Center for the Environment

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.