Welcome to Fall Quarter

Dear UCSC Sustainability Newsletter Reader,

UC Santa Cruz has a big year of sustainability ahead. We are in a four-year countdown to the year 2020, which is the goal year for a number of University of California systemwide sustainability measures, like Zero Waste and Real Food. We've got four more years to achieve our goals, and it's up to all of us to join in these efforts.

This year, our campus is also developing an updated Campus Sustainability Plan (CSP) for 2017-2022. The CSP provides a comprehensive framework for advancing sustainability in four interconnected topic areas on campus, and it will identify goals, strategies, and actions to guide and track our campus progress. Read previous years' CSPs on our website here, and stay tuned for opportunities to share your input on the new CSP.

We're also excited to announce that Kristen Lee has joined our office as the new Sustainability Programs Manager. She will be focusing on zero waste, water conservation, and grant writing for sustainability. To learn more about Kristen, read her interview here.

Over the summer, many UCSC students and staff attended the California Higher Education Sustainability Conference at CSU Fullerton. Some memorable quotes from students who attended include:

• "This was an inspiring conference. I met hardworking and dedicated people. Learning about all of these case studies reignited my passion for sustainability." - Rebecca Sale, former Education & Outreach Team Coordinator
• "The conference had a great array of workshops that resonated with what I do at the Sustainability Office. I learned about new water distillation processes and equipment, new forms of purchasing guidelines, the importance of student voices, as well as ways to reduce energy in research labs." - Waleed Salemi, Green Labs Coordinator
• "The purpose of our panel was to exchange ideas and build networks and partnerships around the shared goal of increased sustainability in campus labs, including topics such as researcher engagement, student roles, funding and financing, and prolific laboratory waste streams. As the student voice for the UCSC Green Labs team, I highlighted our “Equipment Retrofit Fund” of $30,000 from Carbon Fund grants that we offer labs as an incentive to get certified and support purchasing energy-efficient equipment. The CHESC panel drew a large crowd of mostly staff and administrators, and we hosted a successful Q&A session that addressed many facets of different green lab initiatives." - Lily Urmann, former Green Labs Coordinator

You can also read about Will Watson's procurement sustainability project, which he presented about at the conference.

In addition to these updates, we also want to review for those who are new to our newsletter list what you can expect from our newsletters this year. The purpose of these monthly newsletters is to promote campus and community sustainability news, events, and opportunities to get involved. We do our best to include all of the opportunities and stories we learn about. If you have a story or update you want us to share, please email sustain.education@ucsc.edu by the 15th of the month for inclusion in the next month's newsletter.

Here's what to expect from our newsletters each month of the school year: On the left column, we feature a few major news stories and a sustainability profile, which highlights an individual or group who are demonstrating sustainability in action through their work or studies. On the right column, we include links to other news, campus achievements & awards; easy and useful green tips to practice sustainability in our everyday lives; sustainability research stories; contests & funding opportunities; internship, job & volunteer opportunities; and the classes, training & community section, which includes courses, workshops, and opportunities to support sustainable communities. To read past newsletter publications, visit our archive.

Have questions, suggestions, or ideas for our newsletter? Want to be featured for the work you're doing on campus? Email us at sustain.education@ucsc.edu.

Thank you for being a dedicated member of our Sustainability Newsletter list, and we hope you have a great year, sustainabilibuddies!

Sincerely,
The UCSC Sustainability Office Education & Outreach Team