “prey.” Prizes will be awarded for the best costumes and fastest times. This is a “no waste” event, so please bring your own water bottle.

To follow the week’s activities, visit the Quinney College of Natural Resources USU Facebook page or view the college’s website.

The Quinney College of Natural Resources includes the academic departments of Environment and Society, Watershed Sciences and Wildland Resources.

Related Links
USU College of Natural Resources

Contact: Senator Molly van Engelenhoven, nrsenator.ususa@usu.edu
Writer:  Mary-Ann Muffoletto, 435-797-3517, maryann.muffoletto@usu.edu