February Sustainability
Take action to reinforce sustainable systems
As climate disruption feeds political disruption, and puts our communities under stress, it’s valuable to ask ourselves how our actions build resilience, and shore up the democratic systems we all depend on. This month in Oxford, Ohio there are so many opportunities for us to do just this. Here are some of them:
Home Energy Audits
Folks living within the Talawanda School District Boundary can receive a free energy assessment from these students. These visits (typically an hour long) can help residents save energy and money by identifying areas of energy loss within your home and providing options to address this energy loss.
You can schedule a visit from a CCEC student energy expert by clicking here.
#Take3Oxford Oscars
Thank you to everyone who submitted nominations for this year’s #Take3Oxford Oscars recipients… what a great reminder of the incredible commitment of folks in our community.
Oscars will be awarded at the MOON Chili Lunch on 2/7 at approximately 1pm at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church Undercroft. We will announce the winners in next month’s Oxford Sustainability Newsletter.
Thread Up Oxford
Follow Thread Up Oxford on Facebook for updates about that organization’s ongoing Volunteer needs.
Saturday 2/7 11:30am-2pm, MOON Co-op Chili Lunch
You are invited to this year’s Chili Lunch supporting MOON Co-op —an anchor for sustainable lifestyles in the Oxford Community. This year’s event will feature many delicious chilis, a marvelous bake sale, good cheer, and (of course) the Take3Oxford Oscars at 1pm. You can still help!
Make a chili, bread and dessert for the bake sale: fill out our form here.
Bring some friends to come eat! Tickets are $12 each (children by donation) and are available at the MOON register and at the entry.
Saturday 2/7 1-3pm, Honeysuckle Hack at the Miami Farm
Burn off your Chili Lunch by hacking honeysuckle with the Campus Compact Envirocorps at the Miami Farm! Treats and good cheer provided. Register here.
Week of 2/7 Fernald Winter Bird Fest 2026
Join the Audubon Society of Ohio (Cincinnati) at the Fernald Preserve “Winter Bird Fest” February 7th through February 14th. Activities will include bird walks, bird related work shops, bird banding and more! There will also be a Family Day with activities for all ages. Closer to the event date, specific details will be available at this website.
Tuesday 2/10 6-7:30pm Big Read Event: The Bearded Lady Project
NOW AT THE TALAWANDA HIGH SCHOOL PAC! This documentary celebrates the work of female paleontologists and highlights the challenges and obstacles they face. Screening will be followed by a Q&A panel discussion of local female scientists and the documentary’s producer, Lexi Jamieson Marsh.
Talawanda High School's Performing Arts Center 5301 University Park Blvd, Oxford, OH 45056
Wednesday 2/18 Wild Ones National Webinar “Waste Land to Wonder Land”
Speaker Basil Camu will present on this Wild Ones National webinar exploring practical, evidence based ways to heal suburban and urban landscapes by working with trees, soil, and natural systems. Find this and other upcoming Wild Ones events here. Read recent blog posts from Wild Ones Miami Valley here.
New Event: 2/19 6pm Baldwin Lecture, the Soil Won’t Save Us, But We Should Save Soil
Join us on Thursday February 19th at 6 pm in 152 SHD for our annual Baldwin Lecture. This year we will be featuring a talk by Dr. Ronald Amundson, the Betty & Isaac Barshad Endowed Chair at the University of California, Berkeley. Here is the title and summary for the talk:
Soil Won’t Save Us, But We Should Save Soil
The interest in soil has grown greatly in recent years due to the corresponding interest in food systems, sustainable agriculture, and carbon sequestration. Stories that “soil will save us” are found in the New York Times and other major news outlets, and even in evocative Hollywood documentaries. But is this true?
I will examine the roots of this interest, and whether such aspirations are truly realistic based on natural and social science. I conclude that soil won’t save us from climate change, but it will help us survive it if we attend to some of the challenging wicked problems that our global soils face.
New Event: 2/19 5:50 pm, Sculpting in Uncertain Times with Artist Sara Torgison
Artist Sara Torgison will discuss her cross-disciplinary sculptural practice rooted in sustainability and attention to the more-than-human world. Torgison’s work emphasizes marginal spaces where tensions can be held without being resolved, while uplifting connection to ecosystems and organisms we often dismiss. Material pursuits include building with clay, dyeing with foraged botanicals, and traditional hand sewing and knot-making methods. Torgison will describe her trajectory as an artist and educator, her process, and the ideas informing her explorations.
Miami University Art Building, Art 100 - 400 S. Patterson Ave., Oxford, OH 45056
New Event Thursday 2/19 6pm Political Participation & Why It Matters (Civics 103)
Eric Corbin, Deputy Director of the Butler County Board of Elections will speak on Public Participation and Why it Matters (Civics 103)
Topics will include election security, voter information, primary elections, and understanding the voting process.
The League of Women Voters of Oxford joins Payne Chapel AME Church Hamilton Social Action Committee, Oxford NAACP, and Oxford Citizens for Peace & Justice to host this event at the Oxford Presbyterian Church Seminary Building, 104 E Church St.
Saturday 2/21 2pm, Big Read Event, Memoir Essays Inspired by Nature: Writing Workshop with Laura Gaddis
Check out this Oxford Big Read event helping you to create a nature-inspired memoir essay. This ties into the book Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. After exploring nature essays, participants will do their own writing. The session will conclude with a brief workshop and time to share written work and talk about how to enhance it even further. Lane Library, 441 S. Locust St., Oxford, OH 45056 Register here beginning 1/22.
Sunday 2/22 5-7pm, Three Valley Conservation Trust Annual Meeting
Sara Morris will speak at this year’s Three Valley Conservation Trust Annual Meeting. The meeting will take place at the Knolls of Oxford, dinner provided by LaRosa’s. All are welcome, but only those with updated membership may vote.
Monday 2/23 Sow It Begins! Seed Starting Workshop at Lane
Kickstart your veggie garden and save money by learning how to start seeds indoors! JT Benitez from OSU Extension (Butler County) will share tips for successful seed starting. Attendees will leave with fresh knowledge and a seed starting kit to grow at home! Lane Library, 441 S. Locust St., Oxford, OH 45056. Register here beginning 1/24.
2/24 7:30pm Equasion Workshop: Building Power to Tackle the Dangers of Data Centers
Learn how communities are organizing to confront the risks of large data centers, featuring a powerful grassroots story as well as a statewide advocacy effort in Cleveland. Hear from leaders who are building momentum for transparency and community protection. REGISTER HERE
2/26 6:30pm Lab Girl Community Read and Discussion
Join Lane Libraries’ Big Read discussion of the book Lab Girl by Hope Jahren. Participants will each be given their own copy to keep. Lane Library, 441 S. Locust St., Oxford, OH 45056. Register here.
2/28 New Leaf Turners: Plant-Based Nutrition, Recipe & Potluck Club
Join a new quarterly meet-up for health-minded folks wanting to discuss, learn and share how to incorporate plant-based foods into our diets. Our first meet up will be a nutrition presentation/Q&A from Bryn Beeder, MS, RD, LD, Miami University. Lane Library, 441 S. Locust St., Oxford, OH 45056 Register here beginning 1/28.
2/28 8:30am-4pm Getting Started With Native Plants: Creating a Thriving Habitat
Join the Marianist Environmental Education Center for an informational, inspirational and FUN day about native plants and their role in creating healthy, functioning ecosystems. Register here. MEEC Mount St. John 4435 E Patterson Road Dayton, OH 45430
3/1 Submit Art to Changing Climate, Changing Communities at OCAC
Engaging for Climate in Oxford (ECO) announces the fourth Changing Climate, Changing Communities art exhibition at the Oxford Community Arts Center. Featuring works from local students and regional artists, the show explores climate change through creative interpretation, fostering dialogue and enhancing community engagement. Free and open to the public, the exhibition’s opening reception is on March 13, 2026, 6–8 p.m. Applications to submit art are accepted through March 1, 2026.
News Roundup
In case you missed it, here are some local stories relevant to sustainability:
Miami weighs options to address flights in 2040 carbon neutrality commitment from the Miami Student
Miami University Culture Crops Exhibition Celebrates Ohio’s Food History from the Oxford Free Press
Groundhogs are lousy forecasters but valuable animal engineers Steve Sullivan of the Hefner Museum for the Conversation.
Thank you for reading! The calendar version of this newsletter can be seen here. Send future event submissions to oxohsustain@gmail.com.