HOUGHTON -- The Upper Peninsula Environmental Coalition (UPEC) along with Michigan Tech's Great Lakes Research Center (GLRC) and Friends of the Land of Keweenaw (FOLK) are co-sponsoring the 2018 Celebrate the UP! on Friday and Saturday, March 23-24, at the Great Lakes Research Center and Michigan Tech trails. Guest speakers will offer presentations and films related to the environment and Lake Superior. This event is free and open to the public and includes a Saturday afternoon outdoor outing to enjoy the Michigan Tech world class trails with skis, snowshoes or fat bikes!
Events begin at 6 p.m. Friday, March 23, with a reception for keynote speaker James Mills, followed by a screening of his film, An American Ascent (Denali, 70 min.) and discussion in GLRC Room 202. An American Ascent documents the first African American expedition to tackle Denali, North America’s highest peak, and explores the complex relationship many African Americans have with the outdoors. As the United States transitions to a "minority majority" nation, a staggering number of people of color do not identify with America’s wild places. By embarking on the grueling multi-week climb of the 20,327ft. Denali, nine African American climbers set out to bridge this "adventure gap" -- challenging outdated notions of what adventure looks like by changing the face of America’s biggest and baddest mountain on the 100th anniversary of its first summit.
On Saturday, March 24, the GLRC will be the scene of three concurrent session talks per hour, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Click here for the schedule and bios of the speakers.
From 11:15- noon lunch will be available for purchase.
At noon Saturday Keynote Speaker Dudley Edmondson will present "My Connection to Nature." Edmondson is the author of the landmark book, Black and Brown Faces in America’s Wild Places, profiling African Americans in nontraditional vocations and avocations in the outdoors. Edmondson also contributes to newspapers and magazines and lectures regularly about diversity in the outdoors.
From 3:15 p.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday the UPEC Annual General Membership Meeting and Panel Discussion will be held in GLRC 202. It will include a Round Table: UPEC Board Members Jon Saari, Maggie Scheffer and Kathleen Heideman will talk about UPEC’s achievements in 2017, focusing on conservation, environmental education, and mining.
From 4:30 p.m. - 6 p.m. Saturday bring your snowshoes, cross country skis, or snowbike to Michigan Tech Trails. Trailhead is on Sharon Avenue, across from football field.
At 7 p.m. Saturday the film Saving Snow will be shown at MTU Forestry Bldg Room G002. This film is a new documentary on climate change and the north. Admission is free. $3 recommended donation.
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