Each year, the Institute at Brown for Environment and Society sponsors an interdisciplinary program under the title of "Earth, Itself," designed to stimulate conversations and collaborations across the natural and social sciences, humanities and the arts, and to highlight contributions to and ways of understanding earth systems and elements. In spring 2018, IBES hosted Water's Edge, a collection of panel discussions, art installations, poetry, and more—all celebrating Earth's most elemental fluid.

Now, creator and convenor of the conference, Visiting Distinguished Professor Lenore Manderson, is bringing the festivities of "Earth, Itself" across the ocean, to her home institution: University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, South Africa.

According to Wits University, Watershed: Art, Science, Elemental Politics will continue Manderson's academic and artistic exploration of water by asking questions like: What does a polluted river sound like? How does sand-filtered water taste? Will acid mine drainage scald your skin? Do oceans echo? ... and more.

Watershed will take place from September 10-21, 2018. For more information about the program, visit the Wits website.