It's nearly 8,000 miles between Ames, Iowa and the Kamuli district of Uganda, but for two decades, the communities have been linked a powerful way through the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods.
Over the past 20 years more than 400 Iowa State University students and staff members have spent time in the Kamuli District, working alongside Kamuli residents to discover and implement sustainable solutions to meet the community’s most urgent needs. Experts from the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods share what makes the program special and effective.
Then — something very strange happened in Van Meter Iowa in 1903. A number of residents of the small town saw a large bat-like creature during the night - or at least that’s how the story goes. The story of the Van Meter visitor was nearly forgotten for decades, but the details were preserved in old newspapers. Researchers who are fascinated with the paranormal brought the story back to life, and now it’s celebrated with the Van Meter Visitor Festival. One of these researchers, Chad Lewis, tells us all about the Iowa legend.
Guests:
- David Acker, director of the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods
- Gail Nonnecke, associate director of the Center for Sustainable Rural Livelihoods
- Chad Lewis, researcher and co-author of “The Van Meter Visitor: 1903 & Beyond”
