Live Reading Picnic & FIU Living Lab Tour

This Florida Climate Week, we invite our readers to explore FIU’s Living Lab, where students turn sustainability ideas into practical solutions. We’ll begin with a guided tour led by Living Lab Director Dr. Jesse Blanchard. Created through a collaboration between FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality and the Department of Earth and Environment, the lab operates as a closed-loop system: campus food waste becomes compost that nourishes organic crops and pollinator-friendly plants. This hands-on model helps reduce waste and emissions while preparing students to bring sustainable practices into their future careers and communities. Following the tour, we’ll gather for a live reading picnic featuring an Impact.Edition story about FIU graduate and environmental scientist Dr. Jazmin Locke-Rodriguez, who uses floating gardens to help clean waterways, support wildlife, and reconnect communities with nature. This event is open to anyone curious about sustainability and local innovation. What to expect A guided tour of FIU’s Living Lab Real-world sustainability projects and ideas A live reading of an inspiring South Florida story Opportunities to ask questions and connect with others Light snacks and beverages This event is open to everyone: students, educators, entrepreneurs, environmental advocates, community leaders, and anyone curious about local innovation. Transportation Parking is available, but we encourage guests to carpool whenever possible. Consider coordinating with friends or colleagues attending the event. This gathering is an official event of Florida Climate Week, powered and supported by The Volo Foundation. FCW is a week-long event series dedicated to taking action on climate and addressing its impacts and solutions in Florida. Its mission is to bring together a diverse group of leaders, experts, and advocates to raise awareness, share knowledge, and drive action toward a more sustainable future for Florida. Acknowledgment Impact.Edition is a Miami-based 501(c)(3) publication dedicated to solutions journalism and storytelling for sustainable development. Funding for this program was provided through a grant from Florida Humanities with funds from The Mosaic Company, with additional support from VoLo Foundation. Any views, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this program do not necessarily represent those of Florida Humanities or The Mosaic Company.