The Sustainability Shelf is a place where you can learn about global action and collective and embodied experiences of the climate crisis. You can also refill your water bottle and find out about opportunities offered through the Sustainability Engagement Institute.
Located on the main floor of Wilson Library, across from the entrance to the Tutoring Center, the Sustainability Shelf features a focused, rotating selection of library materials. Books are often tied to specific U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, but the shelf also includes materials that support connection to nature and that create hope, action, and just futures.
Here is a toolkit for farmers and growers about tried and tested agroecological methods for transforming industrial food growing into a resilient agricultural revolution. The four challenges of climate change mitigation and adaptation, offsetting biodiversity loss and producing enough good food for a growing population are identified. The author uses the case study of her Huxhams Cross Farm to show how dead soil was transformed into a thriving fertile land, drawing on a toolkit of biodynamic, organic, agroforestry, regenerative, agroecological and perma-cultural methods. The principles, methods and techniques of each approach are explained concisely, with illustrative case studies of successful examples and follow up resources such as film references. The book concludes with the Huxhams Cross Farm case study with research evidence, reviewing the extent to which the four challenges are tackled successfully by the Toolkit; how the resilient farming revolution can be brought about by food choices, policy, tackling barriers such as land access, the psychology of scarcity and how to build farmer capacity for the resilient food growing transition.
Highlights 70-plus edible species including seaweeds, beach vegetables, shellfish, mushrooms, berries, trees, ferns, and wild and weedy greens Includes more than 60 recipes, plus tips for enjoying this natural abundance Key sections describe sustainable harvesting practices Pacific Harvest, written by expert forager and guide Jennifer Hahn, introduces both novice and more experienced foragers to the Pacific Coast's ample and diverse edible species. Recognizing your local edible berries, flowers, greens, roots, tree parts, mushrooms, seaweeds, beach vegetables, and shellfish is a passport to a comforting sense of place. Hahn shares immersive descriptions of her foraging adventures as well as full-color photos to make identifying these species easy and enjoyable. Each featured food listing includes common names, taxonomy, primary location, description, harvesting details, and culinary tips for transition from the wild to the kitchen table. Select listings call out notable nutrition and wellness benefits, along with contemporary research on conservation status. This coastal foraging guide highlights authentic Indigenous harvesting practices including profiles of Indigenous leaders in the traditional foods movement. Hahn emphasizes a sustainable approach to foraging, reminding readers what other beings also depend on these plants and animals as food and shelter sources. Pacific Harvest includes dozens of recipes featuring foraged foods, ranging from no-fuss delights like Salal Berry Scones and Kelp-Wrapped Salmon to comfort foods like Fiddlehead Quiche and Horse Clam Stir-Fry.
This guide includes the 20 or so items currently featured on the Sustainability Shelf, but also links to hundreds of other print and e-books and streaming video available through the Western Libraries. Whether you are planning a course around U.N. Sustainable Development Goals, starting a research project, or participating in a community event with the Sustainability Engagement Institute, there are many resources available to support your inquiry.
Open Access e-books are identified for many of the UN SDGs. These are books published by scholarly presses that are freely available online, so you do not need to have a WWU login to access them, though they are listed in the Western Libraries' catalogue. Community members without a WWU affiliation are also able to borrow most print books through one of the reciprocal borrowing programs. Resources designated as "for WWU community" require a WWU login, as they are part of the Western Libraries' subscriptions. If you're not WWU-affiliated, check with your college or local library about getting access to these titles.
