Next SECS Meeting This Wednesday at 6:30!

First of all, a big thank you to everyone who came out to our first meeting! We had an amazing turnout and hopefully you got to meet some cool people and get involved with an issue that means something to you.

We’re keeping the good times rolling with our next general meeting, happening Wednesday, August 30th, at 6:30 p.m. at the Channing Murray Foundation (1209 W. Oregon Street).

Please bring a charged computer for working group activities this week — it’s sooooo much easier to fight climate change on a big screen. Here’s the rundown of what each group is doing this week:

Action will begin outreach for our upcoming climate strike by spreading the word wherever we can!

Education will be prepping for Climate Action Week with the Urbana Park District and updating last year’s trivia board for our tabling event on October 7th from 1-4pm at Crystal Lake Park.

Media will introduce the wonderful Green Observer, U of I’s only student-run environmental magazine (open to all!), and get started on some awesome infographics for our upcoming climate strike.

Walkable Cities will begin gathering ideas for SECS’ booth at Park(ing) day and discuss outreach to other RSOs to get them involved. There is also an exciting upcoming opportunity for tabling from the Sierra Club Excom Prairie Group!

Solidarity Gardens will focus on building new beds for the garden, planting fall crops and pollinators, and will check in on the Foreign Languages Building plot managed by the wonderful RSO From the Ground Up (follow them on Instagram here!)

Pick your poison and show up on Wednesday! Go green or go HOME!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Come Camping with SECS!

We have set a fall camping date at the Friends Creek Campground in Cisco, Illinois for Friday, September 22nd, returning on Saturday, September 23rd. Fill out this form no later than 11:59 p.m. on September 6th if you are interested in going!

Climate Strike!

Our Fall Climate Strike will start at 12:30 pm on Friday, September 15th. The Climate Strikes are protests of the University of Illinois’ failure to divest from fossil fuels. You can find out more about the strike and RSVP here!.

Check out this Daily Illini article from last spring’s Climate Strike below.

Sign the Fossil Free Illinois Open Letter!

In Fiscal Year 2022, the University of Illinois System reported over $120 million invested in 52 fossil fuel companies. This is in contrast to a fossil free future that seeks to mitigate climate change and ensure a healthy planet for all. Go here to learn more about and sign a letter that calls on the University of Illinois System to divest these funds.

Center for Advanced Study Climate Change Kickoff Event

The Center for Advanced Study has a kickoff event for a new initiative on climate change and cross-disciplinary solutions to the climate crisis on Tuesday, August 29, 4 pm at the Levis Faculty Center. Two NRES faculty, McKenzie Johnson and Chloe Waldropper, will be speakers at the event. This event is free and open to the public.

A Presentation on the Movement to Defend the Atlanta Forest with the Urbana-Champaign Forest Defense

Attend a presentation hosted by the Urbana-Champaign Forest Defense on the movement to defend the Atlanta Forest. For context on this event:

For those unfamiliar with Cop City, it is a $90 million, 381 acre police training facility being built by the Atlanta Police Foundation and Atlanta city government. To build this, the Weelaunee Forest is being chopped down. The Weelaunee Forest, also known as the South River Forest, has been called by the city of Atlanta as one of the four "lungs" that keep the city stable and strong - it is such a beneficial natural resource to the city by way of mitigating flooding, providing clean air, and reducing heat during the summer. By deforesting this land, the city would be getting rid of one of its most important green spaces and being more prone to the effects of climate change. Aside from the environmental aspect, many residents believe they are already being over-policed, believing the project to be unnecessary. This has sparked outrage among environmental and social justice activists not only because of the destruction of the forest, but also because of the killing of forest defender Tortuguita and the dozens of unlawful arrests in the forest.

Contact Us!
President — Danika Ford (she/her)
[email protected]
Vice Presidents — Alex Chavez (he/him) & Rudy LaFave (he/him)
[email protected]
[email protected]
Treasurer — Averhy Sanborn (she/her)
[email protected]
Secretary — Julia San Miguel (she/her)
[email protected]
Action Coordinator — Trey McCallister (he/him)
[email protected]
Education Officer — Claire Sullivan (she/her)
[email protected]
Media Officer — Sophia Beem (she/her)
[email protected]
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Officer — Fatima Naveed (she/her)
[email protected]
Community Chair — Joya Weissman (she/her)
[email protected]
Land Management Chair — Liam Henry (he/him)
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Outreach Coordinator — Izzy Wilder (she/her)
[email protected]