Students for One Health hopes their upcoming conference will inspire University of Connecticut students and faculty to adapt and create a healthier world, MadisonBritting, co-conference director and sixth-semester physiology and neurobiology major, said.

The One Health conference will be taking place Saturday Feb. 8 from 10a.m.4p.m.on the third floor of the Student Union, Murphy Kenny, co-conference director and sixth-semesterphysiology and neurobiology major,said. Themain topic of discussion will be explaining the philosophy of One Health, along with worldwide issues and possible solutions.

One Health is the idea that human, environmentand animal health are all interconnected and affect one another, Murphy said. If one suffers, they all suffer.

There will be two guest speakers,Brittingsaid. The first speaker is Rob Werner, the New Hampshire State Director for the League of Conservation Voters and Energy and Environment Advisory committee member on the Concord City Council. The second speaker isDr. SandraBushmich, theassociate dean of academic programs for theCollege of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources.

[Werner] will be talking about climate change impacts, public health and the benefits of transitioning to a clean energy economy at 10:30 a.m.,Brittingsaid. [Bushmich]will be talking about a One Health view of tick-borne diseases in Connecticut at 2:30 p.m.

In addition to the guest speakers,there will be four workshops throughout the day, Kenny said. These workshops include a DIY pick-your-scent laundry detergent, recycling games, flower potdecorating and a Solutions Room. She said that these workshops will help provide easy solutions thathelp create a healthier planet.

Brittingsaid that the DIY laundry detergent workshop highlights the idea that everyday products that appear harmless arent quite as they seem.

For the DIY laundry detergent workshop,students will be provided the ingredients and a recycled jar to make laundry detergent that is safer for the environment, animals, and us,Brittingsaid. Regular store-bought laundry detergent has harmful chemicals that can cause health problems, dont biodegradeand contaminate our watersupplies, rivers and oceans,creating algal blooms that can starve fish and plants from oxygen.

There will be an ongoing art project that attendees can help decorate, Kenny said. It will be placed in the CAHNR building after the event.

From 12:30 p.m. to2:30 p.m., therewill be student organizations and research teams presenting their particular niche of One Health,Brittingsaid.

This will provide a space for conference attendees to explore on their own and possibly spark a new interest in a One Health-related field, she said.

BothBrittingand Murphy encourage all undergraduates, graduates and faculty to attend this free event.Brittingsaid she hopes the conference will make an impact.

This very important ideology is popular in countries throughout the world, but has not taken off in the United States yet, so we are hoping this conference will spread the word,Brittingsaid.

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Upcoming One Health Conference hopes to inspire interconnectivity - UConn Daily Campus