coexist – Page 11 – bailey college of the environment @ wes u

kenney releases debut album

At the age of 56, Laurie Kenney has finally figured out what she wants to be when she grows up. “There are no two ways about it: I’m not your usual ‘new’ music artist,” says Laurie, who lives in Guilford and works as the administrative assistant in the Bailey College of the Environment. “But as far as I know, there’s no age limit on creativity!”

Laurie wrote her first song at the age of 12 and her second at 56. In the 44 years in between, she built a career in publishing, public relations, and education, and raised a family. Her musical journey began as a self-imposed challenge: learn to play guitar and write and record an album of original songs…or die trying. Every Apple Does Go Bad Eventually (October 6, 2023, Cynical Girl Records) is the literal fruit of that labor.

pumpkin fest returns on sat, oct 14!

by lfranklin

This year’s annual Pumpkin Fest will take place at Long Lane Farm on October 14th from 12 – 4 pm. There you will be able to find a plethora of fun activities, open to both the Wesleyan and Middletown communities, as well as live music and free food. You can check out a tour of the farm or just hang with friends and sip some (free) hot apple cider. Either way we can’t wait to see you there! That feeling especially holds true for Isaac Moss ‘25, one of the student organizers of the event, who I was lucky enough to sit down and talk with about the plans for the event.

colson-fearon ’22 co-authors paper based on coe fellowship

by acmorris

Brionna Colson-Fearon ‘22, is currently at Fordham University pursuing her PhD under the mentorship of Dr. H. Shellae Versey. Their co-authored paper, Urban Agriculture as a Means to Food Sovereignty? A Case Study of Baltimore City Residents, explores the role of alternative food networks and urban agriculture in food sovereignty and security, and highlights the community benefits of urban agriculture within marginalized communities. A psychology and biology major while at Wesleyan, Brionna was awarded a COE Summer Research Fellowship in 2021, which allowed her to explore urban farming in Baltimore. An experience that became the basis for the co-authored paper.

christine caruso: exploring the nexus between food, health, justice & the environment

by acmorris

Christine Caruso is the Schumann Institute of the Bailey College of the Environment’s newest assistant professor of the practice. Her area of specialization explores food systems, specifically in urban centers, and how equity and environmental justice factors play a role in health outcomes. She is interested in community-focused initiatives, and is eager to hear from students. This semester, she’s teaching Environmental Justice and Health Equity and a section of the ENVS senior colloquium. I had the opportunity to speak with Professor Caruso about her work and her new position!

exploring urban farming with travis stewart

by acmorris

The Bailey College of the Environment had the pleasure of hosting an event with Travis Stewart, a passionate Hartford-based gardener and farmer and an advocate of the KNOX Urban Farming Program, at Wesleyan on September 19. During the event, Travis shared with the Wesleyan community how starting a garden has evolved his relationship with food, and how it has allowed him to find physical, mental, and spiritual healing. The event was funded through a five-year grant from the Robert F. Schumann Foundation, focused on supporting a food justice and environmental justice network in Connecticut and building pipelines for student engagement on these issues.

meet bailey visiting scholar janice nimura

by lfranklin

Janice P. Nimura is the Menakka and Essel Bailey ‘66 Distinguished Visiting Scholar in the Bailey College of the Environment for the 2023-24 academic year. She is a writer, finalist for the 2022 Pulitzer Prize in biography, and a member of this year’s COE Think Tank. Her work is based on groundbreaking 19th-century American women, and she is currently working on a project studying Rachel Carson and the women who came before and after her. Janice will be giving a talk on this subject, entitled Knowing Their Place: Rachel Carson and the Women Who Came Before Her, at the annual “Where on Earth Are We Going?” symposium on Saturday, October 28, here on campus. I had the pleasure of talking with her about her upcoming discussion.

chicken-keeping course creates community

by lfranklin

In Spring 2023, a chicken-keeping course for Middletown residents taught by Amy Grillo, associate professor of the practice in the Allbritton Center for Public Study and Environmental Studies, was held at the College of the Environment. The Chickens 101 project was started by Diana Martinez, assistant director of the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships, along with Lorenzo Jones, co-founder and co-executive director of the Katal Center for Equity, Health and Justice, as part of the Jewett Center for Community Partnerships’ Cultivating Justice initiative. Jones is the Jewett Center’s Re-Imagining Justice Mentor-in-Residence this year.