Unity College to Honor Several During May 8 Commencement

Unity, Maine – May, 2010 –  Three individuals, a rock band and company with ties to environmentalism and green issues will be honored during commencement exercises on May 8 in Unity.  They are author and Chaplin of the Maine Warden Service Kate Braestrup, members of the rock band Guster and Reverb Rock of Portland, Maine, former Yarmouth, Maine, tree warden Frank Knight, and artist Forrest Hart.

     Braestrup, who will serve as the commencement speaker, will receive an honorary Doctor of Environmental Citizenship for her contributions to the Maine Warden Service and inspirational writing.  The experiences she shares in her writing and work as Chaplin for the Maine Warden Service explore the spiritual aspects of humanity’s connection the natural world and its inhabitants, human and animal alike.

     The rock band Guster and Reverb Rock, a non-profit organization founded in 2004 by environmentalist Lauren Sullivan and her musician husband, Adam Gadner of Guster, will be honored with a citation.

Guster

     Also receiving a citation will be Frank Knight, the former tree warden who cared for a massive elm tree on the corner of East Main Street and Yankee Drive in Yarmouth for over fifty years.

Frank Knight and Herbie (tree he tended for over 50 years) in background

     Environmental artist and educator Forrest Hart will receive a citation for his lifelong commitment to advancing conservation.

     Forrest Hart

     Unity College commencement exercises are scheduled for 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 8, in the gymnasium on the college campus, 90 Quaker Hill Road, Unity, Maine.

     Full details of the 2010 commencement festivities, honorary degrees and awards are available online at www.unity.edu.

     The senior banquet will be held on Friday, May 7, beginning at 6 p.m. in the Unity College gymnasium. Professor Barry Woods will deliver an address.  For details contact Kate Grenier at (207) 948-3131, ext. 301, or e-mail kgrenier@unity.edu.

     Unity College is a small private college in rural Maine that provides dedicated, engaged students with a liberal arts education which emphasizes the environment and natural resources. Unity College graduates are prepared to be environmental stewards, effective leaders, and responsible citizens through active learning experiences within a supportive community.