This month’s Climate at Noon event will be held on Friday, Nov. 3 in Jamrich 1313. Friday’s event will feature Tyler Penrod, who works for the Superior Watershed Program as the program manager for the Great Lakes Climate Corps.
Climate at Noon features a speaker every month and focuses on issues affecting the community related to climate change. This is an outreach event through the Marquette County Climate Adaptation Task Force and encourages people to learn more about preventative climate change measures happening in their own community.
At this event, Penrod will be discussing various job opportunities within this organization, as well as the work they have been doing in Marquette and across the Upper Peninsula.
“I am hoping to cover all of the different programs that the Superior Watershed Partnership administers and highlight some of our most impactful projects as they relate to climate change,” Penrod said.
Penrod also shared some more details about the programs he will discuss.
“I am planning to talk about the Great Lakes Climate Corps, which is the program I manage, as well as our Low Income Energy Assistance Program, which serves thousands of U.P. residents each year, as well as our Land Conservancy Program,” Penrod said.
Each summer, the Great Lakes Climate Corps employs about 40 staff members – many of whom are current NMU students or alumni, like Penrod himself. However, the students and alumni employed do not have to be getting environmentally related degrees to apply.
“It is not just limited to people who are studying in the environmental field, but really anyone with an interest and wanting to contribute their time and energy to [an] environmental cause,” Penrod said. “So, we try to keep it open to everybody.”
This event is also not just for students or those interested in potential job opportunities. The Climate at Noon events are free and open to the public.
“Anyone is welcome to attend. We usually have a good mix of students, staff and faculty, and then there are a few retired community members who show up all the time,” said Jessica Thompson, a professor in the College of Business and the Sustainability Hub for Innovation and Environment.
Isabelle Honkomp, the Northern Climate Network intern, further explained the importance of this event and others like it for everyone.
“These events are so important because as climate change continues to develop, more knowledge and information keeps being released,” Honkomp said. “Northern Climate Network seminars help close the gaps between scientific research and the common knowledge in regards to climate change information.”
Honkomp explained the importance of events like this one for students.
“Connecting to these presenters after the presentation would be a great opportunity for NMU students to network for future careers,” Honkomp said.
While networking can be beneficial for students looking to work in this industry, Thompson describes another way students can set themselves apart.
“Students who have a passion for the environment for climate action will inevitably have an advantage over anyone who might have all the right skills and the right stuff and all the right grades,” Thompson said.
Regardless, Thompson still encourages everyone to attend this, and future, Climate at Noon events.
“It is a good time,” Thompson said. “Bring a lunch and bring a friend.”
To learn more, visit their website.
