6 Dining with Sustainability dinners

Dining with Sustainability

A monthly dinner series convening researchers and managers across Northern Colorado working in areas of environmental sustainability.

Made possible by the generosity of the Bohemian Foundation

Dining with Sustainability dinner

Dining with Sustainability dinners provide sustainability experts from the University, federal and local agencies, and the non-profit and private sectors an opportunity to: 1. Establish and strengthen networks 2. Identify opportunities for collaboration and information-sharing 3. Promote creative and innovate approaches to one’s work 4. Inspire research, enterprise, and collegiality Each dinner is loosely structured to promote exchange of ideas and generate conversation through both small and large group formats over the course of the evening. The School circulates participant lists and food for thought in advance of each dinner and houses a full list of active participants on its website. The program covers dinner and refreshments, the event is casual and fun, and participants regularly stay well beyond the 2.5 hour timeframe to continue discussions.

I think the member composition for the dinner was very well planned. It was cohesive, yet different. The networking dinner provided “ numerous opportunities for collaborating between academia and outside entities (e.g. City of Fort Collins), and inform other researchers about individual research and explore avenues for collaborative interdisciplinary research. I am confident that I will be able to work on new projects as a result of the dinner series from SoGES.”

Six dinners were hosted in FY 2015-16. The School accepts approximately 20 participants for each event, selected to assure disciplinary and organizational diversity and encourage active interaction. These participants came from:

Colorado State University (26 departments and units across 7 colleges) local and federal agencies (U.S. Forest Service, U.S.

Geological Survey, National Parks Service, City of

Fort Collins) non-profit, non-governmental, and private organizations (Trees Water and People,

The Nature Conservancy, Platte River Power Authority,

Conservation Science Partners, Alliance for Sustainable

Colorado, Rocky Mountain Innosphere, CARE

International, Sylvan Dale Ranch, and several small businesses) Participant surveys consistently reported new connections established, stimulating conversations, new perspectives gained, new ideas and renewed inspiration for one’s work, and overall enthusiastic reviews of the program and opportunity to engage with a community of experts working in sustainability science.

…the conversation was deep, inspiring, and I believe there will be meaningful follow-up interactions.” “