College Initiative: Algonquin Team Running for Biodiversity
Posted on Wednesday, January 29th, 2014
A group of Algonquin College faculty, staff and students ran and walked for seed-saving farmers in Ethiopia as part of the Run for Biodiversity event, May 24-25, 2014 in Ottawa.
The Ottawa Race Weekend supports a number of charities, including USC Canada’s Run for Biodiversity.
The Algonquin College team consisted of runners and walkers in all of the weekend’s events – marathon, half marathon, 10k, 5k, 2k races, and from all areas of the College.
The grassroots Algonquin Run for Biodiversity team raised funds for the USC Canada cause – seed-saving farmers in Ethiopia. Our team of 40 runners, fundraised just over $2400!
Students, staff and faculty members of the Algonquin Run for Biodiversity Team
USC Canada and Algonquin College are connected on many fronts:
- A number of students in the Library and Information Technician program have completed placements at USC.
- In 2011, students in the School of Media and Design developed a representation of the soil and water conservation program in a Nepali village that USC has been supporting: http://usc-canada.org/resources/creative-campaigning/teacher-resource-hillside-trench-animation/
- In the 1950’s, foundational years of USC, the organization received support from the late Ruth Haythorne who also helped establish Ottawa’s Algonquin College in 1966 and chaired its Board of Governors from 1967 to 1969.
According to USC Canada’s David Rain, supporting seed-saving farmers in Ethiopia is a “Global Insurance Policy”:
“We might not be drinking much beer today if it wasn’t for Ethiopian farmers. Back in the 1980s, a barley virus threatened the survival of the large and lucrative North American beer industry. The few varieties of barley being planted here weren’t resistant to yellow dwarf – a virus with the potential to destroy entire crops worldwide.
By going back to Ethiopia – where peasant farmers safeguard the largest barley diversity in the whole world – North American researchers were able to find a virus-resistant gene in a heritage barley variety, bringing it back to North America to rescue the industry. So, cheers to Ethiopian farmers and the power of Biodiversity.”
This grassroots initiative aligns with Algonquin’s Sustainability Strategy Framework goals, in particular: Social – Promote Human Development, Environmental – Facilitate Dialog on Environmental Issues.
Leading initiative: grassroots effort
For more information, contact:
Algonquin College
613-727-4723
info@algonquincollege.com
May 9th, 2014 at 8:25 am
[…] faculty, staff and students will be running for seed-saving farmers in Ethiopia as part of the Run for Biodiversity event, May 24-25 in […]