SPIA Recognizes Emmanuel Edusei as Selma 2.0 Ambassador

Emmanuel (Asenso) Edusei, a masters student in SPIA’s Masters of Public and International Affairs program, received a travel grant through VT ENGAGE to fully immerse himself in one of the 2024 Alternative Spring Break trips to Selma, Alabama, for a service experience. He received Kingian Non-violence Conflict Reconciliation and Restorative Justice training where he learned new strategies and tools of conflict reconciliation at the Selma Healing Waters Retreat Center. He is now a Selma 2.0 Ambassador: Committed to a non-violent lifestyle, selfless volunteerism, and the to promote social justice in communities. Way to Go Emmanuel!

See Linkedin post: “Once a year, go somewhere you have never been before.” – Dalai Lama For my spring break(March 2- 8, 2024) I was privileged to have been awarded a travel grant through VT ENGAGE to fully immerse myself in one of the 2024 Alternative Spring Break trips to Selma, Alabama for a service experience. On the trip I participated in a Kingian Non-violence Conflict Reconciliation and Restorative Justice training where I learned new strategies and tools of conflict reconciliation at the Selma Healing Waters Retreat Center. I signed up and am now a Selma 2.0 Ambassador: Committed to a non-violent lifestyle, selfless volunteerism, and the to promote social justice in communities. Volunteered with a local charity pantry to package and distribute food items to the less fortunate and the elderly. Contributed to the creation of a new thrift store to provide affordable shopping options for the Selma community. Worked on a local farm (the Local Farm Cooperative): committed to local food and fighting the general and racial wealth gap. Lessons: There is so much to learn about the past to help us appreciate our present. Giving back to the community is satisfying, knowing that your efforts made a positive and significant impact on the lives of others who needed support. Conflicts are inevitable. When they happen, it is more helpful to employ non-violent approaches as they open up for dialogue to focus on and address the root causes of the conflict rather than reacting based on aroused emotions.

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Dendrology of the Blacksburg Stroubles Creek Watershed

By Emmanuel Edusei The dendrology of the Stroubles Creek Watershed is a living archive of Blacksburg's geological and cultural history. Nestled within the rolling landscape of the New River Valley, this watershed shelters a diverse array of native hardwoods, resilient evergreens, and understory species that together weave a vibrant, seasonal tapestry. Each species plays a crucial role, not only in shading and stabilizing the streambanks but also in sustaining wildlife, filtering water, and shaping the local landscape's character. Stroubles Creek’s dendrology invites wanderers and learners to its embrace: a place where ecological stewardship restores balance, and every leaf is a living testament to the connection between land, water, and community. To walk among the trees of Stroubles Creek is to witness a quiet dialogue between land and water, roots and soil, human presence and the persistence of nature. Here, dendrology is not just the study of trees; it is a way of listening...

Mapping and Delineating the Stroubles Creek Watershed

Stroubles Creek originates from natural springs in Blacksburg and descends to its mouth at the New River with a final elevation of about 1,700 feet (520 meters) above sea level. It is a subwatershed of the New River watershed. It features the Virginia Tech Duck Pond, a famous local landmark and ecological feature that acts as a division between the upper and lower watersheds. Most sections of the Stroubles Creek are “out of sight, out of mind” for many local residents, as the stream was buried near the War Memorial Gym and under Virginia Tech’s Drillfield in about 1937 (Ling 2017). The creek has been designated as "impaired" since 2002 due to historical impacts from urbanization, excessive sedimentation, and agricultural activities (Ling 2017). Below is a PowerPoint presentation with more information on Mapping and Delineating the Stroubles Creek Watershed. This is an embedded Microsoft Office presentation, powered by Office . Thank you for reading this post. Let m...

An Overview of the StREAM Lab at Virginia Tech

The StREAM Lab and Stroubles Creek References - StREAMS Lab Project Videos StREAM Lab on Youtube Restoration Project Lab and Ongoing Research Environmental Monitor Articles Climate and Water Monitoring Articles

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