December 2016 Sustainability Profile: Jacqueline Puliatti

Name: Jax Puliatti

College, Major, Year: Porter, Environmental Studies, Class of 2017

Position Title(s):  
Sustainability Office Graphic Artist

What does “sustainability” mean to you? 
"Sustainability" to me is a mindset. No matter what I am doing, my impact on the earth is on my mind. Sustainability is applicable and should be applied to every aspect of our lives. I think of sustainability in this broader sense, as a mindset more than a discipline or subject area.

Why did you get involved with sustainability? 
I grew up in an environmentally conscious family. My mother is an environmental entrepreneur and an important mentor of mine. She taught me that sustainability is a way of life. Because of her, I have been involved in sustainability since my youth. It was only natural for me to attend UCSC within the Environmental Studies Department and work for the Campus Sustainability Office.

How has sustainability related to your role(s) at UCSC? 
Well, the Campus Sustainability Office (SO) is highly related to...you guessed it...sustainability! My role is focused on outreach and design. I work on spreading the word about SO programs, as well as other sustainability events happening in Santa Cruz and the Bay Area, through my design work, social media and good old emailing.

How do you practice sustainability in your daily life? 
As I stated before, sustainability for me is a mindset. Therefore, it is on the forefront of my mind each day. Every action I take has an impact so I ride my bike, I carry a Tupperware around at all times, I use a glass water bottle, I don't buy paper towels, I buy local organic food whenever possible, I purposefully spread tips to friends, I keep an ear open for new green tips, I do personal research on the environmental movement on at local and global levels, the list goes on.

Have you had a favorite sustainability moment at UCSC or somewhere else?  
My favorite sustainability moment to date came to me at Startup Weekend Santa Cruz which happened from November 18-20 of this year. I pitched an idea for a startup and of the over 80 participants, 7 people joined my team. Within 54 hours, we created a startup that works to track individual's carbon emissions from transportation and facilitate use of carbon offsets to instantaneously offset carbon use. But we didn't start with that idea. First we developed my idea: a sustainable and socially equitable business guide to Santa Cruz. By midday Saturday, we had realized the apps limitations and pivoted to new ideas countless times until we decided on Conifr, an idea which we were all enthusiastic about. So half-way into the weekend, we scraped everything and started anew. The efforts and energy that came over the next 24 hours were incredible. Having spent quality time with our team, learning about each other and respecting ideas and opinions, we created an environment of trust that facilitated equal contribution towards our startup. We entered the presentation stage of the event with optimism that came from a collectively light-hearted yet determined mindset. We didn't care if we won, we didn't even consider it a possibility. We were proud of our perseverance and community-building. We sat there, all in a row and were utterly shocked to hear the facilitators announce Conifr as the winner of Startup Weekend Santa Cruz! My team and I have decided to see this startup through, in two cities across the world from each other, Santa Cruz and Brisbane. The half of our team that lives in Santa Cruz will be presenting at Santa Cruz New Tech Meetup and we will continue to work with our teammates from Australia as they enter the sustainability markets down under! This weekend was life-changing for me. We are making waves so keep your eyes out for future sustainability moments with this motivated team of individuals!

Are there sustainability practices you’ve picked up specific to your background or culture? 
It is rather hard to pinpoint sustainability practices in regards to my specific cultural background. If you'll allow, I would draw on my experience living in a foreign country and learning from the rich culture of Ghana. I spent last school year studying abroad in Ghana. As part of the California program, we traveled all over the country, visiting and learning about organizations that are making great strides towards social and sustainable well-being. The Ghana Permaculture Institute was the place that inspired me the most. They are working to eradicate poverty through permaculture. They hold workshops and host people from all over the world, spreading their knowledge about permaculture practices and empowering farmers to rise up out of poverty in a sustainable way. They generate their own renewable energy through solar panels and compost stomaches, they have a mushroom cultivation program and one of their main crops, moringa, is a superfood native to Ghana that has been bringing farmers out of poverty across West Africa. I want to spread the word about the Ghana Permaculture Institute and the incredible strides they've taken. We often hear about the disease, poverty and corruption on the African continent. While those issues exist, there are so many amazing, inspirational, innovative people, programs and organizations that are thriving despite neocolonial disadvantages. It has become clear to me that part of my mission in life is to raise those people up, to support people those who have not had the advantages that I have been given, and who, despite this, are straight killin' the sustainability game. I look to the Ghana Permaculture Institute for inspiration and as a reminder that beauty, goodness and power can grow out of global disadvantage.

What is your favorite green tip?   
My favorite green tip would probably have to be to travel on bicycles! I love riding my bike, I travel practically everywhere in Santa Cruz with my Bianchi. It is an obvious one but if I see cycling as the ultimate sustainable transportation medium. There are so many aspects of sustainability that entail compromise and choosing the lesser of two evils. With cycling, there is no evil: you're getting a solid work-out, your endorphins are kicking in, you're getting where you need to go and it is guilt-free.

Each month, our newsletter features a person or group on campus that is working toward a more sustainable world. 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.

2nd Annual UCSC Bioneers Conference Report

By Mani Sandhu, Education & Outreach Team Associate for the Sustainability Office 

Bioneers is a national organization that is dedicated to social and environmental justice for all of humanity through practical and innovation solutions. They promote a philosophy that emphasizes the intrinsic value and wisdom that the natural world has to offer. In fact, the National Bioneers Conference has developed an efficacious core of innovation and collaboration for achieving social, cultural, and environmental justice through their annual conference in Marin County that attracts more than 2000 scholars, visionary activists, and innovators.

Here at UCSC, I had the privilege of not only attending the 2nd Annual UCSC Bioneers Conference, but also helping plan the event. Some of the purposes of the UCSC off-shoot of the national Bioneers conference were to expand the dialogue and to bring awareness to issues and connect at the local level. The event featured around 54 speakers and 30 workshops by community members, activists, scholars, and students--all related to different "tracks" of sustainability such as eco-nomics, women and youth leadership, indigenous knowledge, media, nature/culture/spirit, restorative practices for food systems and the bio-sphere, and ecological design, literacy, and medicine.

I was able to attend the plenaries and workshops of moving speakers such as Chairman Valentin Lopez of the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band, Executive Director of Bioneers Joshua Fouts, Marco Vangelisti of Slow Money, permaculture and aquaponics expert May Meyers, author and Director of Stanford Forgiveness Project Dr. Frederic Luskin, Lindsay Andrews and Chris Omer of the Santa Cruz Homeless Garden Project, and many others.

I learned about how disenfranchised groups are bringing awareness to race and socioeconomic disparities, as well as food and labor inequalities. Some examples I heard about include the Amah Mutsun Tribal Band's efforts to restore lost traditional ecological knowledge and reintroduce it to land stewardship; Lightwood Pictures' film illuminating the benefits of discovering sustainable solutions to preserve local land and food; and Kelsey Ott's plenary on the significance of seeing someone for their mind, perspective, personality, and values instead of focusing on the preconceived notions, prejudices, and stereotypes based on physical appearance that are enforced by our society and culture everyday.

Additionally, I learned that we must begin to consider our natural resources as capital assets that provide a significant, sustained flow of economic benefits and require investment in order to properly conserve them, how peaceful environmental and social protests can be strengthened by university support and facilitation, and how to campaign and outreach to fight against current systems of injustice. It was both thought-provoking and gut-wrenching to hear about the injustices committed against the environment and people everyday. However, as such, the conference was also an enlightening outlet that allowed us to collaborate and come together to find creative solutions to combat these issues.

The two-day conference was an eye-opening, prolific experience of transformation, connection, and community that filled me with inspiration and empowerment to help create a just, sustainable world.

Ken Foster of Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping made this beautiful mandala out of "waste" materials like beer mash, tea, and other natural materials in his workshop titled "Mining the Urban Waste Stream."

Dr. Fred Luskin speaking about the power of forgiveness on Sunday.

Mira Michelle hosting a workshop on Sunday titled "Building Resilience: at the Personal, Community, and Ecological Levels."

To check out the rest of pictures from the weekend, click here!

March 2016: Internships, Employment, and Volunteering

Internships

2-Unit Zero Waste Team Internships - Deadline March 11
The Zero Waste Team is seeking three dedicated interns that are interested in gaining professional experience and are passionate about waste reduction on the UCSC campus. Interns will be assigned to one of the following three projects based on interest: Assisting in planning and facilitating Zero Waste Events, planning and facilitating 2nd Annual Campus Clean Up, or standardizing waste infrastructure across campus. Each of these projects will grant interns a level of creative autonomy but will also provide structure, guidance and relevant training to be an effective asset to the Zero Waste Team. Read all of the application details here.

Campus Food & Garden Guide Intern
Want to contribute to the creation of this year's annual Campus Food & Garden Guide? Food Systems Working Group is hiring an intern to support this project. For more information and to apply, please contact Alyssa at abillys[at]ucsc[dot]edu. See previous Food & Garden Guides online here.

Spring CASFS Internships through Environmental Studies
The Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems will be hosting 2 unit and 5 unit internships in spring quarter on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9-12pm. Apply through the Environmental Studies Internship Office. Contact Alyssa at abillys[at]ucsc[dot]edu for more information.

Internships with Stevenson Garden
Spend time outdoors in the sun this spring quarter with a 2-unit Stevenson Garden internship! Interns get hands-on gardening experience and contribute to the growth and abundance of the Stevenson Garden. Credit is through the Environmental Studies Internship office. Contact Dave Shaw at daveshawlistens[at]gmail[dot]com for more information.

Environmental Studies Internships Open to All Majors

The Environmental Studies has many different internship opportunities available for spring. These 2 and 5-unit internships are open to all majors. Review some of the internships and learn how to apply on the Environmental Studies website here. Contact Chris Krohn for more information and additional internship listings at ckrohn [at] ucsc [dot] edu.

Seeking Mentors & Students for Provost Sustainability Internship - $1500 + 12 units!
Are you interested in working to make our campus more environmentally and socially sustainable? The PSI program is a great way to get involved! The program pairs students with staff and faculty mentors to plan and implement a year-long campus sustainability project. Students receive internship credit for the fall, winter, and spring quarters and a $1500 scholarship upon completion of the program. Environmental Studies Senior Exit can be fulfilled with this program. Share this opportunity on Facebook here. Learn more on the website.
>>Student applications are due April 28th at 5pm; student applications are available here.
>>Mentor applications for departments to host an intern are due April 15th at 5pm; mentor applications are available here.

Summer Internships for Current Students with Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN): Application due March 11 
PLAN is seeking current students for six internship positions this summer. Positions available for this summer are Storytelling Intern, Grant Writing Intern, Visual Media Intern, Movement-Building Intern, Goodwill Intern, Business Development Intern. Interns work out of Dover, NH. For more information, click here.

Campus Coordination Summer Fellowship with Post-Landfill Action Network (PLAN): Application due March 11

The Campus Coordination Fellowship is a position for a recent grad looking to build a career in organizing for the zero waste movement. Duties include working with the Director of Campus Coordination to update campus contact databases and identify campuses for outreach and outreaching to campuses nationwide. Fellows work out of Dover, NH. Click here for more information.

Stream Ecology Field Assistant
The incumbent would help the lead researcher collect benthic macroinvertebrate samples and assess habitat condition in streams in Marin and Sonoma counties. The project will span a 4-6 week period from late March to early May, and typically involve 3-4 days of work per week. To apply, submit a cover letter and resume to bstanfor [at] ucsc [dot] edu. For more information, click here.

Naturalist Internship at Foothill Horizons: Deadline April 1
Interns work with sixth grade students during week-long outdoor education sessions. Interns lead students on hikes and outdoor exploration while teaching hands-on science curriculum in a fun, engaging way. On certain weeks, interns also serve as the recreation leader for freeplay and various activities. For more information, click here.

Naturalist Internship with Sierra Outdoor School
Interns will teach 4th through 6th-grade students science concepts and lead team building activities in an outdoor setting in the Sierra Nevada foothills. This position involves leading small and large groups in day classes, field trips, and night program activities. For more information, click here.

Citizen Outreach Director for Fund for the Public Interest
Fund for the Public Interest is hiring Citizen Outreach Directors to run grassroots campaign offices across the country next fall, working on behalf of groups like Environment America, US PIRG, and the Human Rights Campaign. Directors will run campaigns to ban fracking, end LGBT discrimination in the workplace, and reclaim democracy by getting big money out of politics, all while hiring and managing an office of committed activists. Find information about this and other jobs with the Fund here.

Employment

Student Sustainability Adviser (SSA) and SSA Administrative Assistant
Applications for the positions of Student Sustainability Adviser and SSA Administrative Assistant for the 2016-2017 academic year are now open. The primary role of Student Sustainability Advisers is to raise awareness and offer educational opportunities within their designated college communities about the many ways in which campus residents can positively affect and contribute to UCSC's sustainability goals. More information can be found via the Employee Request System at ER #7056 for the position of SSA and at ER #7534 for the position of SSA Administrative Assistant.

UCSC Take Back the Tap Campaign Coordinator and Organizers
Take Back the Tap is currently looking for new organizers and outreaching for candidates for a paid coordinator position for the 2016-2017 school year. Organizers and the coordinator will have the chance to work with outreach, event planning, fiscal, and community organizing projects. If you are interested in organizing with the campaign, attend their meetings on Mondays from 12:15-1:45 PM in Kresge Room 166, or contact them at tbttucsc-group [at] ucsc [dot] edu.

Assistant/Associate Professor in Sustainability Science at Colorado State Universiry: Priority Deadline March 6
The Department of Ecosystem Science and Sustainability at Colorado State University (CSU) seeks candidates for the position of Assistant/Associate Professor who have expertise in the role of how socio-economic factors constrain and provide opportunities for solving current sustainability challenges for social-ecological systems across multiple spatial and temporal scales. More information can be found here.

Sustainability Analyst for University of Virginia: Application due March 9
The UVA Office for Sustainability is seeking an Energy and Sustainability Engineer to contribute to developing solutions to meet university-wide goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and overall environmental stewardship. More information can be found at jobs.virginia.edu under the University Staff section or by searching for posting number 0618198.

Energy and Sustainability Engineer for University of Virginia: Application due March 9
The UVA Office for Sustainability is seeking an Energy and Sustainability Engineer to contribute to developing solutions to meet university-wide goals for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, energy consumption, and overall environmental stewardship. More information can be found at jobs.virginia.edu under the University Staff section or by searching for posting number 0618196.

Food Recovery Network Positions: Applications considered on rolling basis through April 8
Food Recovery Network is the largest student movement against food waste and hunger in America. The network is currently seeking to fill the positions of Communications Associate, Programming Associate, and 2016-2017 Fellowship Cohort. Position descriptions and application instructions can be found here.

Employment with the Society for Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics & Native Americans in Science (SACNAS)
SACNAS is a national nonprofit organization headquartered in Santa Cruz and the largest multicultural and multidisciplinary diversity in STEM organization in the country. SACNAS is currently seeking applicants for the positions of Accountant/Administrative Services, Program Manager, and Director of Programs.

Energy Manager for Pomona College in Claremont, CA
The Energy Manager provides leadership to the College’s energy program and utility systems and to advance Pomona’s Sustainability Action Plan. This position requires a Bachelors degree in a related technical or engineering discipline or equivalent career experience, Energy Manager Certification strongly preferred and LEED AP or ability to obtain within 18 months. For more information, see here.

Electric Vehicle Program Associate for the International Council on Clean Transportation
The ICCT seeks a highly motivated, self-directed person to contribute to a wide range of research on electric vehicle technology and policies to promote advanced efficiency and plug-in electric vehicles. This position will be located in San Francisco, California. Find more information here.

Safe Routes to School Project Manager, New Jersey
RideWise, a non-profit agency located in Bridgewater, NJ that promotes the use of sustainable travel alternatives is seeking a full-time Safe Routes to School Project Manager to plan and implement projects and activities that improve bicycle/pedestrian access and safety for school-age students. Learn more online.

Sustainability Project Manager for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology  
The project manager will provide leadership and implementation strategies on sustainable building design and construction, energy, water, stormwater, land management, and waste systems. They will lead the development of and enable the implementation of current and future related sustainability commitments, relevant data management, strategic planning, analysis, and collaborative relationships. More information available can be found here.

Volunteering

Earth Day Volunteers Needed
Earth Day Santa Cruz is an annual event to raise environmental awareness; address concerns; showcase solutions; and present balanced modes of living for the well-being of each individual, the community, and the planet. Earth Day Santa Cruz needs about 75 volunteers to help promote, set up and support the booths at the event. If you are interested in volunteering for this great event, email Rebecca Sale at rsale [at] ucsc [dot] edu or earthday [at] ecoact [dot] com.

Volunteer with the Student Environmental Center (SEC)
The SEC is a great way for students to grow as individuals, learn leadership skills, and gain invaluable work experience. Volunteers learn about current campus projects and policies and have the opportunity to participate or take on leadership roles in many topic areas. To get involved, please email seclead-group [at] ucsc [dot] edu, visit the website at sec.enviroslug.org, or attend General Gatherings to meet members and learn about specific volunteer opportunities.

Volunteer with Sea Slugs, an Ocean Conservation Org 
Sea Slugs is an ocean-minded campus organization dedicated to environmental stewardship. It is an excellent opportunity for students (both undergrad and grad) to engage in the greater community through public service while making a positive impact on the local environment. For information about meeting times and opportunities, contact Sea Slugs at seaslug.ucsc [at] gmail [dot] com or visit their website.

Join Banana Slugs for Animals 
Banana Slugs for Animals welcomes all to their weekly meetings. During the meetings they discuss animal rights and plan events! If you would like to know more please email slugsforanimals [at] gmail [dot] com or visit their Facebook page.

Sprout Up
Sprout Up is environmental education for the next generation. Sprout Up is an organization that teaches environmental science and sustainability to 1st and 2nd grade students in elementary schools all around Santa Cruz. To learn about joining Sprout Up, email communitysc [at] sproutup [dot] org.

Arboretum Volunteer Gardening Opportunities 
The Arboretum has volunteer gardening hours throughout the week. Visit their website for details.

The Bike Church Community Repair Shop Seeking Volunteers
Have a knack for cycling, biking and learning to maintain bikes? Interested in learning to divert bike parts from the waste stream? Then this is the opportunity for you! Click here for more information.

Volunteer with Coastal Watershed Council
The Coastal Watershed Council invites you to join its efforts to protect and preserve local watersheds! If you are interested in volunteering on the San Lorenzo River, doing water quality monitoring through programs like Snapshot Day, First Flush, Urban Watch or any of CWC’s other events and programs, please visit their website.

National Bioneers Conference Report-Back

Melissa Ott, the Office Manager and Events Coordinator in the Sustainability Office, shares her experience at the National Bioneers Conference.

For 25 years, the National Bioneers Conference has connected thousands of people with practical, visionary solutions for humanity's most pressing environmental and social challenges." This year was my first time attending the National Bioneers Conference in San Rafael, CA, and it was a powerful experience that was made possible through a scholarship from UCSC's Common Ground Center. Bioneers, for me, brought the many threads of "sustainability" - environment, people, ecology, biodiversity, diversity, justice, equity, celebration of difference, purpose, conservation, conversation, art, climate, water, community, etc. - into a beautifully, vibrantly, amazingly woven cloth that held all of the attendees in its embrace for a weekend, bringing us in contact with new ideas and new people, encouraging us to sink into the realities of our world in their fullness. It was challenging to face some of those realities in their fullness--such as injustices, racism, and lack of inclusion within the sustainability movement and throughout society--but it was also necessary and important and motivating to participate in being the change. And of course many of those realities that I faced at Bioneers were beautiful examples of ways humans have brought justice and love and compassion for people and planet into the world and into their work. 

Throughout the weekend, I witnessed inspiring speakers such as Paul Hawken, Rinku Sen of Race Forward, author Kim Stanley Robinson, Ben Knight of Loomio, storyteller Michael Meade, Saru Jayarama of the Restaurant Opportunities Centers United, and many others. I learned about work taking place to identify the most worthwhile approaches to reduce carbon in the atmosphere, such as reducing food waste, adding compost to soil, and capturing energy from tides and waves in our oceans. I heard about experiences individuals and organizations have had in illuminating race disparities and inequities in sectors like the labor, media, and food industries. There was even a dance party on the agenda for Saturday night, and it was a unique way to process the weekend's teachings, experiences, and ideas through movement. The conference was an amazing experience! I have brought back to UCSC with me a renewed inspiration to be the change I wish to see in the world and support my fellow banana slugs in the exciting, necessary, and oftentimes challenging work that we face in making the world more just and thriving.

Eight year old Lorelei Browman hangs her wish "of black and white together" for the Singing Tree Mural Collective Project at Bioneers 2015. Photo via: Susanna Frohman Photography

"The deepest part of the human soul is imagination." - Michael Meade performs with John Densmore at Bioneers 2015 during one of my favorite presentations. Photo via Josué Rivas Fotographer

Rinku Sen spoke about inclusion and social justice as a keynote speaker and as moderator of the "Racing Up Your Movement" session at Bioneers 2015. Photo: Josué Rivas Fotographer

Environmental Justice Undergraduate Field Experiences in the Amazon

Chris Kane is an undergraduate student at UCSC and Team Coordinator for the Zero Waste Team in the Sustainability Office. Over the summer, he participated in a field study abroad with Dr. Flora Lu, a professor of Environmental Studies and Provost of Colleges 9 & 10 at UCSC. Her research focuses on "social, political, and environmental effects of extractive industries on communities of the Ecuadorian Amazon and on the lives of its residents." Chris went to Ecuador last summer to join Dr. Lu in the field conducting research.

Click on this link to read about Chris' experiences with the Waorani tribes in Ecuador, who no longer have access to clean water and whose culture has been disappearing due to the ever-expanding oil industrial facilities.

The Future of Water

On Thursday, October 16, Santa Cruz Water Department customers had the opportunity to evaluate over 50 citizen-submitted proposals that addressed water supply needs at an event at the Santa Cruz Civic Auditorium. This day represented a fundamental shift in approach to public policy because it attempted to engage citizens outside of a traditional meeting, and it allowed the community to vote. Each proposal was rated based upon four criteria: Effectiveness, Practicability, Environmental Benefits, and Local Economic Benefits, only a scale from 1 to 5. 

If you missed the convention, you can still engage in this process through the Civonomics website here by November 11. You can vote for or against all of the proposals, learn more, ask questions, make pro/con statements on specific ideas, and leave feedback. The civic process and the possibilities of the internet merge in this project; perhaps this is the new frontier for citizen involvement in government! 

If you would like to know more and cast your vote online, please visit the Civinomics website and vote by November 11.