February 2018: Green Tips

It's important for us to practice sustainability when using electronics and everyday gadgets. It's usually an afterthought for us but taking the steps to save energy whenever it's not in use makes a huge difference for the environment.

Electronics and Appliances

Turn it off: A habit that should eventually become second nature. All appliances and electronics should be kept off when not in use, even for short amounts of time.

Unplug: This reduces the amount of “vampire electricity,” that energy appliances suck even when they are turned off. Computers, televisions, and DVRs use the most electricity when off but still plugged in. Power strips make this more convenient by using one switch to eliminate all power. Try smart power strips that shut down products that go into standby mode.

Change your settings: Adjust your computer settings to energy-saving options

  •  Enable standby (“sleep”) mode. A typical computer uses 50-150 Watts of power, but only 1-6 W when on standby.
  •  Don’t use a screensaver – these use just as much energy as active use.
  •  Check your power settings – choose “Energy Saver” modes.
  •  Turn it off – Leaving your computer for 30 minutes or more? Shut it down for significant savings.
  •  Use an energy-saving software that automatically adjusts your settings without affecting your use. Try a free program like Granola Software.

February 2018: Internships, Employment and Volunteering

Energy & Sustainability Manager (Administrator I)/Facilities Planning & Management
The incumbent is responsible for providing direction and leadership to the entire campus in the area of sustainability, energy management, utility supply and demand, energy conservation, including the operations, maintenance, repair, installations, and improvements of the campus utility infrastructure, central plant and campus HVAC.  The incumbent will research, coordinate and identify environmental stewardship best practices.  Develops operational implementation guidelines and manages the process for sustainability practices and the communication of results. To find more information about CSUSB Office of Sustainability click here. To apply, click here.


Events and Membership Coordinator

Bike Santa Cruz County seeks an experienced membership and event coordinator with a passion for active transportation to engage and grow our membership through community events and programs. This includes planning established large events such as Run by the Sea, Open Streets Santa Cruz County events, and Bike Santa Cruz County’s Annual Dinner, and smaller events such as Kids Bike Parties and our annual member meeting. This position will also be responsible for managing our membership program, including recruiting new individual and business members. The ideal candidate will be able to balance multiple projects independently and manage event growth and development, as well as initiating new events to help us meet our community engagement goals. Find more information by clicking here.

Sustainable Community Apprenticeship: No Deadline Date Provided
Apprenticeship is a 3-month full immersion experience in a land-based intentional community working side-by-side with Stewards of the Windward community gaining practical, hands-on skills with the tools needed to build a life in concert with the natural world. Contact: Andrew Schreiber, windward@gorge.net Check out the website for more details! To check out the flyer, please click here.

Warming Center Internship
Warming Center Program is a coldest/wettest nights’ homeless emergency shelter.  We only open when weather forecasts drop below an activation threshold. We’re seeking someone who will work with the director during the cold-weather shelter season.  The intern will help with temperature-forecast program activation and volunteer coordination as well as other supportive administrative duties. Contact Person: Brent Adams compassionman@hotmail.com For more details, click here.

Educational Marketing Internship

• Our UCSC intern will work directly with the CEO and help with our 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. Contact Person: James Richards, james@thesunbank.com, 831-824-4346 For more details, click here

Solar Design Tool Internship

• Solar Design Tool is looking for 1 senior for a paid 4-6 hr/week internship in Winter 2017 with the possibility of increased hours and responsibilities afterward. Intern will assist in sales and support for the SolarDesignTool application. Contact Person: Shawn Kranitz, shawn.kranitz@solardesigntool.com For more details, click here.

February 2018: Classes, Trainings, and Community

Citrus Workshop for the Home Gardener and Small-Scale Grower
Come to this workshop that is all about citrus, led by Orin Martin, manager of UCSC's Alan Chadwick Garden, and Daniel Paduano, owner of Abounding Harvest Mountain Farm. Participants will learn about the best varieties of citrus for the Monterey Bay region, how to select and prepare a planting site; how to plant; and how to irrigate, fertilize, prune, and control pests and disease in a range of citrus trees. The workshop takes place in the Hay Barn on February 11th from 9:30-12pm and includes a tasting of locally grown citrus! To register online or for more information click here.

Common Ground Center World Cafes
Kresge Common Ground Center is hosting World Cafes this Quarter at the Kresge Seminar Room on Mondays from 5-7pm. The World Cafe is a weekly potluck of both food and ideas. These events bring a diversity of people together to explore whatever topics matter to them. Each night is focused on a different theme. For more information, check out their website or Facebook page. Can’t wait to hear what actions emerge from these conversations!

Cycling the New Urban Frontier: Bicycle Infrastructure, Gentrification, and the Urbanization of Environmental Politics
This is a free presentation, lectured by John Stehlin. It draws on research conducted in several big cities to examine two main forms of bicycle infrastructure: bike lanes and bicycle sharing systems. Through the institutional alignment of bicycle advocacy with key actors in the urban growth machine, these infrastructures have become core features of inter-urban competitive strategy. This leads to a demand-led form of infrastructure provision that reflects and reinforces sociospatial inequality at the neighborhood and regional scale. Stehlin argues that these contradictions pose real limits on the potential for bicycling as a meaningful response to climate change. This event takes place at Rachel Carson College 301 on February 8th 11:45-1:12pm. Learn more about this presentation here. 

Rare and Extraordinary Plant Lecture Series by Bruce Lyon, Ph.D.
Come to this free lecture given by Bruce Lyon, Ph.D., on the distinctive birds of Australia. He will cover some of the broad-brush features that make Australia's birdlife different from most other places and present natural history vignettes of a few of the more charismatic species to give a sense of the diversity of birds and their behaviors and breeding systems that one might see in a typical temperate Australian woodland. This event will take place in the Arboretum on February 2nd at 7:00pm. For more information click here.

Sun-Work Rooftop Solar Energy Training: February 24th
A free three-hour training session about rooftop solar energy will be offered on Saturday, February 24th at 2:15pm in the Berkeley Library. This training is 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.

UCSC IEEE 2nd Technology of Today and Tomorrow Student Conference 
This conference works to inspire students to create the technology of tomorrow. It will bring in speakers from industry to talk about research and career opportunities both in and outside of the traditional tech world. This event is on February 3rd at Baskin Engineering. To purchase tickets or for more information click here.

Weekend Bootcamp For the Home Orchardist
Whether you are interested in planting a single tree or a whole orchard come to this two-day workshop. It will equip you with the information and techniques to grow a wide variety of deciduous fruit trees successfully! The workshop is on February 24th and 25th. Pre-registration is required for this event. To register online or for more information click here.

Women/Trans Bike Church Workshop
Bicycle maintenance has traditionally been an overwhelmingly male-dominated area. This workshop provides a safer space for women and trans-identified folks to work on their bikes and learn new skills. Workshops are facilitated by female and non-binary mechanics and occur every 1st and 3rd Sunday of the month from 12-3pm. For more information click here.

January 2018: Green Tips

With each new year comes a bundle of resolutions—some of which get never resolved—but nevertheless, many adopt a value of becoming more 'green'. Regardless of the staticity of the resolution, you can start taking baby steps by adopting practical practices that you might incorporate into your regular routine. We've listed some general, simple, and most importantly, realistic tips for this year that are easy to implement!

1. Cut down on meat

• You don't have to become vegan to make a difference. Simply participating in meatless mondays or intermittent vegetarianism can help reduce the massive amounts of land, food, energy, water, and immense animal suffering that results from animal agriculture. The United States Environmental Protection Agency also notes that ~20% of greenhouse gas emission result from agricultural practices, including livestock, soils, and the intensive farming of animals.

2. Divert your trash from landfills

• It's finally the time to become the recycling expert and never second guess the blue bin again. Additionally, composting food waste/scraps, compostable food containers, and soiled paper towels or products can help divert trash from landfills. Never have a nervous breakdown at the  four bins again!

3. Eliminate phantom power.

• Most electronic devices actually still use electricity, even when they're powered down or in standby mode. By unplugging laptop chargers, toasters, blenders, and other small household electronics during the year when you're not using them, you'll not only save on your PGE bill, but reduce your carbon footprint!

4. Unsubscribe from junk mail

• Is there a pile of mile somewhere in your house or apartment currently? Will you ever read any of it before it ends up in the trash? According to the Direct Marketing Association (DMA), over 11.9 billion catalogs were mailed out in 2013. Save yourself and the trees by banishing junk mail from your mailbox.

5. Eat more local products

• Local products actually use fewer fossil fuels, promote food safety, and support your local economy. Santa Cruz has various opportunities for you to shop locally including the SC Community Farmer's Market and the Aptos Farmers Market

January 2018: 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.

Switzer Environmental Fellowship Program
The Switzer Fellowship is granted to exceptional graduate students—10 in New England and 10 in California—who exhibit a promising future in environmental improvement and leadership. Winners get a one-year $15,000 cash prize, networking opportunities, and support to help foster their growth as environmental professionals.
Deadline: TBD
Find more information by clicking here.