Local Environmentalist Coming to IWU

BLOOMINGTON, Ill.—Michelle Covi, director of the Ecology Action Center in Normal, will visit Illinois Wesleyan University on May 21, 2002 as part of May Term 2002’s theme of co-curricular programming "The Courage to Dare."

The presentation will take place in the Beckman Auditorium of the Ames Library, 1 Ames Plaza, Bloomington, at 7 p.m.

Covi, who began at Ecology Action Center as a volunteer in 1996, now heads its small staff that provides environmental education services for much of McLean County, that includes promoting recycling and waste reduction.

Covi plans to discuss her work and inform the IWU community that "local action makes a world of difference." The environmental activist also wants students to understand the personal fulfillment that can result from an alternative career. "People should find something they believe in and be empowered enough to make a difference while doing it," said Covi.

Covi has a bachelor of science degree from the University of Rochester in biology/geology and a masters of science from the University of Georgia in zoology. She taught biology and environmental science for nine years at several different universities and continues as an adjunct professor at Heartland Community College in Normal. Covi enjoys teaching people of all ages about the environment and encourages everyone to look for ways that they can become involved.