ESA SEEDSNouncement: April 2014

SEEDS is a program of the Ecological Society of America

Greetings SEEDS Students! This month we have several updates to bring to your attention.  In this issue of the SEEDSNouncement we include the SEEDS National Coordinated Chapter BioBlitz event for Earth Day (Tuesday, April 22), so get your Chapter to participate today! We are happy to announce the return of the SEEDS Video Contest - for those of you who don't remember, it is a very fun and easy way to get involved and make some money, that's right, $1000 in CASH PRIZES up for grabs.  SEEDS Chapter's Yearly Reports are due in the next month, please remember that your report has to be submitted in order to be eligible for grant funding for the next academic year - it simple, fast and online.  Also, we just returned from the 2014 SEEDS Leadership Meeting in Fort Collins, Colorado last week and we had a blast! For more pictures of the event and all other SEEDS events - like us on Facebook!  Have a great rest of the semester and finish strong!   SEEDS National Coordinated Chapter BioBlitz SEEDS Chapter BioBlitz: Earth Day Event! During the weeks surrounding Earth Day (Tuesday, April 22), we hope that you will be able to join us in this year's National Coordinated Chapter BioBlitz, and help your community celebrate it's biological diversity. Hosting a BioBlitz is an excellent way to engage community members and expose them to the abundance of life that exists right in their own backyard! Whether it is students on your campus, or a large public event, surveying the species of an area in your community is sure to surprise and thrill participants. This a great way to recruit new SEEDS Chapter member for the next academic year and educate your fellow students and community members about the importance of ecology. Great possibilities exists for educational and scientific impacts when SEEDS Chapters get involved! How do you sign up?! Visit our SEEDS BioBlitz page for more information! SEEDS Video Contest  Are you creative? Could you use some extra spending money? If you answered yes to any of these, then start brainstorming your entry into the SEEDS Video Contest! This fun and easy project is a great way to get involved individually or with your SEEDS chapter, and get rewarded for doing so. All that is required is for you to share YOUR story about SEEDS on camera. Remember, you're the star - so share your thoughts, get creative, have some fun, and apply today! Deadline: June 6, 2014. Details, guidelines, and award information posted on the website: SEEDS Video Contest! 2013-2014 SEEDS Chapter Reports What has your SEEDS Chapter been up to for the last year? Let us know! We hope that you have been busy and that the SEEDS Chapter at your institution has flourished this academic year.  We would love to hear about the activities that your Chapter has participated or collaborated in.  Please take the time to submit your SEEDS Chapter Report online using the form on our website.  It's simple, quick and easy! Remember, an up-to-date report is required for your Chapter to be eligible for SEEDS Chapter Grants and awards, including being selected as the SEEDS Chapter of Year at this year's ESA Annual Meeting in Sacramento, California.  The report is open and staff is eagerly awaiting your submission. Let's keep the ball rolling for the 2014-2015 academic year - Submit NOW! 2014 SEEDS Leadership Meeting - Fort Collins, Co The 9th Annual SEEDS Leadership Meeting was held in Colorado State University in beautiful Fort Collins, CO from April 9-13, 2014. Over the span of five days, 26 students from all across the United States and Puerto Rico came together to discover the theme of the meeting - Food Security and Food Justice: Sustaining Agricultural Abundance and Healthy Communities.  Students learned a lot about the challenges of food production, distribution, waste, justice and health relating to the science of ecology.  How will we lead the change in the next 36 years to feed 9 billion by 2050?  Students came up with some amazing plans to implement in our SEEDS Chapters, the program and even plans to design a symposia at the 2015 ESA Annual Meeting! For more information about the meeting, please visit our Leadership Meeting page. For more pictures of the event please like us on Facebook: ESA-SEEDS! Best wishes, ESA-SEEDS Staff