Huxley College Alumni Denise Attwood and Ric Conner to Speak May 18 about their work on fair trade in the Himalaya

Denise Attwood and Ric Conner, Co-Founders of Ganesh Himal Trading LLC, will present a 30-year retrospective on their work in Nepal, which includes their Fair Trade business Ganesh Himal Trading LLC and the Conscious Connections Foundation (CCF) as part of the WWU Huxley College of the Environment Speaker Series at 4 p.m. on Thursday, May 18 in Miller Hall 138 on the Western Washington University campus.

The presentation is free and open to the public.

In their Speaker Series talk titled “Conscious Connections Foundation: Earthquake Relief in Nepal,” Ric and Denise will present on the CCF, which was initially established to support rural health care and education for girls. After the devastating earthquake that hit Nepal in April 2015, CCF was in a position, because of long term relationships, to provide quick, effective and continuing aid. The talk will include photos of Denise and Ric’s journey and CCF's projects such as rebuilding earthquake resistant houses, a school, clinic and educational scholarships for girls. Discussion will include the importance of systems thinking, relationships and the value of a Huxley education.

After Graduating from Huxley College, Ric Conner (class of 1985) and Denise Attwood (class of 1983) established Ganesh-Himal Trading LLC, through which they supply fairly traded products from Nepal to over 400 socially conscious and fair trade businesses throughout the US and Canada. In 2014, Denise co-founded the Conscious Connections Foundation (CCF) with their son Cameron Conner.  Denise graduated magna cum laude with a Bachelor of Science degree in Environmental Science from Huxley College in 1983 and a J.D. from the University of Washington Law School in 1988.  Ric graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in Marine Ecosystems in 1985.The presentation will include a question-and-answer period. Anyone interested in the topic is encouraged to attend and participate.

The Huxley College Speaker Series, sponsored by Western’s Huxley College of the Environment, is intended to bring together environmentally-minded members of the WWU and Bellingham communities. Speakers address topics of contemporary environmental concern in the region and the world.

WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized leader in producing the next generation of environmental professionals and stewards. Huxley’s distinctive, interdisciplinary curriculum reflects a broad view of the physical, biological, social, and cultural world, and has earned international recognition for quality.

For more information, please contact WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment at (360) 650-2949 or visit the website: https://huxley.wwu.edu/huxley-college-speaker-series.