November 2014 Green Tip: Sustainable Fall

Holiday season is creeping up quickly and here are some tips to make your holidays more sustainable!

Are you ready for Thanksgiving?

Invest in certified humane turkey, visit your local farmers market for organic cranberries, sweet potatoes and other fresh veggies.
While preparing your delicious meals collect food scraps before and after and start a compost at your home.

Do you know how you are getting home?  

Ride-sharing is a great way to get home without using a personal car, saving you money and reducing your pollution. Zimride is a website that posts rides for UCSC students, and all you have to do is pitch in for gas! If you have a car you can post your ride and Zimride can help you get people to pitch in for gas. It's a great way for travelers to reduce their carbon footprint. Zimride is available throughout the year so it can be helpful when going home for a weekend.

Are you trying to get to Los Angeles/Orange County? The UCSC Recreation Department is offering an LA Turkey Express bus for Thanksgiving that leaves Wednesday, November 26 at noon and returns Sunday, November, 30th. There is also an LA Polar Express that leaves on Thursday, December 18 at noon and returns Sunday, January 4.

Another great resource for heading up to San Jose (where there's a train station and airport that can take you elsewhere) is the 17 Express. This bus leaves from the local metro station in Santa Cruz. For only 5 dollars you can ride to San Jose.

Green Tip #7: Ride-sharing and Public Transportation

November is here--do you know how you are getting home for Thanksgiving? Ride-sharing is a great way to get home without using a personal car, saving you money and reducing your pollution. Zimride is a website that posts rides for UCSC students, and all you have to do is pitch in for gas! If you have a car you can post your ride and Zimride can help you get people to pitch in for gas. It's a great way for travelers to reduce their carbon footprint. Zimride is available throughout the year so it can be helpful when going home for a weekend. During the month of November, Zimride is raffling off a new iPad to those who add a ride as either a passenger or a driver. For more information click here.

Are you trying to get to Los Angeles/Orange County for Thanksgiving and or Winter Break? The UCSC Recreation Department is offering a LA Turkey Express bus for Thanksgiving that leaves Wednesday, November 21 at noon and returns to Santa Cruz on Sunday, November 25. There is also a LA Polar Express that leaves on Thursday, December 13 at noon and returns Sunday, January 6. For more information click here.

Another great resource for heading up to San Jose (where there's a train station and airport that can take you elsewhere) is the 17 Express. This bus leaves from the local metro station in Santa Cruz. For only 5 dollars you can ride to San Jose. For a full bus schedule click here.

While we are talking about transportation here are some other great resources:

• Rent a car with friends and use Zipcar
• Bike library click here.
• Bike shuttle click here.

How do you travel? What's your favorite form of public transit? Post in the comments!

October 2012: Clubs, Gardens, & Hikes

Food Systems Learning Journeys for Fall Quarter

Food Systems Working Group (FSWG) will be coordinating and leading six exciting learning journeys this coming fall through our partnership with OPERS and the Recreation Office.  To find out more about the FSWG learning journeys and sign-up, go to the Recreation website for more info. You can begin signing up for recreation activities on October 2.

Arboretum Gardening Days

The Arboretum has gardening many days of the week in different gardens. If you're interested in volunteering in the Arboretum gardens, please click here to learn more.

Arboretum Garden Tours - 1st Saturdays 11 AM
Join a docent-led tour on the first Saturday of the month. The tour is free with your Arboretum admission. Tours start at 11 AM in front of Norrie's Gift Shop. Find out more about what's going on at the Arboretum by clicking here.

Arboretum Community Day - 1st Tuesdays
The first Tuesday of every month, visit the Arboretum for free! Typically, admission to the Arboretum is $5.00 ($2.00 for children, free to Arboretum Associates, UCSC students with valid ID, and volunteers). Find out more about what's going on at the Arboretum by clicking here.

Friends of Community Agroecology Network - Tuesdays 6-8 PM

FoCAN is a student-initiated, student-led community at UCSC that supports CAN's mission of promoting rural livelihoods and sustainable food systems through action education and participatory action research. They meet Tuesdays from 6-8 PM in building A3 of the Village. Find out more about FoCAN here.

Natural History Club - Meeting times TBD
The Natural History Club is all about exploring the natural spaces on and around our beautiful campus. They go on hikes around campus, learning about its natural history. They focus on learning plants, birds, animal tracking, mushrooms, and anything they discover. Overall the club seeks to deepen members' understanding, awareness and connection with nature. Visit the Natural History Club Facebook group for meeting times, locations and more information. Meeting times will be determined once the Fall quarter starts.

Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers' Market - Wednesdays 

Eating locally grown food reduces your carbon footprint and supports the local economy. Purchasing your food through the area’s farmers’ markets ensures that you are getting the freshest, healthiest and tastiest foods while supporting local jobs, increasing local spending and promoting the region’s strong farming tradition. Check out the Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers' Market, and learn more, including hours and locations, here.

Student Environmental Center - Wednesdays 5:30-7:30 PM

The purpose of the Student Environmental Center is to promote student involvement through research, education, and implementation of environmentally sustainable practices on campus in collaboration with the university. SEC's General Gatherings take place in the College 8 Red Room. Vegetarian dinner provided. For more information, visit their website or send them an email.

Path to a Greener Stevenson - Tuesdays 9 PM

Path to a Greener Stevenson (PTAGS) meets in the Stevenson House 2 lounge. PTAGS is an environmentally conscious group of staff and students whose aim is to implement change towards sustainability through projects within our community. They see the Stevenson community as an environment to encourage students to turn their innovative thoughts into action. This year, Stevenson residents received reusable hand towels (pictured above) largely thanks to the works of students in PTAGS. For more information including the Fall meeting time, visit the Facebook group or email Blake Redding.

Gardeners' Alliance Gatherings
The Gardeners' Alliance is a group within SEC's Students for Organic campaign that works to  promote the campus gardens and unite the garden-friendly community by creating a space to promote and share information between campus gardeners and the students of UCSC. To see a list of on-campus gardens and find out more, visit the Gardeners' Alliance website here.

Stevenson Garden Work Days - Time TBD

If you would like to volunteer and get involved with the Stevenson Garden, they will be having work days during Fall quarter (dates TBD)! To learn more about the Garden, check out the website, Facebook group, or email Blake Redding.

Kresge Garden Work Days - Check calendar for garden hours
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.

Seymour Center Offers Guided Tours on the Santa Cruz Wharf - Saturday & Sunday, 1 PM & 3 PM
In collaboration with the City of Santa Cruz, UCSC's Seymour Marine Discovery Center is now leading free 30-minute public tours on the Santa Cruz Municipal Wharf every Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 3 p.m. The Seymour Center's marine science interpreters are also available between tours to answer questions about the variety of wildlife visible at the wharf. Find out more here.

Are you part of a sustainability club, hiking, or gardening group not listed here? Have you participated in any of the above groups? Tell us about it in the comments or send us an email!