During Purdue Green Week 2009, Director Bickham presented on the topic of biodiversity to the Purdue President’s Council. “Ecosystem services that support humanity are closely linked with biodiversity. Biodiversity is a local, national, and global issue,” said Bickham. Dr. Bickham has been conducting research in a biodiversity hotspot within the country of Azerbaijan for more than a decade. “There are many undiscovered species, and tremendous characteristics in the flora and fauna, and even soil microbial ecology that we’ve yet to discover.”
Brent Ladd presented a public talk on Permaculture design during Purdue’s annual Green Week celebration. “Permaculture offers a coherent way forward toward sustainability at the scale of our homes and communities,” remarked Ladd. Permaculture is a design science based on ecological principles that aims to develop sustainable human settlement – or a permanent culture – integrating the ethical foundations of care for the earth, care of people, and fair share. Ladd is developing a public certification course in Permaculture Design to be offered locally next Spring.