Events & Opportunities: February 27 - March 4

For a complete list of news, opportunities and events, please read our newsletter.

Upcoming Events 

Environmental Student Panel:
Wednesday, February 29

Hosted by the Santa Cruz Energy and Resources Collaborative (SCERC) and open to students in the environmental community, this event will be an opportunity to hear about the environmental work of fellow students and network with like-minded peers. Pizza My Heart pizza and soft drinks will be served. The event will take place in the Esselen Nation Conference Room (3rd floor above Bay Tree Bookstore) from 4:30 to 6:00 PM. For more information, please contact Elan.

Student Environmental Center - Urban Homesteading Discussion: 

Wednesday 6:30-8:30 PM

Interested in Urban Homesteading? Come check out Rachel Kaplan at this week's General Gathering, in a new location: Oakes 106. Rachel is a permaculture designer, educator, and author of Urban Homesteading: Heirloom Skills For Sustainable Living. As always, free vegetarian dinner will be provided. This week's general gathering is co-hosted by the Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP). View the flier for details. For more information, visit their website or send them an email. 

   

  
Sustainability Office Hosting Green Drinks: Thursday, March 1 

 

Join the Sustainability Office at Green Drinks, a sustainability themed cocktail hour and networking event at Cafe Mare (740 Front St., Suite 100) in downtown Santa Cruz on March 1 from 5:30 to -7:30 PM. As hosts for the evening, Sustainability Office students will be presenting about their work. This is an opportunity to show your support for UCSC sustainability efforts and network with Santa Cruz and UCSC community members who have an interest in sustainability. For more information please contact Kirsten Williams.

Path to a Greener Stevenson: Thursday 7 PM

Path to a Greener Stevenson (PTAGS) meets in the Stevenson House 2 lounge. They are currently working on reducing paper towel use in the dorms and are collaborating with the Zero Waste Team to buy reusable mugs for the Stevenson Coffee House.  For updates, visit the Facebook group or email Blake Redding. 

Guided Nature Walk with Campus Natural Reserves Steward: 
Friday, March 2
Our campus does not end at the buildings, so come explore the variety of vivacious ecosystems and what inhabits them! Guided Nature Walks will leave from College 8 Red Room every other Friday from 2-4. Please check out the flyer for details. For more information, please contact Alex Jones, the Campus Natural Steward.

Farm Fridays: Friday, March 2

 Each week, one dining hall features a dish incorporating ingredients from the UCSC Farm and other local organic farms in the region. The food is delicious, and it feels great to be eating the most local food possible! For more information, contact  Candy Berlin or view the Farm Fridays schedule here.

The Program in Community and Agroecology (PICA) will be joining with Dining Services' Farm Fridays by hosting an informational table at Cowell/Stevenson dining hall on March 2. Go talk to them to find out more about local and organic food in your dining hall!

 

African American Theater Arts Troupe Collecting Old Cell Phones Until March 16 & Presenting "Ruined": March 2-3

This month, the African American Theater Arts Troupe is performing Ruined by Lynn Nottage, directed by Don Williams. The play is set in the Congo (read more here), and to give back to communities affected by mining and war in the Congo, AATAT is recycling old cell phones and donating the money to refugee women in the Congo. Cell phones can be dropped off in the Cultural Arts & Diversity Office in Stevenson College anytime between 8 AM and 5 PM Monday-Friday until March 16 in the drop box inside the office. For more information please contact Don Williams. The play will be performed March 2-3 at 7 PM in the Stevenson Event Center. Tickets are free for undergrad students with valid ID. $15 general admission. $10 faculty and alumni.

  

11th Annual Campus Earth Summit: Sprout! - 

Saturday, March 3 

You do not want to miss this free event! Earth Summit is an opportunity for students to unite over shared passion for environmental sustainability, social justice, education, and food! Come engage with staff and students, learn about campus action plans, and get involved for the future! Join the Student Environmental Center and participating organizations in the College 9 & 10 multipurpose room from 11 AM to 5 PM on March 3. Please contact Eliza Milio, view the event flyer, or visit the Student Environmental Center website for more information.  

  

Fermentation Workshop at Earth Summit: Saturday, March 3

   

PICA will be offering a free Fermentation Workshop at Earth Summit. Participants will learn to make kombucha, sourdough starter, and sauerkraut and also hear about the many benefits of fermented foods. PICA will also be collaborating with other student gardens on campus to host a Campus Student Gardens Market outside of Earth Summit. Stop by for free fresh veggies and learn how to get involved with the student gardens.   

  

Hummingbird Day at the Arboretum: March 3-4

Fun for the whole family, from 10 AM - 4 PM.  Craft activities for the kids, garden tours, bird walks (space is limited, call for reservations 831-427-2998), photo exhibit, photo tips, tips for water-wise and pollinator friendly planting, and a food truck to keep you going all day. Sunday will be less crowded. Admission $5 for adults, free for UCSC students and anyone 17 or under. Please carpool or take the bus. Directions and more information can be found here. 

Kresge Garden Work Days: Sundays 10 AM - 2 PM  

Join fellow gardeners at the Kresge Garden workday and workshop every Sunday! Bring a dish to share for the potluck lunch! To see what the weekly workshop will be, check out the website.


Internships, Employment & Volunteering

Sustainability Profile: Campus Sustainability Internship (CSI) Program
Each month, our newsletter features a person or group on campus that is working toward a more sustainable world.  The CSI Program application deadline is approaching (read more here), so in order to give readers a first hand account of the program, we interviewed CSI staff mentor Kathryn Cunningham and CSI student intern Christian Frederick about the work they are doing in the program to get a sense of what CSI is all about and why it is valuable to both student interns and staff mentors. Read the interview here. 

Kathryn Cunningham is a Strategic Sourcing and Sustainable Procurement Manager in Procurement and Business Contracts (P&BC) and CSI staff mentor to CSI Intern and Environmental Studies Senior, Christian Frederick.

If you know of a person or group on campus that you think we should profile, or if you would like to be profiled, please send us an email.

Apply now to be the UCSC Sustainable Food Systems Admin Assistant - Deadline March 5

How much real food are our dining halls serving? What changes can be made to our food procurement to achieve our sustainability goals? As an intern, you will help us answer these questions! This internship will give you direct experience working with UCSC Dining and the Food Systems Working Group. Details can be found here. Deadline March 5.

Riekes Center for Human Enhancement Naturalist Position Available

The Riekes Center Nature Awareness Department is seeking a dedicated instructor interested in long-term mentoring of youth in nature. Currently they are seeking an instructor to fill a position for their spring 2012 homeschool nature programs beginning immediately and running through the end of May. They are also recruiting for summer camp instructors and the possibility exists for this person to also fill a lead instructor role for their 2012 summer camps.  For details please, email Ken Clarkson or visit theirwebsite.
 

Volunteer with Take Back the Tap
Take Back the Tap UCSC is looking for volunteers to end the sale of plastic water bottles on our campus. Volunteers can work on outreach, event planning, water taste tests, website and media creation, or discussion with store managers. If you're interested, email Take Back the Tap.
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California Youth Energy Services Hiring for Summer 

  
Do you live in the SF Bay Area during the summer? Interested in a fun, educational and enriching paid summer job? You should apply to be an Energy Specialist through the California Youth Energy Services program! Energy Specialists conduct basic energy & water assessments and retrofits of homes in the local community. Find out more about the program here. If you want to hear from someone who's worked as an Energy Specialist for CYES before, please contact Melissa.



Opportunities with Pick Up America
  
Pick Up America is looking for people to travel with them this year! They are seeking young, energetic leaders who are ready to hit the road, pick up litter, and organize for a more sustainable America. An ideal candidate would be self-motivated, know how to be a team player, and be eager to educate, strategize, network, and inspire resource stewardship and zero-waste in America. Visit their website to find all the details about the available positions.   


Green Corps Now Accepting Applications
  
Green Corps is looking for college graduates who are ready to take on the biggest environmental challenges of our day. In Green Corps' year-long paid program, you'll get hands-on experience fighting to solve urgent environmental problems - global warming, deforestation, water pollution and many others - with groups such as Sierra Club and Food and Water Watch. When you graduate from Green Corps, they help you find a career with one of the nation's leading environmental and social change groups. For more information, visit the Green Corps website. 


Student Conservation Association Internships

The SCA is one of the biggest partners for national parks and forests. Each year, they send thousands of youth across the country to get conservation experience in awesome places. Living expenses, housing, and round trip travel provided. Internships run from 3-12 months and are available in all 50 states. Visit their website for more information and to apply.   
  
 
Volunteer at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Interested in gardening, habitat restoration, tidepooling, maintaining exhibits and helping at events for the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History? Volunteer today! Find out more and fill out an application here or email Matt.

Earth Week 2012 - April 16-22

  

Want to participate in Earth Week 2012: Finding Room to Bloom? Student organizations can register their Earth Week events now on the Earth Week website. Interested in being part of the Earth Day Festival on April 22? You can also sign up online to have a table or workshop on Earth Day. If you are interested in getting involved with planning Earth Day (April 22), please emailSam Moll, College 8's Special Environmental Programs Coordinator.  For those who wish to attend these festivities, stay tuned for more information here.

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Have news you want to share with the campus community? Email us!

February 2012 Sustainability Profile: East Field House Gym Lighting Retrofit​

Next time you’re exercising on the east side of campus, check out the new lighting in the East Field House Gym—it was retrofitted over winter break with lights that will reduce energy consumption in the gym by 43% and cut down on maintenance and electricity bill costs. The project was funded last spring by the UCSC Carbon Fund, a funding body that was founded in 2010 and which uses Measure 44 money to fund projects that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conduct relevant research, or carry out education and behavioral change programs.UCSC Green Campus interns conducted the research and oversaw the project with the help of the UCSC Physical Plant. The idea for the retrofit came from the Sustainability Inter-Org Retreat last winter. Green Campus performed a similar retrofit at the West Field House, so the Green Campus team identified the East Field House Gym as a site in need of an upgrade to energy efficiency. Green Campus interns Abbas Mohamed, a fourth year, and Erin Linney, a third year, were assigned the project. 

The brand new, energy-efficient lighting in the East Field House Gym

“It was my first day on the job. When I started, I didn’t know anything about sustainability or lighting,” Abbas, who was the Project Coordinator and has since been promoted to Team Manager, said during an interview at the East Field House in January. “Now, I’m passionate about lighting."

East Field House Gym Retrofitting Project Coordinator, Abbas Mohamed

Abbas and Erin conducted research during winter quarter last year and drew models of the gym using software to download details and predict lighting levels and energy usage with different types of lamps. After coming up with all the figures regarding cost, carbon emission reductions and more, they submitted their proposal and were awarded funds to install new induction lamps in the gym.

Their Carbon Fund proposal states that “An important part of the project is to provide a more welcoming atmosphere and better light quality for sports events…By tackling lighting efficiency in a sports gym, we will reach out to a diverse group of students.” In addition to the social benefits, their estimated annual green house gas savings for the project are 3.41 tons CO²e, which over the course of the induction lamps’ life (25 years) will come out to 85.35 tons CO²e. In terms of money, they estimate $95,782 savings over the course of the lamps’ life, taking into account the fact that these new lamps require little to no maintenance, especially compared with the lamps that were in place before the retrofit.

The project is near completion. “We are still waiting for the company to send the wire guards which will be placed on the lamps to protect them from an airborne ball,” Erin, who now holds the position of Facilities Project Coordinator for Green Campus, wrote in a recent email. “Also, we will be receiving a large PG&E incentive check for the estimated saving of 14,860 kWh per year. The PG&E incentive money will be returned to the UCSC Carbon Fund to finance more projects which reduce our campus greenhouse gas emissions.”

If you have an environmental project that you need funding for, consider applying for the Carbon Fund. More information about the Carbon Fund’s mission and application process can be found on their website.

The Green Campus team. (Erin Linney, who worked on the East Field House Gym Lighting Retrofit project, is pictured on the far left in the front row. Project Coordinator is on the far left in the second row.)

To learn more about Green Campus and other projects they are working on, please visit their Facebook page.