On March 14, 2023, RCE Saskatchewan celebrated Curt Schroeder and Aura Lee MacPherson, who received Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medals from His Honour the Honourable Russ Mirasty, Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan and Patron of RCE Saskatchewan. Recipients from across Saskatchewan were recognized. Platinum Jubilee — Lieutenant Governor of Saskatchewan (ltgov.sk.ca)
We’re very proud of Aura Lee and Curt for their outstanding contributions to Saskatchewan’s sustainable future.
About Curt Schroeder
Since 2006 Curt Schroeder has represented Saskatchewan Polytechnic as one of four founding post-secondary education institutions who formed the Saskatchewan Regional Centre of Expertise (RCE Saskatchewan) under the auspices of the United Nations University, which promotes education for sustainable development among its members and other stakeholders. The nominee served the RCE in various roles as its initial webmaster, a member of the Reconnecting to Natural Prairie Ecosystems working group, and a 15-year member of the annual recognition event committee, one of the flagship events hosted by RCE Sask.
As an advocate for the RCE goals within SaskPolytech, Schroeder initiated several formal and informal projects and experiences, including the establishment of an institution-wide Green Group composed of faculty and students who took leadership in greening the institution through many small, student led initiatives, as well as successfully advocating for the formal inclusion of sustainability principles within the strategic plan. He successfully led the establishment of a sustainability research grant program that has been operating annually for over 15 years, and has resulted in supporting many faculty and student sustainability projects. Another accomplishment was leadership in a professional development day set aside for all faculty at the Moose Jaw campus.
About Aura Lee MacPherson
In June of 2014 the City of Regina discharged raw sewage into the Qu’Appelle River system. Aura Lee MacPherson sprang into action to protect and improve water quality, inspiring communities to create a positive impact. On December 4, 2014, she volunteered to chair the Calling Lakes Ecomusuem (CLEM), part of the Saskatchewan Ecomuseum Initiative. This is a flagship project of RCE Saskatchewan, a network acknowledged by the United Nations University to help achieve the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). MacPherson’s achievements through CLEM include: coordinating RCE Saskatchewan’s participation in the Treaty Four Parade, working with SUMA to develop a Wetland Handbook to ensure wetlands are part of sustainable development, helping organize a five-pipe ceremony in 2017 in response to the Quill Lakes Watershed being given approval to drain water from the Quill Lakes basin into Last Mountain Lake without an environmental assessment (the project was withdrawn in January 2018), working with the Lower Qu’Appelle to develop a program of planting Katepwa poplars and removing railway ties from the shoreline, developing a water award for local initiatives, attending parades and Pow Wows to give out Wetland seed kits and trees and organizing a Poster and Water Festival; these initiatives contribute to Sustainable Development Goals 6, 14, 15, and 17. Her support for RCE Saskatchewan has included helping the RCE make its own promotional video, assisting with the RCE Website redesign, helping with media relations for the annual RCE Recognition Event, and encouraging community groups to apply for RCE awards. Her work has strengthened Saskatchewan communities for a sustainable future.