EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ—East Brunswick Public Library (2 Jean Walling Civic Center Drive) and the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental partner to host the event “Sustainable Agriculture Projects in Zimbabwe.”

This virtual presentation is on Tuesday, February 9, at 7:00 pm. It is led by Tait Chirenje, Professor of Environmental Science & Sustainability at Stockton University.

Climate change is wreaking havoc in rural farmers’ lives in Zimbabwe, often leading to poor or no harvests in back-to-back seasons. This talk will focus on results from a four-year effort to help rural farmers transition from vulnerable large-scale field-based agricultural practices like corn/soybean growing to small-scale controlled environment system like shed-grown mushroom and hydroponics. The talk covers how a demonstration center’s development helped provide incentives for local farmers and international experiences for Chirenje’s university students.

Chirenje holds a Ph.D. in Trace Metal Biogeochemistry from the University of Florida (Florida), an MS in Earth Science from the University of Guelph (Ontario, Canada) and a BS from the University of Zimbabwe (Harare, Zimbabwe).

He works in the area of aquatic chemistry, brownfields assessment & redevelopment, and the urban geochemistry of trace elements. He has worked on baseline studies of trace elements in both urban and rural areas of Florida and performed geochemical characterization of local water bodies, including Hammonton Lake, the Delaware River, Crosswicks Creek and the Great Egg Harbor River.

At Stockton, he teaches courses in environmental chemistry, including water chemistry, environmental remediation and biotechnology, environmental toxicology, and environmental pollution and regulation. He also teaches and engages students in international sustainable development projects in Zimbabwe, Ecuador and Brazil.

The free event is presented online, and closed captioning will be provided. Tickets are required for this event; to reserve, go to www.ebpl.org/optiongreen.

This event is sponsored by the East Brunswick Public Library and the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission. It is funded by the American Library Association’s “Resilient Communities: Libraries Respond to Climate Change” pilot program.

“Sustainable Agriculture Projects in Zimbabwe” is part of East Brunswick Public Library and the Friends of the East Brunswick Environmental Commission award-winning Option Green series of environmental education and awareness programs. To learn more about this initiative, go to www.ebpl.org/optiongreen.

Other partners in the Option Green: Climate Change & Community event series include Highland Park Public Library, Matawan-Aberdeen Public Library, New Brunswick Free Public Library, North Brunswick Public Library, Old Bridge Public Library, Plainsboro Public Library, and South Brunswick Public Library.