Community members are invited to satisfy their curiosity — and their thirst — at a new event series aimed at sparking conversations about sustainability.

Hosted by Brock University’s Environmental Sustainability Research Centre (ESRC) in partnership with Bench Brewing Co. in Lincoln, Ont, the public series brings together people who share an interest in sustainability topics and draws attention to all the ways in which they can enact their commitments to a greener future.

“We have so many researchers affiliated with our centre who are doing research on critical topics that matter right now and that are going to matter even more into the future,” says ESRC Director Julia Baird. “Seeing that there’s a lot of public interest in learning more and engaging in dialogue from other places that have run these types of events, we developed this series to be at a great community location where anyone can take part in sessions that are interactive, fun and very accessible.”

Baird first connected with Bench Brewing Co. founder Matt Giffen when he spoke about his craft brewery’s sustainable practices on a panel at last winter’s Art in Action: Climate festival, for which Baird served as Scientific Director.

The idea of an ESRC event series in the brewery’s taproom grew from there, with the first lively session on forests and energy hosted in June. The inaugural event featured the ESRC’s Associate Professor Marilyne Carrey and community scientist and healer Heather of the Forest.

The next event takes place Monday, Aug. 17 at 6:30 p.m. Hosted by Associate Professor Jessica Blythe, the trivia-style session is entitled, “Sink or Swim: Can We Save Our Oceans?”

Blythe says the interactive event is intended to be family friendly and will tackle two big questions when it comes to ocean sustainability.

“The first topic is marine carbon dioxide removal, a new climate solution that is so urgently needed that we’re skipping a lot of the environmental impact assessments and social safeguards that normally ensure we don’t create unintended consequences with a new technology,” says Blythe. “The other is the huge push to protect 30 per cent of our land and water by 2030. Can we do that without violating the rights of Indigenous communities and coastal communities, and even in ways that are ecologically representative?”

Upcoming Science on Tap events at Bench will feature ESRC Affiliate Lina Taing co-hosting a tabletop game-based session with the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Authority to explore water security, as well as ESRC Affiliate and Associate Professor of Biological Sciences Kiyoko Gotanda sharing research on urban development and biodiversity.

In October, Baird and Giffen will appear at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre for a broader Science on Tap talk about what sustainability looks like in a working brewery.

All events in the Science on Tap series are open to the public and will be posted to the ESRC’s ExperienceBU feed. Registration is encouraged and free with an optional donation to the Niagara Peninsula Conservation Foundation to support local conservation efforts.