December 2017: Contests and Funding

Association of California Water Agencies Awards
The ACWA awards two scholarships each year to students in a water-resources related field of study. Awards are based on a combination of scholastic achievement and a commitment on the part of the applicants to their chosen fields, best demonstrated by pursuing a degree related to or identified with engineering, agriculture or urban water supply, environmental studies and public administration associated with resources management.
Deadline: Feb 1, 2018
Find more information by clicking here.

Emily M. Hewitt Memorial Scholarship 
The Emily M. Hewitt Memorial Scholarship is for an upper division or graduate student who shows a commitment to communicate and interpret a love of nature and an understanding of the need to practice conservation. Students pursuing degrees in environmental protection, forestry, wildlife and fisheries, biology, parks and recreation, park management, environmental law and public policy, environmental art, and California history are encouraged to apply.
Deadline: April 15, 2018
Find more information by clicking here.

Folsom Garden Club Scholarship Program 
The Folsom Garden Club Scholarship Program is for both part-time and full-time students majoring in Horticulture, Floriculture, Landscape Design, Botany, Forestry, Agronomy, Conservation, Plant Pathology, Environmental Concerns and/or other related subjects.
Deadline: April 11, 2018
Find more information by clicking here.

2017 Global Engagement Photo Contest
The 2017 Global Engagement Photo Contest is for current UCSC International Students, current UCSC faculty or staff, and UCSC alumni who wish to share diverse cultural perspectives through photographs. Contestants are allowed a maximum of two photographs. Accepting Submissions from February 27, 2017, to March 28, 2017. Find more information and rules by clicking here.

December 2017: Classes, Training, and Community

New CNI- Climate Action Course Coming to UCSC in 2018

Keep an eye out for the new multicampus course coming soon to UCSC. The course, "Bending the Curve: Climate Change Solutions", seeks to attract students from all different disciplines to identify and explore solution-focused climate action projects. This course will be offered at three other UC's starting winter quarter and will be offered at UCSC later in 2018.

Santa Cruz Permaculture Design Course: January 1st Early Bird Deadline
Permaculture is an ethically based whole-systems design approach that uses concepts, principles, and methods derived from ecosystems, indigenous people, and other time-tested systems to create human settlements and institutions. This course includes the internationally recognized 72-hour curriculum, augmented by an additional 38 hours of hands-on practice and field trips. Plus, folks have the option to camp on site each weekend and build community by the fire! The early bird deadline if January 1st. Payment plants, low-income, and youth POC discounts are offered. For more information visit their website here.

School for Field Studies Environmentally Focused Study Abroad Opportunities
The School for Field Studies (SFS) creates transformative study abroad experiences through field-based learning and research. Their educational programs explore the human and ecological dimensions of the complex environmental problems faced by local partners, contributing to sustainable solutions in the places where they live and work. The SFS community is part of a growing network of individuals and institutions committed to environmental stewardship. Learn more about UCSC opportunities through this program or visit their website here.

Sun-Work Rooftop Solar Energy Training: December 9th & 16th
A free three-hour training session about rooftop solar energy will be offered on Saturday, December 9th at 9am in Cupertino and Saturday, December 16th at 1pm in Walnut Creek. These trainings are being sponsored by SunWork, a Bay-Area nonprofit that installs rooftop PV systems on small-energy-footprint homes with the help of volunteers. Register for the training here.

Sustainability Minor
If you are interested in working in the sustainability field, pursuing green entrepreneurship, and becoming an agent of change to protect the environment, consider declaring the Sustainability Minor.

UC Natural Reserve System Field Studies Summer Program: California Ecology, and Conservation
The UC Natural Reserve System is now accepting applications for the Summer 2018 Field Studies Program: California Ecology and Conservation. Students from across the UC system have gained strong independent scientific research skills while immersed in the training grounds of the UC natural reserves of Big Sur, the Mojave Desert, coastal redwoods, California grasslands, and among the high altitude bristlecone pines. Check out this video and the article Non-stop Nature to get a glimpse of what students are calling the most rewarding experience of their undergraduate careers. Applications are due February 5th, 2018.

UCSC Sustainability Classes for Winter 2017
CRSN 56: Media Internship for Sustainability (2 units)
If you are interested in using media platforms to tackle sustainability issues you should consider enrolling in CRSN 56 this winter. Students will work in groups to develop media projects related to Carson Colleges's theme of "Environment and Society". Enrollment is by application and instructor consent only.
CRSN 151A: Sustainability Praxis in the Built Environment (5 units)
This class is perfect for students wishing to develop tools and practices for conducting research in sustainability and performing research analysis.
ENVS 130B: Principles of Sustainable Agriculture
If you are interested in applying sustainability through understanding the complex set of interactions between ecological, social, and economic components of an agroecosystem, this class is for you. It will examine case studies drawing from current issues in U.S. agriculture and provide a basis for formulating sustainable policy.
ENVS 143: Sustainable Development: Economy, Policy, and Environment
This class examines how to solve global poverty without causing damage to the planet. It will analyze interactions among population, economic growth, poverty, global consumption ethos, property rights systems, global economy, state capacity, and environmental damage.

December 2017: Zero Waste Green Tip

The holidays draw out the best in most of us each year, but they also bring tons of extra garbage, millions of chopped-down trees, and megawatts of flashing lights. With a little tweaking, however, everything from holiday gift-giving to light-stringing can celebrate the environment, too. Here's how:

• Between Thanksgiving and New Year's day, Americans throw away a million extra tons [900,000 metric tons] of garbage each week, including holiday wrapping and packaging. So why not recycle holiday gift wrap? If every family reused just 2 feet [0.6 meter] of holiday ribbon, the 38,000 miles [61,000 kilometers] of ribbon saved could tie a bow around the entire planet.
• Recycling fresh trees after Christmas can make a huge difference in reducing holiday waste. Instead of taking up space in the landfill, trees can be ground into wood chips, which can be used to mulch gardens or parks or to prevent erosion at a local watershed.
• The newest energy-saving stars on the holiday scene are Christmas lights made with light-emitting diodes, or LEDs. First introduced in 2001, LEDs incorporate the same computer-chip technology used to light calculators and watches. The lights, which use semiconducting material rather than incandescent filaments, are 90 percent more efficient than traditional Christmas lights. According to one U.S. Department of Energy study, if everyone replaced their conventional holiday light strings with LEDs, at least two billion kilowatt-hours of electricity could be saved in a month. The savings would be enough to power 200,000 homes for a year, according to Littleton, Colorado-based Holiday Creations, which makes and distributes a popular line of LED light strings.

December 2017: Internships, Employment and Volunteering

Santa Cruz Climate Action Interns
The Climate Action Program is seeking two Climate Action interns for winter and spring quarter to assist in outreach efforts by participating in large community forums, tabling at locations throughout the city, and distributing information on the Climate Adaptation Plan Update to community members in a variety of formats. Interns will also be tasked with tracking outreach outcome metrics and in compiling and analyzing data collected through the outreach activities. These positions are unpaid, for credit internships with a preferred availability of 6 hours per week.

Sunbank Solar Water Heaters - Educational Marketing Internship
Sunbank is looking for a UCSC intern who will work directly with the CEO and help with their educational marketing campaigns. These campaigns will use a multimedia strategy to overcome the challenges that face the adoption of solar thermal technology. We are looking for someone who can assist with campaigns in progress and who can think creatively to help us start new initiatives.

Habitat For Humanity Restore - Social Media Intern
This is an opportunity to be in on an exciting new project that will go through early marketing and outreach to the community to full operation. Our program requires a part-time individual who would focus on marketing, social media, and public service announcements. Of course, there are also other shorter term volunteer opportunites available.

Allterra Environmental Consulting Internship
The internship with Allterra is ideal for students interested in careers in environmental science, marketing and communications, engineering, bio-technology, geology, hydro-geology, resource management, and general green consulting.  For more information visit Alterra Website.

November 2017 Sustainability Profile: Jennifer Perez

 Each month, our newsletter features a person or group on campus that is working towards a more sustainable world. This month we had the privilege to interview Jennifer Perez, a voting member of the Campus Sustainability Council. Their Organization helps to provide funds to UCSC student organizations for programs and events that create, implement, and monitor environmentally sound practices on campus. Their goal is to eventually have a collaborative setting between student organizations, faculty, and the Santa Cruz community.

Jennifer Perez
Voting Member of the Campus Sustainability Council 

During the interview, we asked how Jennifer Perez and the Campus Sustainability Council promotes sustainability.

What does sustainability mean?

 "I believe that sustainability is the the use of natural resources.  Sustainability is a institutional change among other components to create better conditions to help the needs of people." 

What sustainable practices do you live by in your daily life?

"My privileged life has given me the opportunity to own a reusable water bottle. I have it with me at all times, and I bring my own utensils for events. I also compost my food. On my less privileged life, my family and I reuse old containers. I try to be very active in many sustainable events."

 How did sustainability become your passion?   

"It became my passion during high school when I took a Marine Biology class. I realized how everything is connected to being sustainable and how it affects the earth."

 What does Campus Sustainability Council do? 

"The Campus Sustainability Council helps by funding student projects, sustainable organizations and other events. Our council consists of students of all years (Freshman-Seniors). During the fall we recruit students to train them for the Winter and Spring quarter. We start with interview process then train them to grow in the council. We collaborate with organizations such as Social Justice. During 2017, we collaborated with the Social Justice Media Center for the the 2nd annual Critical Voices Event. Funded by Alicia Garcia (Black Lives Matter founder)."

 How did you react to the President's political view towards the environment?  

"Our organization was not affected at all since we are self funded; however, I was and still am afraid of the environmental impacts since so many people do not believe in climate change. I believe there's still hope if people keep fighting for our Earth. 

 What is your long-term vision for sustainability at UCSC?

"I feel like we should place more composed bins around campus; however, my vision would be to have all colleges be informed about sustainability."

Is there a message you would like to tell UCSC students? 

" Start putting yourselves out there and help promote sustainability!" 

Campus Sustainability Council 2016-2017

November 2017: New! Sustainability Certificate Program for Employees

The Sustainability Certificate Program, launching in January, 2018, is a professional development opportunity for staff and faculty to examine sustainability issues, concepts and strategies for building a more sustainable and inclusive campus. Participants will gain knowledge and skills to empower their leadership in sustainability at UC and in their broader communities.

To complete the certificate, participants must complete the seven required courses and one elective within two academic years.

A tentative course list is as follows; finalized course listings and dates will be available on November 14th. Elective courses are asterisked. All courses will be taught by UCSC faculty and staff.

• Introduction to Sustainability  
• Sustainability in the UC
• Housing, Transportation & Land Use
• Climate Justice
• Intersections Between Diversity & the Environment
• Sustainability Leadership
• Fostering Sustainable Behavior
• Green Events
• Sustainable Purchasing

Registration will be open on the UC Learning Center on November 14th. If you would like to receive an email reminder to register, please add yourself to the program mailing list.