December 2016: Internships, Employment, & Volunteering

Internships:

Zero Waste Team: Deadline January 9
The Sustainability Office's Zero Waste Team is looking for two dedicated for-credit interns that are interested in gaining professional experience and are passionate about waste reduction on the UCSC campus.  The first position is the   UC Office of the President (UCOP) Zero Waste Outreach Intern who will assist in the planning and rollout of the UCOP Zero Waste Communications Campaign.  The second position is the Campus Clean Up Intern who will assist in the facilitation of College Campus Clean Ups and the 3rd Annual campus-wide Campus Clean Up.  Full details available on the flyer.  For questions, or to apply (brief cover letter and resume required) email Angela Duong at antrduon[at]ucsc[dot]edu.

Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program: Deadline February 12
The Doris Duke Conservation Scholars Program (2-year program, UCSC) is launching recruitment for its 2017 class of Scholars. Their goal is to recruit 20 freshman/sophomore students from underrepresented groups across disciplines with the highest potential to make sustained contributions as conservation innovators and leaders.  The scholarship covers all program expenses and provides each Scholar with a $4000 stipend during each of their two summers.  For more information, or to apply, please visit the Doris Duke scholarship's website.  For questions, email Justin Cummings at jacummin[at]ucsc[dot]edu. The deadline to apply is February 12, 2017.

Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems
CASFS is offering on-campus, lower division farm and garden internships.  5-unit applicants are preferred, but 2-unit applicants may also be accepted.  At least 80% of internship will consist of outdoor fieldwork.  Internship applicants need to be prepared and enthused to work outdoors in occasionally uncomfortable weather conditions. Internships will remain available until positions are filled, and the quarter's enrollment period allows.  Read the internship flyer here.  Email Damien Parr at dmparr[at]ucsc[dot]edu to apply.

Employment:

Green Labs Team: Deadline January 20
The Sustainability Office's Green Labs Team is looking to hire an Associate.  The Green Labs Team seeks to improve energy efficiency, increase green purchasing, and promote waste reduction practices.  Responsibilities will include organizing and consolidating data / files in Google drive, photographing walk-throughs, and writing articles for the Sustainability Office Newsletter.  Qualified applicants should have experience working in a lab, excellent writing and organizational skills, and a command of Google Apps.  Full details available on the UCSC Employee Request site for ER8321.  Applications will be accepted through January 20, or until the position is filled.  For questions, or to apply (cover letter and resume required) email Waleed Salemi at wsalemi[at]ucsc[dot]edu and Sarina Sylavong at ssylavong[at]ucsc[dot]edu.

Community Environmental Council
The Community Environmental Council the northern division of a 4-county partnership spearheaded by the LA Cleantech Incubator.  LACI helps grow green businesses by offering office space, mentoring, and access to capital. This partnership is looking for a regional director who will build, connect and support the clean energy entrepreneur ecosystem throughout Santa Barbara, Ventura.  Qualified applicants should have experience in green energy business.  Complete information is available on LACI's website. Apply for the regional director position here.

Active Transportation Manager at University of Utah: Deadline December 16th
The University of Utah Sustainability Office is looking for an Active Transportation Manager to support and grow initiatives in sustainable transportation. Well-qualified candidates will have strong expertise in active transportation, community engagement, communications skills (both written and oral), and an interest in working across disciplines to improve mobility on campus and in the community. Full details can be found on University of Utah's posting.  The deadline to apply is December 16th, 2016.

Volunteering:

SunWork Renewable Energy Projects
SunWork is a non-profit that installs rooftop PV systems on small-energy-footprint homes with the help of volunteers. SunWork is offering training sessions that cover the basics of solar, electricity, construction, and safety issues. Completion of this three-hour training qualifies volunteers to participate in SunWork's solar installations. Training sessions will be held on December 10th from 9am - Noon in San Jose, and December 17th from 2pm - 5pm in Berkeley. Santa Cruz training sessions are to-be-announced. Register for SunWork's training sessions at their volunteer training page For more information, email info[at]sunwork[dot]org.

Nine Campus Labs Receive Green Labs Certification

The UCSC Sustainability Office's Green Labs Program is pleased to announce new certifications for nine on-campus research laboratories. A Green Labs certification verifies a lab's commitment to energy efficiency, waste reduction, and green procurement of lab materials. With the addition of these labs, there are now 18 UCSC labs that have gone through the certification program.

The newly certified labs and their ranking within the certification program are Kellog Lab, receiving a copper certification; Gifford and Lockey Labs, receiving a silver certification; Boeger, Braslau, Habicht, Zihlman, and Galloway Labs receiving gold certifications; and the Strome Lab--a sustainability superstar--receiving the highest honors with a platinum certification.  Congratulations to all of our Green Labs certified labs on campus!

To learn more about the Green Labs Program, including how to get your research lab certified or become a member of the team, please visit the Green Labs website here.

Styrofoam Collection

Four years ago, the Sustainability Office, Grounds, and Environmental Health & Safety collaborated to set up a quarterly Styrofoam Collection Program for labs and all other departments who may have high influxes of Styrofoam. Collectively, we have diverted 75-100 yards of Styrofoam since this collection program began. That's almost one football field of Styrofoam! 

If you or your lab have a Styrofoam waste stream, store it until Thursday, May 19th, 2016 (no longer May 5th), when the next Styrofoam collection day will take place.

A roll-off bin will be located at the Physical Science Building loading dock from 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM on 5/19/16 with volunteers ready to assist with drop-offs.

The Sustainability Office hopes that all labs will participate in the collection and recycling of our large Styrofoam waste stream.

Accepted Recycling:

• Styrofoam Peanuts and Styrofoam pieces smaller than one square foot must be bagged
• Tape and labels must be removed from Styrofoam
• Styrofoam used in shipping materials is accepted

 For any questions, please contact a Green Labs Associate at greenlabs-group[at]ucsc[dot]edu

2016 Carbon Fund Grant Awardees

The UCSC Carbon Fund has recently announced their 2016 grant awardees. Funded by a student fee measure, the Carbon Fund allocates approximately $150,000 in grants to sustainability projects each year. They provide funding, support, and participation in student, staff, faculty, and community projects that directly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, conduct relevant research, or carry out educational programs. This year the Carbon Fund awarded grants to 24 projects, which is 15 more projects compared to when the Carbon Fund was established in 2010. The three projects that were awarded the largest grants this year are the Green Labs Retrofit Fund, Porter Stormwater to Toilet project, and Calabasas Elementary Rainwater Catchment System project.

The UCSC Sustainability Office student-led program, Green Labs, has been awarded a $17,000 grant this year to start an equipment retrofit fund. Labs account for over half of the energy use on campus, which is partly due to their outdated and inefficient equipment.This fund will provide Green certified labs with a funding source for energy-efficient equipment lab equipment, such as freezers, centrifuges, and incubators. It is estimated that this project will save 4.76 tons of carbon emission a year. To learn more about Green Labs, please visit their website.

The Porter Stormwater to Toilet project has also been awarded a $17,000 grant this year. This project proposes to use rainwater capture for toilet flushing in the Porter residence halls. This project will reduce Porter residence hall potable water usage by nearly 25% annually, as well as contribute to our campus's green infrastructure. It is also estimated that the project will save 15.7 tons of CO2 annually. This project is not only a turning point for UCSC, but for the entire UC system as well. To learn more about this project, please contact Courtney Trask at trask[at]ucsc[dot]edu.

The third largest project to receive funding from the Carbon Fund this year is the Calabasas Elementary School Rainwater Catchment System project, which received $12,000 this year. A group of Colleges Nine and Ten students have been working with Calabasas Elementary in Watsonville to cultivate a 1.5-acre community farm on the school's campus.The creation of a community farm will provide these families with a space to grow their own food, as well as help mitigate climate change in their community by sequestering carbon. This grant will be used to help finish the project by installing a rainwater catchment system on the farm. To learn more, please contact Dr. Flora Lu at floralu[at]ucsc[dot]edu.

To learn about all 24 of the projects that received Carbon Fund grants this year, please visit the website here.

The next Carbon Fund grant cycle will begin in fall 2016. For more information about the Carbon Fund, please contact carbon[at]ucsc[dot]edu.

By: Amanda Roletti, Carbon Fund Outreach Coordinator

LEED Green Associate (GA) Training

When: April 21st 2016 – 6:00PM to 10:00 PM
Where: University of California, Santa Cruz – Room TBA 
- https://goo.gl/maps/yj38mSS7bpq
Registration: http://leadinggreen.ca/santacruz

Interested in getting involved in the Green Building Industry? Opportunities are plentiful in the field of sustainable design and LEED is at its forefront.

LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is simply a green-rating point system, or a scorecard. The more energy efficient and sustainable a building is, the more points it will earn. To date, this course and its materials have proven to be instrumental in helping over 5000 students pass their respective exam at a 100% pass rate. This course is offered at a quarter of the price allows students to graduate with the letters after their name!

Just as Buildings can be LEED certified, people in the sustainable construction industry can become LEED Professionals. The LEED Green Associate (GA) credential is the only entry level sustainability designation and shows employers and clients that you have certified knowledge in the green building industry.  A new LEED rating system (v4) was introduced last month and this training course is one of the few that has been updated to teach the current rating system. This course meets the exam’s eligibility requirements and the USGBC charges a $100 fee for the actual exam which can be taken at any time at your nearest Prometric center.

Cost: $300 ($200 for full time students)

To register for the class please visit: http://leadinggreen.ca/santacruz

You can register via PayPal or RSVP your attendance by registering at the bottom of the page

FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK HERE!

Why I Love Bioneers

Lily Urmann, the Green Labs Facilitator at the Sustainability Office shares her experience at the National Bioneers Conference.

Even though this was my third time attending Bioneers, I was constantly blown away by the influx of new experiences and inspirations.  I was grateful this year to be part of the Youth Leadership program, where I was surrounded by motivated young adults out to change the world.  The dire state of our planet is often scary and overwhelming to think about, but the capacity of humans and our ability to collaborate on solutions keeps me hopeful.  That is why I love Bioneers.  Not only are there incredible speakers who bless the stage in the morning and awesome workshop panelists who blow my mind, but there is an entire community of attendees that create change all over the world.

This year, I was especially excited about exploring the topic of Green Chemistry, Biomimicry, and education. I am involved in the Green Labs at UCSC, a student-run program where we encourage labs to become more sustainable through behavior change - including waste reduction, energy efficiency, and procurement. I am passionate about Biomimicry and using nature's designs to solve human-problems, and Green Chemistry is the basis of this model.  The workshop at Bioneers called Green Chemistry and Biomimicry in Education provided more information and inspiration to take back to UCSC and implement into Green Labs.  From this workshop, and discussion with the speakers afterword, I am planning a Green Chemistry lecture series at UCSC for lab directors, student researchers, and anyone else to come and learn about this new model for sustainable chemistry and the science of Biomimicry!

Artwork and homemade solar cell from blackberries (Green Chemistry from Beyond Benign)

Presenting Mascharak Lab: UCSC’s first Platinum Certified Green Lab

By Lily Urmann- Green Labs Facilitator

When the Green Labs team conducted our walkthrough to certify Mascharak Lab, it would be an understatement to say that we were all impressed. The lab’s commitment to sustainability and conserving was outstanding. What was even more impressive, and rare among labs on our campus, was their teamwork and collective effort to recycle, save energy, and reduce waste in their lab. The Green Labs team is excited to announce that Mascharak Lab is UCSC’s first Platinum Certified lab- the highest award in our ranking system! I sat down with the Green Lab Zero Waste Coordinator Chris Kane to interview Indranil Chakraborty and Samantha Carrington from Mascharak lab to see how they work towards sustainability in their lab.

Chris: What is the primary focus of the work you do in your lab?

Indranil: Currently cancer is the most detrimental disease on earth. As per survey conducted by National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the year 2015, an estimated 1,658,370 new cases of cancer will be diagnosed in the United States and 589,430 people will die from this disease. Although chemotherapy is the most common treatment for this ailment, there are several types of cancer, which are resistant to such treatment. In addition this procedure also associated with various adverse side effects. It has been known for a while that carbon monoxide can induce pro-apoptotic effect (apoptosis is a process of programed cell death) towards hyper prolific cells like cancer cells. However, utilizing carbon monoxide as gaseous form in hospital settings is not very favorable. To utilize the therapeutic potential of this small molecule, in our lab we are designing some metal carbonyl complexes that release carbon monoxide upon light illumination. In that way we plan to deliver carbon monoxide in a more controllable and targeted fashion to eradicate cancer cells. In such pursuits we are designing such molecules where CO release can be triggered with the aid of visible light (as good a normal flash light). We are employing also some theoretical calculations to aid our design principles.

Samantha: The goal overall in this project is to bring fiber optic therapy to also help as an addition to chemotherapy. CO not only induces apoptosis in cancer cells, it actually also helps to sensitize cancer cells towards chemotherapeutics about 1,000 times. With our experience in synthesis, we are able to bring the theoretical chemistry together with the synthesis and photophysical chemistry to make these complexes very visible light active.

Chris: How did your lab hear about the Green Labs Program?

Samantha: We heard about it at the LSR meeting. They had a slide for Green Labs, and there were people representing Green Labs from Environmental Health and Safety.

Chris: What prompted you to pursue certification?

Samantha: A long time ago we were having problems with our lights because the whole light system in PSB was redone in an effort to be more “green”. It was actually really funny because they put in new light sensors in our lab; we are a photoactive lab, so our chemicals release or decompose upon illumination. These lights would go on and off by themselves, and affect the experiments. We spoke constantly with the really great electricians and people putting all the lighting to try to fix the problems, and then finally the main engineer on the project, and she said “We had no idea that people were so green!”. The reason the lighting system was changing was so that sensors were able to turn off the lights people had forgotten about and our goal was to just keep the lights off all the time.

Indranil: That’s when we reviewed the system, and deactivated the entire automated lights. Samantha: This was actually the first time anyone had ever brought up our carbon footprint and energy consumption into light because no one else works with the lights off. We started thinking about it and how we run our lab and it seems pretty efficient compared to other labs.

Chris: And I would imagine that to pursue the actual certification it sounded like the slide that offered funding incentives for labs was a motivator? Samantha: Yes, we were so excited! Lily: And once we purchase the new energy-efficient equipment for your lab, we will be able to monitor and record the savings, then re-apply for a larger grant next year and continue growing the Green Labs program to get more labs involved.

Chris: How do you communicate sustainable practices within your lab, to existing and incoming lab members? Samantha: It’s more about how we practice doing things in our lab- we would like to recycle, and in general we like to do things that make sense overall. It all fell in line with being green and sustainable. So it would be weird for half the lab to be doing one thing and for one person to be taking out recycled paper and throwing it in the trash! Indranil: When the incoming graduate students see Sam doing these things, they follow her lead and assume this is how the lab runs. Since Sam was our LSR, she’s good at giving a general overview about how to be safe and sustainable.

Chris: Are there any other sustainable practices that you plan to implement into lab for the future? Sometimes this can be hard for labs if it’s seen as a barrier to get their work done, but there's always room to improve. Samantha: A long time ago, we had a printer that printed double-sided, but it used too much ink (which was expensive). So we were trying to use less ink, and we buy the recycled paper- but when we got a new printer, it only printed one-sided. Although it’s now efficient in ink, there are always downsides. Now our goal is finding “the one” that will be good with ink AND print double-sided! This is especially important as we are trying to get everyone on the electronic inventory system, but still have to print it out- which is a lot of pages, since we are one of the largest synthetic labs on campus. We are just trying to get everything more electronic both to save paper and make our system more efficient.

Lily: How do you encourage members of the lab to be sustainable and use sustainable practices? It sounds like it comes mostly from wanting to be safe, but what advice would you give to other labs to be more sustainable? Samantha: There are both office supplies and reagents that are made for the practice of sustainability- for example, we return the empty printer cartridge for refills. There’s recycled paper that is just as cheap as regular paper and buying from certain suppliers which are known to be more sustainable than others. Often times the reagents are the same price, and the difference is how they affect the environment. These are definitely small things, but they all add up and have an impact.

Chris: I think many people have a misconception that sustainability is all about “green”, but it’s also about making sure the lab can get it’s work done safely and at an economically feasible cost.

If your lab is interesting in getting certified, please email lurmann [at] ucsc [dot] edu and check out the Green Labs Website.

Green Labs Program Presents Energy-Efficient Equipment Funding!

Greetings from the Green Labs Team, and happy 2015!! At UCSC, labs contribute over 50% of energy consumption, and produce over 12% waste to landfills. Here at Green Labs, we seek to improve energy efficiency, increase green purchasing and reduce waste through behavior change, physical improvements, and education. This year, the Green Labs student committee has made great progress towards a more sustainable UCSC!

We are excited to announce the implementation of a “Green Labs Equipment Fund”, made possible through a Carbon Fund macro-grant. This will be available to all labs on campus that have been certified through the Green Labs program, and will be a source for energy-efficient equipment retrofits of common lab equipment like freezers, centrifuges, and incubators. Aside from energy savings and greenhouse gas reductions, this project will contribute energy use data for labs, and other institutions will be able to reference this data in weighing the costs and energy savings of implementing retrofits in their own labs.

In the coming months, the team will be outreaching around campus, certifying labs, and compiling a list of recommended energy-efficient equipment. With increased involvement from the lab community, UC Santa Cruz will be one step closer to reaching the UCOP goal of carbon neutrality by 2025.


If you have any questions or inquiries,
please contact greenlabs-group[at]ucsc[dot]edu,
and visit our website to learn more about the program.

  -- Lily Urmann and the Green Labs Team

Chrissy Thomure (Climate Action Manager), Lily Urmann (Green Labs Facilitator), Robert Jones (Carbon Fund Student Facilitator), Jaric Sawatdee (Green Labs Outreach Coordinator), Ariel Lee (Carbon Fund Outreach Coordinator), Alden Phinney (Climate Action CUIP)

Spelling out "CLIMATE" at the Sustainability Office Retreat

New Assessment Criteria for Green Labs Certification Program

The UC Santa Cruz Sustainability Office's Green Labs program is proud to announce the implementation a new of a new scorecard for their certification program on campus, which promotes sustainability in our research labs. The Green Labs certification program rewards research labs that continuously practice sustainability in their work and encourage these practices throughout the year. In collaboration with other UC Green Labs programs throughout the UC system, a new detailed set of assessment criteria has been created in order to properly certify on-campus labs. After a walk-through and assessment based on this criteria, labs that have met sustainable standards are granted a Green Labs certification.

The new assessment has made drastic improvements to ensure proper certification, evaluating such criteria as proper waste disposal, water management, and sustainable lab protocol (i.e closing fume hoods when not in use, decreasing plug loads). The goals of the new certification process are not only to acknowledge current sustainable practices in labs, but also to suggest improvements and recommend new sustainable practices. By offering lab sustainability guidelines and feedback, the program directly supports campus sustainability goals related to waste, water and energy reductions.

 

Through the original assessment criteria used in the past couple of years, the Green Labs programs has certified two labs on campus. Their goals for the coming year are to outreach and certify as many labs as possible. Labs that become certified will soon be eligible for certification incentives (e.g. equipment upgrades) in the coming year. Using the new assessment process, the Green Labs team hopes to be efficient and effective when certifying labs and create a trend among campus to pursue environmentally sustainable practices.

If you work in a lab on campus and would like to speak with a Green Labs team member, please email Lily at lurmann [at] ucsc [dot] edu. To learn more about the program, please visit their website.

UCSC Green Labs' Collaboration with the Kimberly-Clark Nitrile Glove Recycling Program (“RightCycle”)

In the Fall 2013 Waste Assessment of Laboratories, it was found that nitrile gloves make up a majority of laboratory waste destined for the landfill. To divert such a large waste stream, UCSC Green Labs has collaborated with the Kimberly-Clark Nitrile Glove Recycling Program (“RightCycle”) to promote laboratory sustainability and expand a national effort that has so far diverted 70,000 pounds of waste from landfills.

Kimberly-Clark’s RightCycle is the first large-scale effort for previously hard-to-recycle and commonly used items like laboratory nitrile gloves. The way the program works is that gloves previously thrown in the trash can now be placed in RightCycle collection bins, full bins are then shipped and processed at a recycling partner, and the resulting materials can be integrated into new eco-friendly products like park benches or Frisbees.

UCSC Green Labs officially began its Kimberly-Clark Nitrile Glove Recycling Program in late February. Collection bins are now located across eight laboratory facilities both on and off campus. Green Labs hopes laboratories will participate in recycling their current stock of Kimberly-Clark Nitrile gloves or begin purchasing the more sustainable Kimberly-Clark Nitrile brand as the program continues. Laboratories can be an important part in reaching our Zero Waste by 2020 goal.

If you would like to learn more about the UCSC RightCycle Program, visit our website.

Carbon Fund Receives Highest Number of Applicants Yet, Funds Over 20 Projects

The UC Santa Cruz Carbon Fund has had a successful and record-breaking funding round this year. In the fall quarter, the Carbon Fund Committee was pleased to receive a total of 40 project applications, the most the Committee has ever received in its four years of existence. The Carbon Fund, which is funded through student fee measure 44, is a valuable resource for students, staff, and faculty to receive funding for their projects that work to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions either on campus or in the Santa Cruz community.

This school year, the Carbon Fund has allocated over $200,000 in funds to over 20 new projects that work for reduce the carbon footprint both on campus and in the Santa Cruz community. Here are just three of the projects that received funding for the 2013-14 funding round:

Green Labs Certification Program
Allocated Funds: $1,500.00
The Green Labs Program strives to reduce energy use and waste from laboratories at UC Santa Cruz. They will be monitoring the energy use in labs and laboratory buildings that are part of their certification program in order to assess the efficacy of the energy conservation efforts they are encouraging. By monitoring, analyzing, and acting upon the electricity usage data gathered, they will be able to share actual energy consumption of the labs with personnel and improve their strategies for reducing energy consumption. Such efforts toward energy conservation will directly decrease the amounts of greenhouse gasses emitted at UC Santa Cruz.

UCSC Transit System Electric Vehicle Conversation Feasibility Study
Allocated Funds: $3,600.00
This project will conduct a feasibility study of a phased conversion of the current campus shuttle and vanpool system from gasoline and diesel to electric vehicles recharged by a campus solar PV system. Because the fleet vehicles must be replaced at the end of their useful lifetimes, an analysis of the costs, benefits and possibilities of purchasing smaller EV or hybrid vehicles--20 person vehicles and 6-8 person commuter vans--could show significant emission reductions. In combination with (a) a destination-demand system and (b) autonomous vehicles, the fuel use and operating costs of the system might also be significantly reduced. The present carbon footprint of UCSC's existing transportation shuttle system (buses and vans) is considerable. If properly designed and incentivized, a solar-powered EV shuttle and carpool system would offer an alternative to the current transportation fleet. The success of this new transit plan will cut down on independent car emissions as well as road congestion.

Compost Heated Water System

Allocated Funds: $5,000.00
The purpose of this project, taking place through the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems at UCSC, is to investigate the possibility of energy production and waste mitigation through compost, as repurposing waste is crucial to fulfilling campus commitments to goals of zero waste by 2020. This project explores the possibility of composting woody biomass and other plant debris or “green-waste” in aerobic conditions at high heat, which is then used to heat water for cleaning and washing. The hot water produced by the composting process will reduce the campus carbon footprint by offsetting fuel or energy traditionally used to heat water. In addition to energy use reductions, this project will support other campus goals. The production of compost will improve the water-retention properties of soil, thereby reducing the demand for irrigation and helping the campus towards its goal of water-neutrality. The compost will be applied to PICA garden beds, increasing yield of the PICA garden beds by boosting soil fertility. This will help the campus achieve its 40 percent “Real Food” by 2020 goal.

To see a full list of the 2013-14 Carbon Fund Awards, visit project descriptions page on the Carbon Fund website.

December 2013: Internships, Employment, & Volunteering

Winter Quarter Internships with the Common Ground Center
The Common Ground Center is currently seeking 2- and 5-unit interns for winter quarter! They are seeking students with skills and/or interest in videography, social media, newsletter and press release writing, and event planning and hosting support. If you are interested in getting involved with the Center in any of these or in other ways, please email them at commonground [at] ucsc [dot] edu. The Center also has a number of courses that provide internship opportunities as part of the class (read more about classes here).

Opportunity for Students Interested in Sustainable Transportation
The Student Environmental Center's Transportation Campaign is seeking a coordinator and 2- or 5- unit interns for winter and spring quarters. The Campaign promotes sustainable transportation at UCSC, including walking, biking, busing, etc. They collaborate with the Bike Library to rent bikes to students each quarter, manage the "Rock the Bike" bike generators, and the possibility of future projects is as expansive as your imagination can explore! For more information, please contact Melissa Ott at mott [at] ucsc [dot] edu or visit the website.

Stevenson Garden Internships
Do you have a passion for gardening and farming? Are you looking for a hands-on rewarding internship? Stevenson Garden is accepting applications for prospective interns for next quarter. For details about the internships offered, please email bredding [at] ucsc [dot] edu.


Arboretum Volunteer Gardening Opportunities
Have an interest in gardening, but don't have time for a gardening internship? The Arboretum has volunteer gardening hours throughout the week. Visit their website for details.

Green Labs Certification Program Seeks New Labs
In the coming weeks, the Green Labs program is outreaching to laboratories on campus that may be interested in becoming a certified Green Lab. The Green Labs committee is asking any representatives from labs that would like to learn more about the certification process to contact them at greenlabs [at] ucsc [dot] edu. The certification process has become more efficient and is a highly rewarding undertaking for laboratories interested in being recognized for their commitment to sustainability. Learn more about the program here.

Environmental Studies Internship Office
Internships are a great way to dip your toes in the water of a field that interests you. Apply beginning winter quarter for internships with the Environmental Studies Internships Office. Email the office at ckrohn [at] ucsc [dot] edu to find an internship that's right for you! Any majors are welcome to get an Environmental Studies Internship. They placed students in more than 400 internships this past year, so there is probably one waiting for you!

Implement Student-Led Sustainable Projects with IDEASS
Do you want professional experience or an opportunity to fulfill senior exit credit through an innovative sustainable design project? Impact Designs: Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service (IDEASS) is looking for a few more passionate and hardworking student leaders to join project teams that are already working to implement projects related to waste reduction, water systems, renewable energy, life cycle analysis, urban planning and more!  Winter admissions to IDEASS requires a winter - spring (2 quarter) commitment. Students can expect to work in interdisciplinary teams with a professional mentor. For more information, or to apply email ideass [at] ucsc [dot] edu and check out the IDEASS website.

Recycling Specialist Position in Livermore, CA
The City of Livermore, California, is seeking a full-time Recycling Specialist who can assist in the development, monitoring, and implementation of the City’s recycling and waste diversion program; research, gather, and interpret data; conduct program outreach; perform inter-disciplinary policy related research; prepare written and verbal reports; represent the City to citizens’ advisory committees or governmental agencies; and more! Learn more and apply online here.

Gaia Environmental Magazine Looking for Interns and Volunteers
Interested in putting together UCSC's environmentally focused magazine next year? The UCSC Environmental Media Project (EMP) offers many quarterly internship and volunteer opportunities. Volunteers help with fundraising, outreach, and the creation of Gaia magazine. Interns take on positions like photographer, editor, and graphic designer for 2 units. For more information about applying, email the team at environmentalmediaproject [at] gmail [dot] com and check out their Facebook page and website.

Volunteer with Take Back the Tap
Water is the life-source and scarcity is our reality. Take Back the Tap (TBtT) is an educational campaign with the goal of removing all single use plastic water bottles from UCSC as a way to combat the commodification of water! Like their Facebook page and learn how you can get involved by emailing takebackthetapucsc [at] gmail [dot] com.

Bike Smart! Youth Bicycle Safety Program Volunteering Opportunity
Bike Smart! encourages youth to bicycle for fun, transportation and health through hands-on bicycle education at local schools. Bike Smart’s bicycle skills "rodeos" (obstacle courses) inspire and empower kids to hop on a bike and leave mom and dad's car at home. Youth of all ages learn essential bicycling knowledge and skills, such as helmet fit, traffic laws, being visible and riding predictably. If you're interested in volunteering with this program for the quarter, please contact Elise at eehrheart [at] ecoact [dot] org.

Apply to Volunteer with Sprout Up
Sprout Up is a non-profit program that looks for undergraduate volunteers to help bring lessons of environmental science and sustainability to local elementary school classrooms. They are college student founded and operated non-profit that is always seeking new instructors. For more information about potential volunteering opportunities with them check out their website.

Internships with WaterLab Research Facility
The WaterLab Research Facility studies wastewater recycling and how to use recycled water to conserve unused water reserves. Though still in progress of becoming a full-fledged research facility, internship opportunities exist and will be expanding as the facility grows. UCSC students can learn more about WaterLab and internships by contacting Eli Weintraub at etweintr [at] ucsc [dot] edu and via the Center for Integrated Water Research website.

Participate in a Field Study with California State University Monterey Bay Wildlands Program
The Wildlands Studies Program offers a series of environmental and cultural ecology field studies this winter/spring. You can choose among six wildlife, wildland and cultural ecology field studies searching for solutions to environmental and cultural challenges. Each program grants 12 upper division transferable units credit. Field studies take place in wildland locations throughout Hawaii, Peru, Thailand, Chile, New Zealand and Costa Rica. All of their programs are described at their website, or their catalog can be sent in the mail. If you have questions about any of their programs, please feel free to email them at wildlands [at] wildlandsstudies [dot] com.

Find or Upload Projects to Sustainability Project Clearinghouse
Interested in getting involved in a campus sustainability project, but don't know how? Are you looking for partners for your current project? Have you completed a project that you would like others to learn from? Visit the Sustainability Project Clearinghouse, a centralized database of UCSC sustainability projects, today! You can view published projects or upload your own projects and ideas. For training on how to upload a project, please contact Shauna Casey at scasey [at] ucsc [dot] edu.

Styrofoam Collection Program

In 2012, the Sustainability Office, Grounds, and Environmental Health & Safety collaborated to set up a quarterly Styrofoam Collection Program for labs and all other departments who may have high influxes of Styrofoam. We have diverted 75-100 yards of Styrofoam since this collection program began. That's almost one football field of Styrofoam! 

If you or your lab have a Styrofoam waste stream, store your waste until the following 2013-14 collection dates:

• Winter Quarter:  January 7 from 11-2 PM
• Spring Quarter:  March 4 from 11-2 PM

During the above dates and times, a roll-off bin will be located at the Physical Science Building loading dock with volunteers ready to assist with drop-offs. 

The Sustainability Office hopes that all labs will participate in the collection and recycling of our large Styrofoam waste stream. For any questions, please contact Green Labs Associate, Caitlin Jetter at cjetter [at] ucsc [dot] edu.

Green Labs Certification Program Welcomes New Members

Last year was the inaugural year of the Green Labs Program at UCSC, comprised of staff from Environmental Health & Safety and students from the Zero Waste Team, Green Office Certification, and PowerSave Green Campus. Together the team visited campus labs and collaborated with lab staff in pinpointing potential energy-saving strategies and ways of recycling lab materials, thus diverting them from the landfill. The program developed a comprehensive green certification process for all campus labs and set a baseline to evaluate labs based on the three program goals of energy efficiency, waste reduction, and green purchasing. During Spring Quarter 2013, the Green Labs Team certified their first two labs on campus, Partch and Saltikov Labs!

Earlier this quarter, they welcomed to the team Matt Williams, the program's new Green Labs Facilitator. This month they are welcoming two new staff members, Rina Laxamana as the new Outreach & Education Coordinator and Jaclyn Schmitt. Both Jaclyn and Rina will make essential contributions to further the cause of laboratory sustainability at our University.

In the coming weeks the program will be outreaching to laboratories on campus that may be interested in become a certified Green Lab. The Green Labs committee is asking any representatives from labs that would like to learn more about the certification process to contact them: greenlabs@ucsc.edu. The certification process has become more efficient, and it is a highly rewarding undertaking for laboratories interested in being recognized for their commitment to sustainability.

For general program information about the Green Labs Program, please see the website here!