Western Riverfest: Connecting with the Deshkan Ziibiing
Join us in celebrating an integral part of Western's natural heritage; the Deshkan Ziibiing (also known as the Antler/Thames River) with a series of events Sept. 6-27 from yoga along the river, to our very own art exhibit. Riverfest celebrates one of Western's Big Moves in our Open Space Strategy, which is to reconnect students, staff and faculty to the river. This is the perfect way to introduce both current and incoming members of Western to the trails and other natural features on campus.
Introduce yourself to the Deshkan Ziibiing by listening to a wonderful episode in the mbwaach'idiwag podcast that was created for Indigenous Awareness Week 2021. In the episode Walking Along the Deshkan Ziibing with Summer Bressette, hosted by Sara Mai Chitty, Summer shares about her take on land acknowledgements, relationships to land, Deshkan Ziibing and Indigenous nationhood. Try to find some time to yourself to listen to this podcast while out in nature, along the river.
We encourage you to send us your photos of the river to add to our gallery display from Sept. 15-29. Following the prompt River Through Your Eye, all submissions will be entered in a draw to win a sustainability prize pack! Email photos to sustainability@uwo.ca, with your name for the photo credit, and a photo title if you have one.
Tuesday, Sept. 6: Ribbon Tying & EnviroSynBio Trivia
Visit Western Sustainability at Concrete Beach to contribute to our first artistic engagement of the month. What comes to mind when you think of the river on campus? Have your words displayed in our art exhibit, and enter a draw for a sustainability prize!
Visit EnviroSynBio table at the Farmers Market to try out some water-related trivia and a waste sorting activity. With prizes to be won and the kickoff to Riverfest, we can't wait to see you there.
No registration required. Open to all members of the campus community (students, staff, faculty).
Saturday, Sept. 10: O-Serves BioBlitz & Campus Clean-up
This event is tailored to first year students & sophs through O-Week programming. We're excited to bring new Western students and their sophs to special locations around campus, focusing on the river. We'll learn about the biodiversity that exists at Western and contribute to caring for the river by cleaning up along the way.
No registration required. Only open to first-year students & sophs through O-Week Programming.
Tuesday, Sept. 13: WaterAid @ Farmers Market
Visit the Western WaterAid table at the Farmers Market for some more student-led water activities. We'll be at the Market from 11am - 2pm, located in front of McIntosh Gallery.
No registration required. Open to all members of the campus community (students, staff, faculty).
Sept. 15-29 - Art Exhibit in John Labatt Visual Art Centre, Cohen Commons
Visit the Visual Art Centre on the main floor, in the Cohen Commons for a Riverfest art exhibition Sept. 15-29. The exhibit is open to the campus community during building hours, from 8am - 7pm.
We will be showcasing a photo collection of the Deshkan Ziibiing captured by our very own campus community, inspired by the prompt River Through Your Eye; a Visual Arts student project inspired by the prompt Wish on Water under the guidance of Professor Soheila Kolahdouz Esfahani; and a grid of ribbons displaying words from the campus community inspired by the question: what comes to mind when you think of the river on campus?
No registration required. Open to all members of the campus community (students, staff, faculty).
Thursday, Sept. 15 @ 11am - 12pm: Wellness Walk
Take a break and get outside for some fresh air! Join Ben Souriol, graduate student in the Department of Biology, for an hour-long walk through various trails and walking paths on campus along the river. Dress appropriately for the weather, as walks may continue through the rain or muddy conditions! Ben's Wellness Walks are a great way to explore campus, connect with nature, meet new friends and improve your overall well-being.
Registration required. Open to all members of the campus community (students, staff, faculty).
To participate, please email Ben Souriol (bsouriol@uwo.ca) in advance of the walk to receive updates in the event of a cancellation or time change. The walk begins in front of Biological & Geological Sciences Building (BGSB).
Friday, Sept. 16 - Yoga Along the River @ 11am - 12pm
Join us for a FREE yoga class as we take time for wellness and reflection, while overlooking the river and natural spaces on campus from the Visual Arts Centre (VAC). The yoga class is suitable for all levels. Bring your own mat and water!
Make sure to visit our Art Exhibit on the main level of Visual Arts Centre before or after the class for more opportunity to appreciate and reflect on your personal, and our campus, connection to the river.
Registration required. Open to all members of the campus community (students, staff, faculty).
Sunday, Sept. 18 - ESA Day & WSLP BioBlitz @ 9am - 2pm
ESA stands for London's Environmentally Significant Areas - such as the Medway Valley Heritage Forest ESA behind Western and Huron's campus grounds. The purpose of ESA Day is to educate the communities surrounding ESAs about them, why their conservation is important, and how visitors can help to limit their impact. Volunteers will be stationed at the campus entrance to Medway Valley Heritage Forest ESA, located behind Support Services Building on Sunday, September 18th from 9am - 2pm, where they will greet pedestrians, share pamphlets, give brief presentations and host guided activities.
One of the guided activities will be a WSLP BioBlitz, which students can count towards their Sustainability Leader designation on the Western Co-Curricular Record.
Registration is required for WSLP BioBlitz from 12:00-1:00pm. Open to all students.
No registration required to visit the ESA. Open to all members of the campus community (students, staff, faculty).
Tuesday, Sept. 20: FRESH Plant-Based Cooking Demo @ Farmers Market
Visit the FFRESH table at the Farmers Market for a student-led plant-based cooking demo of delicious vegan crepes. In general, plant-based foods use less water than meat, and adding plant-based options to your diet can help reduce water consumption and carbon emissions. We'll be at the Market from 11am - 2pm, located in front of McIntosh Gallery.
No registration required. Open to all members of the campus community (students, staff, faculty).
Tuesday, Sept. 20: Water Walk @ 9:00 - 11:30am
Join the Indigenous Students' Association, Indigenous Student Centre, Western Housing, and Western Sustainability for a very special Riverfest event as we participate in an Anishinaabe Water Walk. The walk will be led by Dr. Carol Hopkins and her mother Irene Peters, who will begin the event with an outdoor opening ceremony sharing about the origins of Water Walks and the healing nature of them. Water is life, and in this event participants will be encouraged to reconnect with their own personal connection to Deshkan Ziibiing as we walk along the river in ceremony.
We will meet outdoors near the Medway Parking Lot. Look for the Indigenous Student Centre canopy tent to find the group. Participants are encouraged to bring their own lawn chair or blanket to sit during the opening ceremony. After the opening, we will walk along the river as a group, led by Carol and the Indigenous Students’ Association, and our route will bring us back to campus. Light snacks will be provided after the walk, along with a reflection circle.
Registration is encouraged. Drop-ins are welcome, but please try to register in advance so we can prepare space/snacks. This event is open to all members of the campus community, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, faculty, staff and students. We hope to see you there.
Thursday, Sept. 22: Bike to Campus Day + Campus Tours
September 22 is World Car-Free Day and we're excited to host Western's second annual Bike to Campus Day, encouraging all students, staff and faculty to opt for an active transportation commute to campus. The event schedule includes:
- 8:00 – 9:00am: Star Ride to campus hosted by WATS
- 8:30 – 10:00am: Breakfast Booth @ the Bike Fair
- 8:00 – 12:00pm: Bike Fair on Kent Dr. North, in front of McIntosh Gallery. Learn about different types of bikes, how much financial and carbon emissions you can save choosing active transport, where to buy a bike in London, how to keep it safe, and get some free "bike swag"
- 12:00 - 1:00pm: Cycling Campus Tour hosted by WATS - register here
- 12:00 - 1:00pm: Walking Campus Green Tour hosted by Western Sustainability - register here
Friday, Sept. 23 @ 11am - 12pm: Wellness Walk
Take a break and get outside for some fresh air! Join Ben Souriol, graduate student in the Department of Biology, for an hour-long walk through various trails and walking paths on campus along the river. Dress appropriately for the weather, as walks may continue through the rain or muddy conditions! Ben's Wellness Walks are a great way to explore campus, connect with nature, meet new friends and improve your overall well-being.
Registration required. Open to all members of the campus community (students, staff, faculty).
To participate, please email Ben Souriol (bsouriol@uwo.ca) in advance of the walk to receive updates in the event of a cancellation or time change. The walk begins in front of Biological & Geological Sciences Building (BGSB).
Monday, Sept. 26: Campus Clean-up @ 2:30 - 4:00pm
In a collaborative effort between the Advanced Pulmonary Imaging Laboratory (APILab), Professor Tom Cull with his course You're a Strange Animal: Writing Nature, Writing The Self, and Society of Graduate Students (SOGS), members of the campus community are invited to come together and help clean up campus, with a special focus on areas around the river.
As Riverfest comes to a close, we encourage our community to continue reflecting on their own connections to the river, and giving back to the river in their own ways. Participating in a campus clean-up is a great way to contribute to sustainability on campus and strengthen your own ties with nature.
Registration Required. Open to all members of the campus community (students, staff, faculty).
Tuesday, Sept. 27: Closing Ceremony in John Labatt Visual Art Centre @ 2:30-4:00pm
Join us for the Riverfest Closing Ceremony on Tuesday, September 27 from 2:30 - 4:00pm in John Labatt Visual Arts Centre. The ceremony will feature the Riverfest Art Exhibit in Cohen Commons with a Ribbon Grid and photography submissions crowdsourced from the campus community, along with a visual arts student project inspired by the prompt Wish on Water under the guidance of Professor Soheila Kolahdouz Esfahani.
Guests will be invited to enjoy the art exhibit, connect with Riverfest organizers and participants across campus, while enjoying refreshments from Great Hall Catering, and a keynote presentation.
Event Programme
- 2:30 - Arrival, art exhibit, refreshments served
- 2:45 - Opening remarks
- 3:00 - Keynote presentation
- 3:30 - Concluding remarks
- 3:45 - Networking, art exhibit, refreshments served
- 4:00 - Conclude
Registration required. Open to all members of the campus community (students, staff, faculty).
Thank you to all of our collaborators!
Riverfest could not happen without the collaboration of many members of the campus community. We gratefully acknowledge the support and engagement from our partners.
- Antler River Rally
- API Lab in Department of Medical Biophysics
- Department of Biology & Biodiversity Inventory Project
- Department of Visual Arts
- EnviroSynBio
- Food Resources and Education for Student Health (FRESH)
- Hospitality Services
- Indigenous Student Centre
- Indigenous Students' Association
- London Cycle Link
- Society of Graduate Students (SOGS) Sustainability Committee
- WaterAid
- Western Active Transportation Society (WATS)
- Wellness Education Centre
- Western Housing
- Western Sustainable Leaders Program (WSLP)
