November 2018: Trip to Cultural Conservancy

By: Carol Garcia, People of Color Sustainability Collective Coordinator

On Saturday October 6th, Interns from the American Indian Resource Center (AIRC) and the People of Color Sustainability Collective (PoCSC) attended The Cultural Conservancy’s Fall Harvest event in Novato, CA.

Lian Utsumi, Valeria Paredes, Margarita Vargas, Ashley Carrillo 

The Cultural Conservancy (TCC) is a Native-led organization based in San Francisco, CA that collaborates with communities, organizations and individuals to restore and protect native-foodways and support the wellbeing of Native communities in the Bay Area, Northern California and beyond.

Ashley Carrillo

On the day of the Fall Harvest student interns enjoyed a tour of the farm and talks by the TCC team and native community members on the different crops being grown in the garden. Students enjoyed listening to the crackling of Iroquois white maize as they walked through the stalks and looked for the beans and squash growing intertwined with the maize, a planting technique known as the “Three Sisters.”

Stephanie Hernandez, Lian Utsumi

AIRC and PoCSC Interns were also put to work to harvest chilies, a Hopi variety of black sunflowers and tepary beans. Each of these crops were introduced with a story of their cultural history and resilience. Students learned, for example, about the “Cherokee Trail of Tears” bean being grown with the maize, a bean that the Cherokee carried with them when they were forced off of their land east of the Mississippi River and walked to present-day Oklahoma.

Students also learned that tepary beans, native to the southwestern United States and Mexico, are more drought-resistant than other beans and resist monocrop agriculture as their pods require an intricate movement to break open.

Ashley Carrillo, Lian Utsumi, Stephanie Hernandez, Valeria Paredes, Margarita Vargas  

Through these stories that provided cultural, historical, political and ecological context, students left feeling inspired and humbled by the ecological knowledge found within Native communities.

To learn more about the People of Color Sustainability Collective, please visit their website.

November 2018: Internships, Employment, and Volunteering

Due 11/8: Residential & Community Life Coordinator at the Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems
The Center for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems (CASFS) is hiring a Coordinator of Residential and Community Life. This position will work with students and staff of the Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture at the UCSC Farm & Garden. This six-month, residential training program offers hands-on and classroom training in organic farming and gardening, and food systems concepts. For more information, please visit: https://casfs.ucsc.edu/news-events/news/res-life-coordinator.html

Volunteer on the Sustainability Inter-Organizational Retreat Planning Committee
The Inter-Organizational Sustainability & Social Justice Retreat gives students and staff the opportunity to learn about social justice and environmental sustainability within the campus. Organizations meet, discuss project and goals, and find opportunities for collaboration during the event. The retreat is currently planned for January 25-27 of 2019. Staff, alumni, and faculty will spend the weekend sharing meals, learning leadership skills, and participating in visioning activities around the past, present, and future of UCSC sustainability. The next planning committee meeting is November 13th from 10-11am at Kerr Hall, Room 118. If you would like to join or have any questions please contact diisarab@ucsc.edu or interorg@ucsc.edu.

Volunteer with Fossil Free UCSC
Fossil Free UC is a student-run organization across the University of California that demands for the UC to divest its $2.6 billion dollars out of the fossil fuel industry and into renewable energy. The organization focuses on the intersection of social justice and environmental justice, and holds human lives at the center of the fight against climate change. To discover more & attend weekly meetings, visit Fossil Free UCSC on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/ffucsc/

Volunteer in the Rachel Carson College Garden

Spend some of your free time in the garden, engaging in various activities and helping transform this little oasis located in Rachel Carson College. For more information, contact the garden coordinators at c8garden@ucsc.edu. Learn more on Facebook and Instagram.

Intern with the Education for Sustainable Living Program
ESLP is a collaborative and interdisciplinary effort to reshape the way we learn, effectively mentor students, and engage in projects that support the sustainable development of the University of California at Santa Cruz community. Please check out eslp.enviroslug.org for more information, and reach out to eslp@ucsc.edu with any questions or to set up an interview for the position.

Due 11/15: Summer Research Opportunity with the Global Sustainability Scholars Program
The GSS program is affiliated with the University of Colorado at Boulder, targeted to underrepresented students who are interested in building careers in sustainability fields. GSS offers students a three-year summer experience. During the three summers students will travel abroad, learn about sustainability issues, conduct research, and will build their professional network. GSS will cover airfare, lodging, and a stipend for students ($550 per week in the first year). The first cohort of GSS students will join the Program in June 24 - August 2 2019 and will focus on the links between water, energy, and food in urban areas. The online application can be found at https://www.gsscholar.org/apply/

Preschool Storytime Intern at the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center
The Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center is looking for a weekly intern who will assist in the coordination and delivery of the Preschool Storytime program. Duties will include assisting in the coordination of a weekly preschool activity time at the Sanctuary Exploration Center, helping set up and leading weekly crafts and show-and-tell demonstrations, and assisting in program advertising. For more information, please contact Chelsea Prindle at chelsea.prindle@noaa.gov.

Intern or Volunteer at the California Native Garden Foundation
CNGF is a non-profit organization that focuses on Regenerative Organic Agriculture, (ROA) using native plants to create healthy, productive and highly efficient agroecosystems. They have a variety of projects and programs, but are now especially focused on Build 25, which will consist of building 25 regenerative organic agriculture farms in Silicon Valley (for more information, please visit their website).

Environment California Clean Energy Advocate
The Clean Energy Advocate is responsible for developing our strategy, approach and local message to win campaigns. The advocate will meet with local decision-makers and opinion leaders and represent our organization to allies and the media. Advocates also help to build and foster membership, grassroots and online base of support. Finally, the advocate will help recruit staff and volunteers, fundraise for programs, and maintain good systems for tracking and building on the work that the organization does. Please apply online at https://publicinterestnetwork.org/application.html Environment California is part of the Public Interest Network. Visit http://www.publicinterestnetwork.org/core-values.html to learn more.

Volunteer with the Sierra Club of Santa Cruz County
Interested in being involved in protecting the local environment? The Sierra Club of Santa Cruz County has openings on their leadership board. The time commitment starts at about 3 hours per month, including attending a 2 hour meeting from 6:30-8:30pm on the second Wednesday of the month. For more information, please visit: https://www.sierraclub.org/ventana/santa-cruz

November 2018: 12 Tips for a More Sustainable Holiday Season

1. Unlearn the myth of Thanksgiving: For many indigenous people, Thanksgiving is a painful time, not a cause for celebration. The articles No Thanks: How Thanksgiving Narratives Erase the Genocide of Native Peoples and Native Americans explain why "Thanksgiving" Holiday is a Celebration of Genocide can provide a perspective that your textbook failed to share.

2. Attend Indigethanx: An Alternative Thanksgiving Celebration, hosted by the American Indian Resource Center, on November 16 from 5:00-7:00pm at the Women's Center (Cardiff House). Indigethanx provides an opportunity to rethink the Thanksgiving holiday and help educate the UCSC community about traditional Native foods. 


3. Use public transportation or carpool. If you are planning to travel this holiday season, use public transportation or carpool to reduce carbon emissions (and skip out on the crazy holiday traffic!)

4. Use reusable dishes and cloth napkins instead of disposable plates and plastic utensils. Soiled paper plates and napkins are usually not recyclable and create a ton of waste. If reusable isn’t an option, try to choose disposable plates and utensils made from 100% post consumer waste recycled paper.

5. Decorate with nature. Instead of decorating the table with plastic and synthetic decoration, collect pinecones, acorns, and colorful leaves to use as natural festive decor.

6. Shop for local and in season foods. Take a trip to the local farmer’s market to purchase local and in season foods to limit the carbon emissions from the journey food takes before it makes its way to the table.

7. Take reusable bags with you to the grocery store. When buying groceries to prepare for holiday dinners, use reusable bags instead of single-use plastic or paper bags to reduce waste generation.

8. Reduce energy use. If you are making several dishes that need to be cooked in the oven at the same temperature, put them in at the same time to reduce energy use and prep time. Further reduce your energy use by turning down the thermostat and the lights when not in use.

9. Cook only what you need. Americans throw an estimated 40% of food away each year. That’s a lot! Avoid excess food waste by preparing a smaller portions and skip some of the less popular dishes.

10. Turn your scraps into soup. To further reduce food waste, turn your vegetable scraps into soup — just rinse your veggies and throw the trimmings into a big pot of water and boil.

11. Store leftovers in reusable containers. Instead of using single-use plastic bags, aluminum foil, or plastic wrap, store food in reusable containers to help reduce waste generation.

12. Skip Black Friday shopping. Instead of dealing with the huge crowd of shoppers and driving all over town, skip the stressful shopping fest and make homemade gifts this year or buy gifts from local shops.

June 2018 Sustainability Profile: Traci Ferdolage

Each month, our newsletter features a person or group on campus that is working toward a more sustainable world. This month we had the privilege to interview Traci Ferdolage, the Associate Vice Chancellor for Physical Planning, Development & Operations (PPDO) –– hired in September 2017. Her position forms connections between other departments to uphold the campus mission, keep construction projects on track, and make sure our buildings operate well and stay clean. PPDO is comprised of Real Estate, Physical & Environmental Planning, Design & Construction, Engineering, Physical Plant, and Capital Project Business Operations. Together, these PPDO units work closely with Capital Planning, Sustainability Office, Colleges, Housing & Educational Services, TAPS, and all academic divisions...just to name a few! The following interview was conducted by first-year student and Sustainability Office Assistant Diana Sarabia, and Sustainability Office Manager & Events Coordinator Genoa Faber on June 4, 2018.

What does sustainability mean to you?

"It's being associated with three pillars: environmental, social and economic justice. It's about finding a balance...ultimately, as you go through trying to implement sustainability, you have to have some consideration of how to go about doing it to benefit the greater good. The best end result isn't just about mother earth, the best end result is also about how we set up students to be successful when they walk out of here.”

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

“I am the light switcher-offer in my house; however, I try to do a variety of things in my daily life…it's about the way we use energy and recycle. I also try really hard to make good choices with my purchases. So it's not just about a sustainable product. We eat mostly organic at home – I feel very fortunate that I'm able to do that – but we also grow things in our garden, and it's also about buying things that will last me a long time. It's about trying to find a balance based on my life.
When It comes to food justice issues, I like to travel and...really have a local experience. And I think it helps me to be a better citizen through that understanding…it's super important to expose yourself to see and experience other cultures, see how people live in different areas of the world, what their place is on the earth and bringing this understanding.”

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

“My mid-term vision is that theCampus Sustainability Planis implemented. And I don't say fully implemented because over the next few years we will continue to modify it to the right size to best suit main achievement in the long term. My vision is that we, UCSC, will be the leader in sustainability for higher education. And I think UC Santa Cruz also has a long history that is steeped in sustainability and has a lot to be proud of, like down at the farm.I also see a tremendous amount of work to do, if we actually want to consider ourselves to be one of the preeminent sustainability leaders. And what I mean by that is overall, across the spectrum, whether it be environmental, social or economic issues… in my opinion, there are various major shifts we have to do in order to get there. In terms of how we reinvest utility savings, that needs to be a massive shift. There are a lot of things that I think that we can just go out and do, “snap!”, like bottle fillers on drinking fountains. But when you're talking about something like food waste and composting/recycling, and what is standing in the way of progress is a large capital project...we should be questioning ourselves on how we can make some progress right NOW.
I think that sometimes our current thinking stands in our way when the solution doesn't match up to the resources we have available. If solving the problem is our priority but the resources don't align with what we've identified as a solution, nothing is going to get done. And so the biggest barrier is to ensure that solutions consider resources available or identify a pathway toward attaining the resources needed in a timely manner. Because once you've got that, then you've got energy, and when you've got energy, you've got possibilities, you've got creativity, and you’ve got initiative to be able to find ways to do things.”

Do you think UC campuses should collaborate with each other to become more sustainable? How can your department connect with other UC’s and create change?

“Absolutely, I think that each UC campus is unique. I think that we all work really hard and do amazing work. When you learn from your colleagues about how they are solving problems on their campus, you may get four or five ways people are solving food waste and recycling. And then we think, "how do we UC Santa Cruz it"? Sustainability is beyond the UC. We also need to expose ourselves to the way people are tackling the problems that we face and figure out our own solution from the innovation that others are already achieving….The UC has a broad spread across the state. [When] lobbying for policy changes across the system mandates a much larger voice on campuses, we can wield our influence as a system.”

What are your thoughts on environmental justice?

“I think we have a very special place at UCSC, and we need to continue being good stewards recognizing the role the environment plays in our culture as an institution. How we hold ourselves translates into what we value. I think that it's fairly obvious how it does, but it's also very easy to forget and take it for granted. So we need to continue to update current practices regarding building, construction, transportation, infrastructure as well as adopt solutions that take into account this 'specialness' of where we are.  There is absolutely no doubt that we have the need to better support our students with things like housing and appropriate academic facilities. We have a lot of work to do in those areas but need to balance that with the community we are trying to create.”

What is your role in UCSC Student Housing West project? What are your thoughts on the role that project plays in campus sustainability?

“My role is to actually serve as the owner's representative through the project and through the development team and the other various stakeholders involved. We have a high demand for student housing. We have an obligation, a social justice obligation, to try to provide affordable and student-appropriate housing, to restore the lounges, to provide you with better places to live. Before we started this project, the demand was a little over 3,000 beds. The demand [has grown to over 4,000 since then], so this issue is not going away.Developing a project of this size will also provide opportunities to advance our sustainability vision for the campus.  As an example, this project has the ability to advance our long record of success in water conservation through installation of a wastewater treatment facility. This will take all the waste and greywater from the site and recycle it put back into the site for things like toilet flushing, irrigation and such. With this new wastewater treatment facility, it is estimated the project will use 50 to 60  percent less water per student than current housing facilities.”

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

“I want to know what [students] need. I want to get to know students better. I want to understand where you're coming from and what your experience is like because your experience is very different than my experience walking through campus, and I know that. But ultimately we're all only here for a distinct purpose, and that's to support you in your goals with regards to your education and to help you grow personally...I want you to be involved and help us provide a campus environment that contributes to your success. If I understand your needs and thoughts, the better I'm going to be at my job...and come up with solutions for the long haul, not just short term.”

Arboretum & Botanic Garden Board Recruitment

The Friends of the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and Botanic Garden is seeking prospective board members with an active interest in immersing in the gardens and engaging with its constituents to explore the motivations and interests of visitors, members, volunteers, and contributors.  The board will play a critical role in program development. Related activities and engagements include docent work, event planning, membership development, fund and friend raising.

Applications will be accepted through June 15, 2018. Additional information available at arboretum.ucsc.edu/support/associates/aa-board

June 2018: Tips for a smooth move out

Reduce

·       Stop purchasing items that you use infrequently. Common items in the trash during move out include partially used condiments, cereal, pasta and other packaged food.

·       Pack up and move early. Pack items that you don’t use every day and move them early (like Mother’s Day or Memorial Day Weekend). Moving items early means the rest of your stuff has a better chance of fitting into your car in June.

·       Participate in Slug Garage Sale weekend June 2nd and 3rd, 2018. Hold a garage or yard sale with the rest of the off campus slugs! Sign up for and promote your sale online at: Cityofsantacruz.com/garagesales

Reuse

·       Swap items with your friends. Hold a swap party with friends and trade or give away the clothing, books or household items that you no longer need or want.

·       Swap items online. Visit web sites like Craigslist and Freecycle to swap or sell items locally.

·       Donate what you can. Local non-profit organizations re distribute used items and non-perishable food to the community.

·       Take the rest home. It is illegal to leave Items on the street and can create an environmental hazard. Please take your belongings with you when you move.

Recycle

·       Recycle early. Recycle carts overflow during move out, so clear out extra papers and accumulated bottles and cans early or visit a local recycling drop off center for additional recycling. For a current list of acceptable items visit www.cityofsantacruz.com/recycleright

·       Recycle special and household hazardous waste responsibly. To recycle household chemicals likebathroom cleaners, nail polish, aerosol cans (not empty), bleach, disinfectants and a whole list of other items go to the Household Hazardous Waste Facility on Dimeo Lane. Open Saturdays 7:30AM-3:30PM. For more information call 831-454-2606

Landfill

·       Unusable or broken household items go in the trash. If you have broken household items, perishable foods, bathroom items that are not fit to donate or are non-recyclable and will not fit in the trash can, take them to the Resource Recovery Facility at 605 Dimeo Lane. (3 miles north of town) or call Customer Service for an extra trash pickup for a fee- 420-5520

·       Unusable large bulky items collection. Sign up will open on 5/22/18 for the bulky item collection day-Saturday 6/23/18.Bulky item (Sofa, dressers, mattresses, etc) pick up is available to USCS students for a small fee.

June 2018: Green Tips

Go for an energy upgrade

For most of us, going off the grid may not be in the budget (unless you got a huge tax refund that is). But if you’re looking for mucho savings on your electric bill, here are three super-easy changes you can make.

Install a programmable thermostat that automatically adjusts your home’s temp. Replace incandescent light bulbs with efficient CFLs or LEDs. Americans spend 20 percent of their electricity budget on lighting alone. Energy-efficient lighting can save the average household more than 1,000-kilowatt hours of electricity, 1,600 pounds of carbon dioxide and (get ready for this one) up to $110 per year in electricity costs.
It sounds simple enough, but when you consider the huge difference it makes, you’ll wonder why you still have naked windows. While the sunlight is refreshing in the summer, using light colored blinds and drapes – which reflect light instead of absorbing it – can save you up to $210 per year on heating and cooling costs.

If the initial cost of a programmable thermostat (about $115) deters you, keep in mind that it can reduce your energy usage by more than 15 percent in the summer and up to 25 percent in the winter.

For those of you that need hard numbers, that’s up to $250 in heating and cooling costs every year you use it and $2,500 over the course of 10 years.

Shade your windows.

Wash your dirty car

While you may think you’re doing your car (and your wallet) a favor by hand-washing it at home, it’s actually the opposite.

According to the International Car Wash Association, automatic car washes use less than half the water used when washing your car at home. The average home wash uses 80-140 gallons of water while the commercial average is 45 gallons.

Commercial car washes often reuse water and send the runoff to treatment centers instead of nearby lakes and streams. They also use high-pressure nozzles that require less water usage.

But if you’re dead-set on washing your car at home with the kids, here’s how to keep the impact to a minimum:

• Park on gravel or grass so soapy water soaks into the ground, becomes filtered and recharges groundwater.

• Avoid soaps with labels that say “harmful, danger or poison.”

• Turn off the hose when you’re not using the water. During a 15-minute car wash, you could use 150 gallons of water if there isn’t an automatic shut-off nozzle.

Cleaning

Make your own cleaning products. Five basic ingredients serve as the buildings blocks for many safe, home cleaning needs: baking soda, borax, soap, washing soda, and white vinegar or lemon juice. Check out some of these resources to make your own cleaning products for laundry, dishes, glass cleaning and more:

Dispose of cleaning products at a hazardous waste collection center. It is illegal to dump toxic chemical down the sink or in the storm drain. 

Learn more about the harms of chemical cleaning agents and how to dispose of them.

Purchasing

Don’t buy new textbooks. Either buy used books (excellent website: BetterWorldBooks.org also supports charity), or reuse other people’s textbooks and let them use yours for free! This service is available on sites like Bookins.com, PaperBackSwap.com, or SwapTree.com. You could also rent books through some of your favorite book purchasing sites (like Chegg or Amazon). Not only can you stay green by doing this, but you can also save a lot of money.

Go green with school supplies. Buy recycled products. Always purchase 100% recycled content paper; the higher the % of post-consumer content the better.

Shop second-hand stores. A place like Los Angeles is home to tons of excellent thrift, consignment, and vintage stores that can offer anyone great options for second-hand clothing and accessories. Buying pre-loved items decrease your environmental footprint in a BIG way because it saves huge amounts of resources used in producing new items, and it saves you a lot of money!