Appalachian’s sustainable development department to host author Jeff Biggers Feb. 17

View larger image — Jeff Biggers, founder of the Climate Narrative Project and a writer-in-residence at the University of Iowa, brings his original performance “An Evening at the Ecopolis: Imagining a Regenerative City” to Appalachian on Feb. 17. Image courtesy of Jeff Biggers

By Meghan McCandless

Posted Feb. 14, 2017 at 9:07 a.m.

BOONE, N.C.—The Goodnight Family Department of Sustainable Development at Appalachian State University welcomes author, performer and educator Jeff Biggers at 7 p.m. Feb. 17 for his multimedia theatrical piece “An Evening at the Ecopolis: Envisioning a Regenerative City.”

Biggers, a writer-in-residence at the University of Iowa’s Office of Sustainability, will be joined by local musician and Appalachian alumna Alexa Rose ’15. This free performance will be held in Grandfather Mountain Ballroom in Plemmons Student Union and is open to the public. Singer-songwriter Rose graduated from Appalachian’s Goodnight Family Department of Sustainable Development and enjoys performing her Appalachian folk-infused Americana music throughout the region. She recently released “Low and Lonesome,” her sophomore album of 10 original songs where she performs vocals, acoustic and electric guitar.

“Ecopolis” features music, stories and a deep passion for the world in which we live. Biggers, who founded the Climate Narrative Project, first presented “Ecopolis” in Iowa City, Iowa. Now, he tours nationally, adapting the performance to local history and including home-grown musicians. The performance encourages the community to consider and pursue local sustainable initiatives.

Biggers is the author of six books including “The United States of Appalachia,” and a recipient of the David Brower Award for Environmental Reporting. He is also the founder of the Climate Narrative Project, which is designed to reach across academic disciplines and chronicle climate solutions and regenerative approaches to energy, food, agriculture, water and waste management, community planning and transportation. His selection of lectures, readings, workshops and performances have led him to hundreds of university and colleges.

Laura England, a lecturer in sustainable development, invited Biggers to campus after participating in one of his Baltimore workshops last fall.

“We’re really excited for Jeff and Alexa to collaborate on ‘Ecopolis,’” England said. “The performance promises to be thought-provoking, inspiring and fun. At its heart, Biggers’ work is about justice and community-building, which we need now more than ever.”

“An Evening at the Ecopolis: Envisioning a Regenerative City” is coordinated and sponsored by the Goodnight Family Department of Sustainable Development with support from the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the College of Arts and Sciences, the Office of Sustainability, the Center for Appalachian Studies, the Department of Theatre and Dance, the Doctoral Program in Educational Leadership, the Department of English, the Department of Anthropology and the Humanities Council. To learn more, visit http://faa.appstate.edu/events.

About the Goodnight Family Department of Sustainable Development

One of seven departments housed in the College of Fine and Applied Arts, the Goodnight Family Department of Sustainable Development at Appalachian State University prepares students to thoughtfully analyze human development while focusing on the applied practice of pursuing transformative, community-driven development and social change. It offers a Bachelor of Science degree in sustainable development with concentrations in agroecology and sustainable agriculture; community, regional and global development; and environmental studies; as well as a Bachelor of Arts and minor in sustainable development.

About Appalachian State University

As the premier public undergraduate institution in the state of North Carolina, Appalachian State University prepares students to lead purposeful lives as global citizens who understand and engage their responsibilities in creating a sustainable future for all. The Appalachian Experience promotes a spirit of inclusion that brings people together in inspiring ways to acquire and create knowledge, to grow holistically, to act with passion and determination, and to embrace diversity and difference. Located in the Blue Ridge Mountains, Appalachian is one of 17 campuses in the University of North Carolina System. Appalachian enrolls more than 20,000 students, has a low student-to-faculty ratio and offers more than 150 undergraduate and graduate majors.