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CORVALLIS - A one-day workshop will be held at Oregon State University on May 24 to help university faculty, staff and administrators learn more about what they can do to help the institution actually practice, and not just preach, teach or study, the concepts of sustainability.

Titled "Sustainability and the Land Grant University," the conference is sponsored by the Oregon Water Resources Research Institute and the Center for Analysis of Environmental Change, both based at OSU. It will begin at 8 a.m. at LaSells Stewart Center and is free and open to the public.

"The goal of this workshop is to get the issue of sustainability on the table in a university forum in ways that are not just academic," said Denise Lach, director of the Human Dimensions Program at the Center for Analysis of Environmental Change. "It's important we apply the principles of sustainability to our own institutional actions, to practice it on a daily basis and let it influence the way we live."

The first half of the workshop from 8 a.m. to noon will be a presentation of "The Natural Step" by Duke Castle, a private consultant. This internationally renowned sustainability program was developed in Sweden and is being implemented at businesses around the world, providing a framework for and practical applications of sustainable living in the modern world.

Other speakers who will discuss implementing sustainable principles in specific projects include:

• John Wise, director of the Office of Strategic Planning for Region Nine of the EPA, speaking at 1 p.m. on "Journey Towards Sustainability"

   

• Dan Danielson, a Portland architect, speaking at 1:45 p.m. on "Building Green"

   

• Jack Dymond, professor of oceanic and atmospheric sciences at OSU, speaking at 2:15 p.m. on "Reducing Greenhouse Gas Emissions: The University as a Microcosm of Society"

   

• Magnus Llung, a graduate student with the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, speaking at 3:15 p.m. on "Integrating Principles of Sustainability in Curricula, Research and Business: Three Swedish Case Studies"

   

• Ken Williamson, professor of environmental engineering at OSU, speaking at 3:45 p.m. on "Integrating Sustainability into the Land Grant Curriculum"

Free pre-registration for the conference is requested by May 19 by calling the Center for Analysis of Environmental Change at 541-737-1744, However, registration may also be done at the door if space in the auditorium is still available. A box lunch is available for $6 if reserved in advance.