STEVENS POINT — The University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point has a host of events coming up during the next several weeks.
Treehaven, a field station of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, is offering its 13th year of the Dinner and a Speaker series.
Located at W2540 Pickerel Creek Road, Tomahawk, Treehaven is a 1,400-acre natural resources education, conference and research center operated by UW-Stevens Point’s College of Natural Resources. The Dinner and a Speaker programs are offered throughout the spring semester, with dinner at 6 p.m. and a speaker at 7 p.m. in the main building. The cost is $15 per person, per program.
The programs offered in April include:
April 23, Citizen-Science Based Monitoring – Eva Lewandowski of the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources will talk about volunteer opportunities in monitoring the states natural resources, from searching for bees to recording frog calls.
Register for these programs at least one week prior at www.uwsp.edu/treehaven. Click on Public Programs. For more information, call Treehaven at 715-453-4106 or email [email protected].
A nationally known keynote speaker highlights numerous educational and entertaining environmental events as the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point marks Earth Day this month. All activities, which include an eco-fair and film screenings, are offered to the public, free of charge, unless otherwise noted.
Professional technologist Ramez Naam will speak from 4-5:30 p.m. April 22 in the Laird Room of the Dreyfus University Center (DUC), 1015 Reserve St., Stevens Point. His talk, “The Exponential Energy Revolution: How Clean Energy is Disrupting the $6 Trillion Energy Industry,” will provide an overview of key natural resource and environmental challenges, new innovations that could overcome them and policies that could encourage innovation in critical areas.
Naam helped create Microsoft’s Internet Explorer and Outlook, holds 19 patents related to search engines and artificial intelligence and is the author of several books. He also is a member of several think-tank and forward-thinking groups.
A post-talk panel discussion will be held from 12:30-2 p.m. April 23 in the DUC Encore Room. Panelists will include Nick Hylla, executive director of MREA; Larry Ward, Regional Director, Conservative Energy Network; Maria Redmond, director of the Wisconsin Public Service Commission Office of Energy Innovation; Jessycah Anderson, UW-Stevens Point student and UWSP 350 member; and Heather Allen of RENEW Wisconsin. Lori Saak, of UW-Madison’s Wisconsin Public Utility Institute, will moderate.
An eco-fair will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. April 24 in the Laird Room of the Dreyfus University Center (DUC). Student and community organizations committed to sustainability will provide eco-friendly crafts, raffle baskets and engaging activities. EENA also is also hosting a free eco-fair concert Wednesday from 7-11 p.m. in the DUC Encore.
Additional Earth Week presentations and activities will be offered:
- April 22
- Earth Day Rally, 12-4 p.m., Specht Forum/Sundial
- Keynote speaker: Ramez Naam, 4-5:30 p.m., Laird Room, DUC
- Walk for the Earth, 5:30-6:30 p.m., meet at the Specht Forum/Sundial (Rain date April 23, same time and place)
- April 23
- Post-Naam talk panel discussion, 12:30-2 p.m., Encore Room, DUC
- “R4: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose,” 6-7 p.m., Schmeeckle Reserve
- Film screening: “Broke,” 7-8:30 p.m., Theater, DUC
- April 24
- Eco-Fair, themed “Pollinator Power,” 10 a.m.-4 p.m., Laird Room, DUC
- Paper chemistry event, 5:30-7:30 p.m., hands-on activities and demonstrations, Chemistry Biology Building Room 105, sign-up with [email protected]
- “Alternative Funding for Clean Water and Healthy Soils,” 6-8 p.m., Trainer Natural Resources Building Room 170
- Eco-Fair Concert, 7-11 p.m., Encore Room, DUC
- April 25
- Recycled Art Event, 7-8 p.m. Noel Fine Arts Center
- April 26
- Film screening: “Age of Consequences,” 6:30-8 p.m., Theatre, DUC
- University Appreciation/Clean Up Day, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., various campus locations, Sign up at spin.uwsp.edu/event/3254653
- Schmeeckle Appreciation Day, 2-5 p.m., Schmeeckle Reserve Visitors Center, 2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point
- Emerson Park Recycled Art Celebration, 4-6 p.m., Emerson Park, Stevens Point
- April 27
- University Appreciation/Clean Up Day, 9 a.m.-4 p.m., various campus locations, Sign up at spin.uwsp.edu/event/3254653
- Schmeeckle Appreciation Day, 2-5 p.m., Schmeeckle Reserve Visitors Center, 2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point
- Emerson Park Recycled Art Celebration, 4-6 p.m., Emerson Park, Stevens Point
Discover how Schmeeckle Reserve wakes up from the long winter, learn about Stevens Point and enjoy nature this spring with free, public programs offered at the reserve in April.
The programs are taught by UW-Stevens Point students at the reserve’s Visitor Center, 2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point, unless otherwise noted. Some activities are outdoors, so dress for the weather. For more information, call 715-346-4992.
April programs include:
R4: Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Repurpose, April 23, 6-7 p.m. Take a deeper look at Portage County’s waste management process and find ways to reduce our impact and save money.
Curious Corvids, April 27, 1-2 p.m. Learn how birds such as blue jays and crows are just like people.
Writing on our Walls, April 28, 1-2 p.m. What do Stevens Point and ancient Egypt have in common? Explore the murals of downtown and design your own. Meet at the entrance of the library at 1001 Main St., Stevens Point.
Enjoy a diversity of jazz styles and a guest artist performance at a concert of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Jazz Band April 23.
The concert will be held at 7:30 p.m. in Michelsen Hall in the Noel Fine Arts Center, 1800 Portage St., Stevens Point. Director Myles Boothroyd, assistant professor of saxophone, will lead the band in jazz works that cover a lot of musical ground, including swing, Latin, blues, rock and ballad. Guest artist Robert Brooks, a tenor saxophonist and director of jazz at Friends University, will perform solos and group pieces as well as work with students as they rehearse.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, $5 for UW-Stevens Point students, faculty and youth and free the day of the concert for students with a UW-Stevens Point I.D. if not sold out. Tickets are available at the University Information and Tickets Office in the Dreyfus University Center, by calling 715-346-4100 or 800-838-3378 or at http://tickets.uwsp.edu. Tickets may be purchased at the door if available. Proceeds benefit student scholarships.
NEW! A panel discussion on statewide water and soil quality initiatives will be held at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
The “Alternative Funding for Clean Water and Healthy Soils” symposium will be held from 6-8 p.m. Wednesday, April 24, in room 170 of the Trainer Natural Resources Building. The event is free and open to the public.
The discussion will highlight the opportunities, challenges and successes of obtaining and implementing alternative funding for statewide water and soil quality initiatives.
The panel will include Tammi Kircher, state council chair of Iowa Ducks Unlimited, George Meyer, executive director of the Wisconsin Wildlife Federation, and Jim VandenBrook, retired executive director of the Wisconsin Land and Water Conservation Association. Jane Elder, executive director of the Wisconsin Academy of Sciences, Arts and Letters, will moderate.
For more information on the speakers and event, go to www.uwsp.edu/conted/Pages/CleanWaterHealthySoils.aspx.
Take a musical trip to Italy as the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point Symphony Orchestra performs in concert April 24.
Titled “Viva Italia!,” the concert begins at 7:30 p.m. in Michelsen Hall in the Noel Fine Arts Center, 1800 Portage St., Stevens Point. The Symphony Orchestra is directed by Andy Moran, assistant professor of horn and orchestral director.
The concert will feature the world premiere of “Midnight Sun” by senior music major James Kuzmic and a solo by choral and general music education major Katy Radiske, who won the Alice Peet Faust Concerto Competition.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, $5 for UW-Stevens Point students, faculty and youth and free the day of the concert for students with a UW-Stevens Point I.D. if not sold out. Tickets are available at the University Information and Tickets Office in the Dreyfus University Center, by calling 715-346-4100 or 800-838-3378 or at http://tickets.uwsp.edu. Tickets may be purchased at the door if available. Proceeds benefit student scholarships.
NEW! An artist teacher of violin and coordinator of strings will present a final faculty recital prior to retiring later this year.
Professor Steven Bjella will perform at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, April 25, in Michelsen Hall in the Noel Fine Arts Center, 1800 Portage St., Stevens Point. Joining him will be Lawrence Leviton on cello, Molly Roseman on piano, Mary Moran on viola and David Story on string bass.
The performance will include works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Zoltan Kodaly, Reinhold Gliere, Jules Massenet, Olivier Messiaen, Max Richter and Fred Steiner.
“It has been a privilege to work with so many amazing colleagues and students,” Bjella said. “They have been an inspiration to me from day one and have had a profound influence on my career and life.”
Bjella has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States and has given hundreds of concerts in central Wisconsin in the last 28 years. He wrote two books on violin technique and has given master classes at high schools and colleges across the country.
He previously taught in Chicago at Valparaiso University and Saint Xavier College, and was concertmaster of the Chicago Chamber Orchestra and Chicago Light Opera Orchestra. After his retirement from UW-Stevens Point, he will continue to hold the position of concertmaster of the Central Wisconsin Symphony Orchestra.
Concert tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, $5 for UW-Stevens Point students, faculty and youth and free the day of the concert for students with a UW-Stevens Point ID if not sold out.
Tickets are available at the University Information and Tickets Office in the Dreyfus University Center, by calling 715-346-4100 or 800-838-3378 or at http://tickets.uwsp.edu. Tickets may be purchased at the door if available. Proceeds benefit student scholarships.
NEW! The student voices of the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s combined choirs will join in concert Sunday, April 28, featuring several student conductors and a song accompanied by American Sign Language interpretation.
The concert will be held at 3 p.m. in Michelsen Hall at the Noel Fine Arts Center, 1800 Portage St., Stevens Point. Lecturer Duane Karna, interim director of choral activities in the Department of Music, will conduct the Choral Union and Concert Choir as well as provide piano accompaniment on a few pieces.
Student conductors are Stephen Calgaro, Michael Treder, Lauren Cook, Jaymes Gayhart and Mary Dinkler.
Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for senior citizens, $5 for
UW-Stevens Point students, faculty and youth and free the day of the concert for students with a UW-Stevens Point ID if not sold out.
Tickets are available at the University Information and Tickets Office in the Dreyfus University Center, by calling 715-346-4100 or 800-838-3378 or at http://tickets.uwsp.edu. Tickets may be purchased at the door if available. Proceeds benefit student scholarships.
An eight-mile ruck march and run will help raise money for a student scholarship at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
The fifth annual Reeder’s Ruck and Run will be held at 10 a.m. May 4. It will start along the Wisconsin River near the Riverfront Arts Center in Pfiffner Park in downtown Stevens Point and follow a loop of the Green Circle Trail.
The event is organized by the UW-Stevens Point Ranger Challenge Club as a fundraiser for the Alexander H. Reeder Memorial Scholarship. Named for a senior psychology major from Wisconsin Rapids who died in a motorcycle accident in 2014, the scholarship supports ROTC cadets like Reeder.
Participants may walk, run or march the eight-mile route with or without a “ruck sack,” a backpack weighing at least 35 pounds. There is also a four-mile route for walkers. Individual awards will be given to the top male and female finishers in two classes: age 40 and younger, as well as age 41 and older who complete the course wearing a ruck sack.
Registration is $30. Special rates available for students and service members, while dogs and children younger than 13 are free. For more information and registration, visit reedersruck.eventbrite.com.
NEW! Students at the Aber Suzuki Center at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point are celebrating their annual Practice-A-Thon with free, public concerts.
A Vocal and Instrumental Festival Concert will be held at 11 a.m., Saturday, April 27, at Ben Franklin School. Piano students will perform in several concerts at 12:30, 2 and 3:30 p.m. Sunday, May 5, at the Noel Fine Arts Center’s Michelsen Hall.
The Practice-A-Thon was held April 6-16, with incentive for students to practice through per-minute or flat-rate sponsorships. The Heid Foundation pledged to donate $15 per student who both practices 450 minutes and raises at least $150. That donation goes directly to the center, and the student will also receive a $15 gift certificate from Heid Music.
As a prize, the Suzuki Center will name a star in the sky after the student who practiced the most. Other prizes for the event are being offered by Campus Cycle, Wal-Mart, Putt and Play and Heid Music.
To learn more about the Aber Suzuki Center’s programs, call 715-346-3033 or go online at www.uwsp.edu/suzuki or Facebook @uwspabersuzukicenter.
Children ages 3-6, along with a parent or guardian, will enjoy hands-on nature experiences as well as games, crafts and snacks as part of new series of programs at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point’s Schmeeckle Reserve.
Preschool Discovery programs will be offered select Friday mornings from 10:30-11:30 a.m., taught by UW-Stevens Point students. All begin at the reserve’s Visitor Center, 2419 North Point Drive, Stevens Point, and will include outdoor activities, weather permitting. Registration is not required. Children must attend with a parent or guardian and dress for the weather. The programs are open to the public free of charge.
The programs will include:
May 10, Bugs in our Backyard – Learn about all the bugs in backyards, including some that glow in the dark, glide and buzz around flowers.
May 17, Rambunctious Reptiles – Sing, craft and play the reptile way while learning about turtles, snakes and other reptiles at the reserve.
Located on the north end of the UW-Stevens Point campus, Schmeeckle Reserve is a 280-acre conservancy area with five miles of trails and boardwalks, a 24-acre lake and a Visitors Center with hands-on exhibits, Browse Shop and the Wisconsin Conservation Hall of Fame. For more information, call 715-346-4992.
Photos courtesy UWSP.
