Reiman Gardens is normally filled with flowers and butterflies, but on Thursday it will be filled with people coming to learn about ecological feminism. The September Nature at Noon will take place from noon to 1 p.m. Thursday in the Garden Room at Reiman Gardens and will focus on ecological feminism.

Anyone can attend Nature at Noon, but members and Iowa State students have free admission. Snacks, water and coffee will be provided but attendees are allowed to bring their lunch with them.

Danielle Wirth, a lecturer in sociology, has taught the ecofeminism class at Iowa State for over 20 years and will discuss what ecofeminism means with attendees.

“We are going to try and keep it less academic and more practical,” Wirth said. “We will define what feminism is, then we will outline ecofeminism and we will talk about the connections between the oppressive conceptual frameworks that exist but people do not always realize they are living in.”

Wirth gave examples of these frameworks that included the deprivation of knowledge for women, the historical connections where the victors were the ones who wrote history and erased other cultures and also the patriarchy and how it plays into many things.

Wirth said ecofeminism rests on diversity and she hopes many people with many different perspectives come and add input to the talk.

“I’m from out east so I love a good argument,” Wirth said. “Arguments to me are not negative, arguments are getting clear on what you believe is right and just and true. When there is an argument made with appropriate empirical evidence, I have been known to change my world view.”

Sara Merritt, education manager at Reiman Gardens, said that the talk is planned to be more open forum than lecture, and she encourages attendees to add input and ask questions.

“Nature at Noon is important for us to share the incredible work that is being done at Iowa State,” Merritt said. “It is important for us to share with the public some of the conversations that happen here at a higher university. We see ourselves as the science center of Ames and we are in a unique position as both a department of Iowa State and a cultural resource for the community to bring those two groups together.”

Merritt said ecofeminism is not a new thing and it is important to keep having these types of essential conversations and bring the lens back to our connection to the Earth.