June 2015: Internships, Employment & Volunteering

EMPLOYMENT

University of Southern California Seeking Sustainability Coordinator
USC Auxiliary Services is seeking a Sustainability Coordinator to join its USC Housing Team. This individual would be responsible for creating sustainable activities geared towards achieving buy-in and habit transformation, coordinate program services and activities, and assist the Director of Housing in defining goals, performance metrics and long range plans for sustainability, to name a few. Applicant must have a Bachelor's degree, 1 year combined education/experience, and experience with administrative support services. For more information, please click here.

UC Riverside Hiring Energy & Sustainability Manager
This is a full-time position located in Riverside, CA. The Energy & Sustainability Manager works to decrease energy cost, examines mechanical, electrical, water and gas systems to make sure they are functioning at the highest level possible. For more information about position requirements, and to apply, click here.

Conservation Corps Seeking College Students and Recent Graduates
Conservation Corps North Bay currently has three open positions: 1) Community Education and Event Associate (20-30 hours/week, flexible schedule, $11/hour). 2) Community Recycling Crew Staff Driver (M-F, 7:00am-3:30pm, scheduled weekend dates, $13/hour). 3) Natural Resource Crew Seasonal Corpsmember (M-F, 7:00-3:30pm, $10/hour). To see the full descriptions and to apply, click here.

Bike Santa Cruz is Seeking Part-time Bookkeeper/Membership Coordinator
Bike Santa Cruz is looking for an awesome, enthusiastic individual to work 5 hours/week tracking Bike Santa Cruz finances, handling member correspondence, and maintaining their membership database. Please read posting for more information.

Seeking Monterey Bay Marine Sanctuary Exploration Center Program Assistant
This individual will open and close the center, troubleshoot computer equipment, greet and receive visitors, assist in tours, assist Volunteer Coordinator, data entry and management, and much more. Please send a cover letter, resume and three professional references to explorationcenter [at] noaa [dot] gov and indicate SEC Program Assistant Job in subject line.

Alliance to Save Energy Seeking Programs Associate
The Alliance to Save Energy is seeking a full-time Program Associate to assist with implementing PowerSave Campus. Applicant must have a Bachelor's degree in environmental studies, energy, education and 1-2 years of work experience is preferred. For more information, click here.

University of Utah Hiring Sustainability Communication and Outreach Coordinator
The Sustainability Office at U of Utah is seeking a Communication and Outreach Coordinator. This individual will support the campus mission by acting as a resource to faculty and staff within the Sustainability Office and coordinating internal and external communications with other public outreach efforts. For more information and to apply, click here.

INTERNSHIPS

IDEASS Internship Program Accepting Applications for 2015-16

Impact Designs Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service is a 9-month upper division service-learning class that fulfills the ENVS (and other majors) senior exit/thesis requirement by allowing entrepreneurial students to work on experimental sustainable designs and keep on the cusp of innovation. The potential projects span a cornucopia of topics, including: energy, water, food, transportation, and waste. IDEASS encourages students of all disciplines to apply. Applications are now being accepted for the 2015-2016 year. To apply, visit the application page here. 

Food Systems Internships Available

The Food Systems Working Group has an exciting new cadre of student leaders working across their partnerships with Dining, the Farm, and Garden efforts. Are you looking for an internship to join them? Email ucscfswg [at] gmail [dot] com if you'd like to find out more!

CASFS Farm Seeking Interns for Summer
If you're interested in working on the farm this summer, and supporting ongoing student engagement efforts in agroecology and ecological horticulture please email Damian Parr at dmparr [at] ucsc [dot] edu for more details. 

FSWG Leadership and Recruitment Seeking Interns 
Are you a continuing student who is passionate about food and farming systems? Look no further than an intership with FSWG (Food Systems Working Group). Please email Crystal and Alyssa at ucscfswg [at] gmail [dot] com to find out more. Or, join in during a weekly meeting, which takes place on Fridays from 11am-12pm in Oakes Room 220. 

Summer Bike Advocacy Internships Available
Bike Santa Cruz County is looking for summer interns to help with bicycle advocacy, event planning, and outreach. Bike Santa Cruz County advocates for better bicycling around the county, plans fun bike events, and participates in local planning for bike projects and policies. For more information, contact Amelia Conlen at director [at] bikesantacruzcounty [dot] org.

Writers & Social Media Interns Wanted for Hilltromper
Hilltromper, the one-stop outdoor recreation web resource for Santa Cruz County, is looking for an intern to help run the calendar, write about recreation and the environment and contribute to social media. Tromping strongly encouraged! If interested, please email Traci [at] hilltromper [dot] com.

Coastal Watershed Council Internships Available
The Coastal Watershed Council (CWC) has many great internship opportunities to learn about local watersheds, build your resume, and contribute to cleaner, healthier watersheds in Santa Cruz. They're looking for motivated college and high school students. For more information, call (831) 464-9200 and view a full list of internship opportunities here.

VOLUNTEERING

Volunteer at a Campus Garden

Want to get your hands dirty and nurture the plants in our campus gardens? Visit the calendar to find out when garden work days are happening here.

Green Building Student Alliance

Have you ever wondered what goes into making a building energy, water, and waste efficient? How can UCSC support sustainability in building designs and retrofits? Tatiana Gefter (Green Building Campaign Coordinator for the Student Environmental Center), Grant Waldron (Provost's Sustainability Intern for Climate Action), and other students are collaborating to create a Green Building Student Alliance. This group will serve as a student advising resource to campus architects and project managers with a goal of increasing student participation in campus infrastructure design to keep the environment in mind. Email Tatiana at tgefter[at]ucsc[dot]edu for more information and to join!

Get Involved with UC Global Food Initiative

The UC Global Food Initiative aims to address global issues in the food system. All 10 UCs are working collectively towards this effort to support sustainable agriculture, healthy eating, and food security. UCSC is playing a critical role in this effort with the support of the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems. Join a subcommittee and get involved by contacting ucscfswg [at] ucsc [dot] edu.

Get Involved with Integrated Climate & Energy Study

Interested in climate and energy sustainability? Want to get hands-on experience exploring these topics in relation to our campus? Chrissy Thomure, Climate Action Manager in the Sustainability Office, is coordinating an Integrated Climate & Energy Study with key stakeholders and a consultant. The study launches this year, and students are encouraged to participate! Email Chrissy at cthomure [at] ucsc [dot] edu to find out more information.

Volunteer at the Homeless Garden Project Downtown Store
Volunteer in the store, on the register, for merchandising, and providing customer service. New volunteers receive orientation during their first shift. Click here to see the schedule, then contact Jes at jesw [at] homelessgardenproject [dot] org to sign-up. 

Call for Students! Conduct Free Local Business Energy Audits

Interested in greening offices and energy conservation? The Green Impact Campaign is a national student-powered movement working to raise awareness of energy consumption. Become part of the movement today and join Green Impact Campaign, here.

Global Student Embassy Seeking Garden Leader
Global Student Embassy (GSE) Santa Cruz initiates and runs several high school garden projects here in Santa Cruz county. GSE is seeking a Garden Leader who will commit to meeting one to two times/month, plan community workdays, lead after school workdays, and facilitate discussion-based workshops. Contact Wyeth Wunderlich at wyeth [at] globalstudent embassy [dot] org to participate in this awesome program.

Sprout Up Environmental Education Opportunity

Sprout Up Santa Cruz is seeking college student-instructors instructors to deliver free environmental education to 1st and 2nd graders in the Santa Cruz community, cultivating the next generation of passionate caretakers of the earth. Commitment is maximum 3 hours/week for 8 weeks, by UCSC academic quarter. For more information, please contact directorsc[at]sproutup[dot]org, and visit their website at www.SproutUp.org.

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. 

Community Engagement with San Lorenzo River Alliance
Help the San Lorenzo River Alliance have more positive attention on and more positive engagement with the San Lorenzo River by signing up to be a community engagement volunteer. To learn more or volunteer, email Laurie Egan at legan [at] coastal-watershed [dot] org. Also, check out their website here.

Teach K-12 Watershed Conservation Lessons
Coastal Watershed Council presents lessons to K-12 grade students at public schools throughout the county. Volunteer to present lessons on the link between watersheds and our water supply, recycling and composting, water pollution prevention, how to pack a trash free lunch, wise energy use, and many other topics related to climate change and wise resource use. To learn more and sign up, email Stew Jenkins at sjenkins [at] coastal-watershed [dot] org or call him at (831) 464-9200. Learn more here.

Carneros Creek Winter Monitoring
Want to gain field experience in beautiful wetland areas? Volunteer with the Carneros Creek Water Quality Monitoring Program to help monitor seasonal Carneros Creek, a primary freshwater tributary to Elkhorn Slough. You'll be professionally trained to test for field measurements and flow, including how to collect water samples that will be analyzed at a certified lab for bacteria, nutrients, total suspended solids, and pesticides. Contact Debie Chirco-Macdonald at djchirco [at] coastal-watershed [dot] org or (831) 464-9200 to get involved. Learn more here.

California's Exceptional Drought: "A Year in Water"

Story contributed by UC Santa Cruz Financial Affairs Department 

Even with the recent rains, California’s drought is so severe that a new category had to be created to describe it: "Exceptional Drought," which is ranked as more dry than "Extreme Drought" and "Severe Drought." In response to this water crisis, the Financial Affairs Green Team is putting forth a year long effort known as "A Year In Water," with a series of events focusing on highlighting conservation efforts, water recycling opportunities, and spreading information about local water sources.

In January, the Green Team challenged Financial Affairs departments to commit to conserving water by taking the Water Conservation Coalition of Santa Cruz County's Water Pledge. Many Financial Affairs staff members rose to the challenge, with 60% of staff participating in the event.

On March 25th, the Financial Affairs Green Team visited the Bay Street Reservoir. This reservoir was demolished in 2006 due to a crumbling roof, but in 2014 two six million gallon replacement tanks were put back into operation to help meet the needs of the city's 90,000 customers. Bay Street tanks are considered a critical emergency supply because they hold treated water, unlike the raw rainwater in the Loch Lomond Reservoir.

The Green Team photographed the site and discussed water issues with the plant's water staff. Armed with this information, they will make a presentation to Financial Affairs to help everyone better understand what can be done to conserve Santa Cruz's precious water supply. April 14th from 12:00pm to 1:00pm at 2300 Delaware in room B290, Elida Erickson from the Sustainability Office will be presenting an overview of how the campus coordinated a response to the drought crisis, achieving its 24% reduction target from the City and communicating water saving initiatives to the users in the campus community.

In May, at the Financial Affairs All Hands Meeting Dr. Brent Haddad will speak about his research, which focuses on Integrated Water Management, Regional Water Management, Water and Energy Policy, Political Economy and Renewable Energy. Dr. Haddad has been at the forefront in educating the public about desalination. The Green Team is also in the process of getting each Financial Affairs department re-certified through the Sustainability Office's Green Office Certification program. Due to their improved sustainability efforts, FAR was promoted from "sprout" to "sapling." Way to go!

The Financial Affairs Green Team looks forward to continued efforts in environmental leadership, collaboration, and education.

Photo Source: http://www.californiadrought.org/drought/current-conditions/

Use Your Voice and Drop Your Own Drip!

The Drop Your Own Drip campaign within the Student Environmental Center is conducting a survey about water conservation efforts at UCSC. The campaign aims to use this data to determine possible project ideas for the future.

The input from students will also be shared with the Water Working Group and the Water Task Force. Please take the survey here.

November 2014 Drought Update

During the spring, mandatory water restrictions of 25% were put into place by the City of Santa Cruz to reduce water use during this "exceptional" drought, and UC Santa Cruz has been successful at staying within these reductions since late spring. To achieve this goal, the Water Working Group requested the creation of a student-led team through the Sustainability Office, focused specifically on drought response. Thus, the Drought Response Team was born, comprised of five students: Nataly Dybens, Lindsay Edelman, Marino Hernandez, Elly Martinez, and McCall Williams.

(Source)

This summer, this student team took on the projects of auditing water fixtures, educating the campus through signage, and learning about water in our county. Through their efforts and the water conservation actions of our entire campus community, we have stayed within our water restriction amounts. Congratulations—and keep it up! Throughout the summer and into the fall, the Drought Response Team has inspected 64 buildings’ water fixtures by assessing how much water was being used by sinks, showers, and toilets. Comparing these numbers with expected flow rates, the team members identify inefficient fixtures and have been passing along requests for them to be fixed or upgraded. So far 91 leaks have been repaired, and there are still 40 more buildings to be audited by the team. These simple changes in our infrastructure can save a lot of water.   

In addition to auditing, the team has put up signage in nearly all restrooms on campus with information about how to report leaks, knowing that water conservation is a team effort across campus requiring support from everyone. Perhaps you’ve seen the signs: “Help Out, We’re in a Drought!” The team has also been tabling at events throughout campus to educate our community about water use and sources of water in our county. Most of our water comes from Loch Lomond Reservoir and the San Lorenzo River, which are dependent upon local rain. 

The Drought Response Team has been tabling at events throughout campus to educate, engage, and encourage water conservation.

Despite our achievements in water reductions, the drought continues and some parts of campus are suffering from the limited amounts of water that can be used. For example, East Field wasn’t watered enough early in the summer to keep it alive, and it has had to be re-seeded and left to grow back, affecting sports clubs and teams and others who use the field. The UCSC Farm is also facing challenges in keeping enough of their fields growing to continue all of their important programs and research. Water conservation is still extremely important, and each day we are more and more in need of rain. If you’d like to know more about what the City and community leaders are doing to identify solutions to our water supply, please read this article about the recent water convention and cast your vote! 

These efforts by the Drought Response Team are just some of the many efforts taking place at UCSC to reduce water use, and we will continue to provide updates as the drought continues. It is important to inform your friends, family members, peers, and neighbors about the drought and what we all can do to conserve water. Take this water footprint quiz to learn how you can save more water and encourage others to do the same. If you see a leak or water waste on campus, please report it by filling out a work order online at www.ucscplant.ucsc.edu. If you notice a leak in the residential halls, please report it via a Fixit ticket at fixit.ucsc.edu. 

Questions? Proposed solutions? Concerns? Please contact Elida Erickson at ekericks [at] ucsc [dot] edu.