June 2016: Classes, Training, Community

California's Presidential Primary Election: June 7, 2016
Remember to vote in the presidential primary this June! You have to be registered as a Democrat or No Party Preference (NPP) in order to vote for the presidential candidates, and if you are registered as NPP, you have to request a democratic ballot, otherwise you will not be able to vote for a presidential candidate. The deadline to register to vote was May 23rd. You can vote early, M-F 9-5pm at the Santa Cruz County Government Center, 701 Ocean Street, Rm. 210. Additionally, there will be polling places on campus from 7-7pm on June 7th. For more information, click here.

Climate Ride Summer Session: June 17 - July 10, 2016
The Climate Ride has a new program designed to engage young adults (ages 18-24) in the bike advocacy, conservation and sustainability movement. The 2016 inaugural ride is a 24-day, 1200-mile van-supported bike trip from Portland, OR to Santa Barbara, CA through some of the Pacific Coast’s most beautiful locales. In order to participate, riders must fundraise a minimum of $3,500 for the Climate Ride beneficiary organizations of their choice. There are more than 100 beneficiaries to choose fromSpace is limited to 20 participants. For more information and to register click here.

The Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy Program: Deadline July 1
The Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy (SISE) is a two-week intensive workshop and lecture series for students and professionals at the University of Illinois at Chicago. From August 4-16, a diverse body of participants will engage a broad spectrum of energy and sustainability-related topics through daily presentations, collaborative projects, mentoring activities, site visits, and networking opportunities with leading research institutions and companies in the digital technology and energy sectors. They will accept applications through July 1st. Application information, program information, and more can be found at their website. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Thomas Aláan uic.sise.admissions[at]gmail[dot]com, SISE Program Coordinator.

ENVS 15: Natural History of the UCSC Campus: Enroll now for Summer Session 2!
Looking to get to know the plants and animals of the campus and to see the natural world through new eyes? This will be taught during Summer Session 2 by Alex Jones, UCSC Campus Natural Reserve Manager. This class provides an excellent opportunity to increase your skills of observation and interpretation out in the field while also having a great time with your fellow students. Each week focuses on a different topic, from plants to birds to reptiles and amphibians to mammals and more. In addition to in-class exploration, you will deepen your relationship with the natural world through weekly individual journal exercises at a particular spot on campus that you'll use to anchor your learning. For more info, email Alex at asjones@ucsc.edu.

Wildlands Studies 2016 Summer Programs: Spaces Still Available! 
Wildlands Studies still has a few spaces available in their upcoming summer programs and they encourage students to apply soon.  You could join them in Belize, Australia, Yellowstone, Big Sur and the Channel Islands in California, and Vancouver Island in Canada.  All their programs provide hands-on, applied learning and direct research experience to students while living in a backcountry wilderness setting.  Their courses offer between 5-15 quarter credits provided through Western Washington University. Check out their website or this post to learn more!

Produce Pop-Up Stand in the Quarry Plaza
Come and enjoy the UCSC Farm Produce Pop-up on Thursdays from 10am to 3pm at the Quarry Plaza! FSWG will have a variety of vegetables and flowers from the UCSC CASFS Farm and select fruit from the Downtown Farmer's Market. They are now accepting EBT/CalFresh so please come by and use your benefits! They are also looking for an intern to help support and run the Pop-Up in Fall Quarter 2016. The purpose of  the pop-up is to bring the Farmer's market to UCSC for students and to increase access to healthy and affordable food for all. If you have any questions, please contact Alyssa Billys at abillys[at]ucsc[dot]edu.

Demeter Seed Library
The Demeter Seed Library will be hosting office hours this quarter in Oakes 307. Come by to borrow or donate seeds and learn more about seed saving and campus gardening efforts! Office hours are Tuesdays 2-3pm or by appointment.

Sustainability Studies Minor
The minor incorporates courses offered by College Eight and departments across campus, student-initiated classes through the Education for Sustainable Living Program, and an interdisciplinary capstone. The minor is open to all UCSC students. For more information, click here.

Collaborators for UCSC Biodigester Grant Proposal Needed
UCSC Sustainability Studies Student, Nick Kush, is developing a proposal for a grant to purchase a biodigester for UCSC. A biodigester is a container about the size of a medium trash can where you put in food scraps, and then after digestion by bacteria, get out methane gas which can be used to cook on a barbecue. His goal is to have it installed by the end of the year at PICA. He is looking for fellow collaborators or people who are interested in making this happen. Click here to look at the desired unit. For more information, contact Nick at nkush@ucsc.edu.

Divestment Student Network People Of Color Caucus
The People of Color Caucus is a place for organizers of color in the divestment movement to meet, collaborate on shared projects, and support each other to build the Climate Justice movement the world needs. Check out their Purpose, Principles and how to get involved here. Divestors of color who are interested in learning more can fill out this quick membership form to be shared on their listserve, membership contact page, and Facebook group.

Wildlands Studies 2016 Summer Programs - spaces still available!

If you don't yet have summer plans - consider this outdoor opportunity! Wildlands Studies still has a few spaces available in their upcoming summer programs and they encourage students to apply soon! Wildland Studies welcomes students to join them in Belize, Australia, Yellowstone, Big Sur and the Channel Islands in California, and Vancouver Island in Canada.  All of the programs provide hands-on, applied learning and direct research experience to students while living in a backcountry wilderness setting.  The courses offer between 5-15 quarter credits provided through Western Washington University.

Please share this program information with anyone who would be interested, and invite them to check out their website!  Each program has a full project description and photos on the field project webpage.

They still have a couple spaces in their 2016 Fall Peru Project as well.  If you or anyone who know may be interested, contact Leslie Arutunian (the Director of Wildlands Studies) at 831-684-9999 or leslie@wildlandsstudies.com.

Keep in mind that courses taken outside of the ENVS department must be petitioned to count as an ENVS substitution and there is no guarantee that they will be approved.
Come to the ENVs advising office for more info.

June 2014: Internships, Employment, & Volunteering

Work for PowerSave Campus
Are you interested in a 2-credit or paid internship at $11.00/hr? PowerSave Campus might be the perfect fit for you! PowerSave Campus is a student-driven energy efficiency education program that promotes careers in the field, generates actual energy savings, increases awareness of the importance of energy efficiency, and encourages academic infusion of sustainability concepts; the PSC team creates project to accomplish these goals every quarter. Along with working on their projects, interns will also be able to represent our PowerSave team at the many awesome campus sustainability events at UCSC. To learn more about our team and what we do, visit the PowerSave Campus website or contact Kristiahn Alvarado at kristiahn [at] gmail [dot] com.

Get Involved with the Student Environmental Center
The Student Environmental Center (SEC) is a student-led organization; their mission being to promote student involvement through research, education, and implementation of environmentally sustainable practices on campus. Interns with the SEC learn about current campus projects and policies, and have the opportunity to participate or take on leadership roles in many topics areas. Interns can work on existing campaigns and support the organization in a plethora of ways. Opportunities available in 2014-2015 include Waste Prevention Campaign Coordinator, Students for Organic Solution Campaign Coordinator, Green Building Campaign Coordinator, and Transportation Campaign Coordinator. Explore the SEC website for other internship opportunities or contact Julie Foster at jrfoster [at] ucsc [dot] edu.

Arboretum Volunteer Gardening Opportunities

Do you have an interest in plants, gardening and nature? Then the arboretum is the place for you! They have volunteer hours all throughout the week...plenty of time for you to get involved! For more information visit their website.

Enroll in IDEASS (Impact Designs: Engineering and Sustainability)
IDEASS is now accepting applications for enrollment next year! This is an upper division program at UCSC where students work in interdisciplinary teams with a professional mentor to create a sustainability project in Santa Cruz. IDEASS students do not need a background in engineering or STEM majors. If you are interested, fill out this application ASAP so project planning can begin! Let's get started and brainstorm some "IDEASS"!

Volunteer for Sea Slugs!
Sea Slugs are a UCSC student-based organization built around environmental activism and community evolvement. We have ties with many local organizations including the Save the Waves Coalition and the Surfrider Foundation. All those interested in environmental stewardship can attend our April 10th meeting. For information about the April meeting, stewardship opportunities, or any other oceanic shenanigans, contact seaslug.ucsc [at] gmail [dot] com or visit their website.

Find or Upload Projects to the 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.

Work for AMBAG!
Are you interested in learning to provide strategic leadership to analyze, plan and implement regional policies for the benefit of cities and counties of Monterey, San Benito and Santa Cruz? Through the Association of Monterey Bay Governments students will learn policies, procedures and techniques for projects, perform tasks such as computation, programming and GIS data analysis, and assist with research in the GIS department. For more information visit the AMBAG website here.

Sierra Club's Search for Next Generation Leaders
Sierra Club is looking for the next generation of environmental leaders! Today, more young organizers than ever are running savvy campaigns and changing policies at the local, state and national level. This summer, hundreds will take part in our award-winning grassroots leadership training program to learn the skills they need to launch campaigns. These five week long trainings are run by, and for, young movement leaders. Does this sound like someone you know? Nominate a young leader to gain the skills and confidence they need to launch and win real campaigns for sustainability, climate, and justice. For more information contact Tim Harlan-Marks at sierra [at] sierraclub [dot] org.

ZipCar Paid Internship
ZipCar is offering a paid internship to students at UCSC. Some responsibilities will include: communicating and working with campus-wide contacts to grow awareness on campus, location management, vehicle auditing, and writing and executing a marketing plan. To apply, and for more information check out their website for more information. To discover more information about ZipCar, click here.

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 check out their website.

Intern with the 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.

Looking for a summer job? Work for Ecology Action!

Ecology Action has five job jobs available for this summer, working to implement a summer water conservation campaign with local water agencies. Ecology Action is hiring a Program Outreach Specialist, Outreach Assistants, Program Specialist in Prerinse Spray Valve Installation, and Program Specialist in Water Advising. For more information about summer work with Ecology Action, visit their website.

Join the City of Cupertino's GreenBiz and Growing Greener Blocks
Cupertino offers a great opportunity for students to get hands-on energy efficiency, water conservation, and materials management experience in a progressive city, thereby bolstering their resume and enabling their application of classroom lessons learned. This unique internship position, working as a “boots on the ground” local government sustainability practitioner, will run through the summer, requiring a 10-12 week commitment of a minimum of 10-20 hours per week, though priority will be given to students that can commit to supporting our team full-time.

PICA Summer Jobs Available

The Program in Community and Agroecology (PICA) is hiring for 4 paid gardening positions this summer. The positions are part-time, starting after finals and ending early September. The pay rate is $9 per hour.

 Permaculture Workshop

PICA is a living/learning program located at the Village in the Lower Quarry. PICA strives to promote sustainability on campus through organic gardening programs, the development of a compost waste management system, hosting sustainability related events, collaborations with other student organizations, and holding seminars which link academic knowledge with hands-on experience in the field. It is a vibrant educational environment in which to study sustainable living and food systems. For more information about PICA click here. 

 PICA Garden Liaison Job Description

This student will connect the PICA garden with other campus gardens during Summer 2013. He/she will coordinate skill shares, collaborative garden projects, and shared workdays between the gardens. The Garden Liaison will also work with a team of students to maintain the educational gardens at the Sustainable Living Center (SLC) and help train new leaders in the student gardens on campus. Garden responsibilities includecomposting, greenhouse propagation, watering, planting, weeding, mulching, pruning, organic pest management, harvesting, crop planning, and leading garden workshops.

PICA Garden Summer Worker Job Description

They are hiring three PICA Garden Summer Workers. These students will work to maintain the educational gardens at the Sustainable Living Center (SLC) and assist with other program needs. Garden responsibilities include composting, greenhouse propagation, watering, planting, weeding, mulching, pruning, organic pest management, harvesting, crop planning, and supporting garden workshops. Must be willing and able to work outside for long hours, move heavy objects, trap pests, and perform repetitive tasks such as weeding and mulching as needed.  The work would be for 3 hours per day, 3 days a week.

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PICA is seeking students with an interest in sustainable food systems, who are committed, hard-working, able to work well individually or as part of a team, and follow-directions with limited supervision. Preference will be given to students who plan to live on campus at PICA housing in The Village for the 2013-2014 school year.

  

Please email your resume and cover letter to Bee Vadakan at vvadakan@ucsc.edu and state which position you are applying for. Be sure to include your phone number so we can reach you promptly.

If you are interested in a summer position, in addition to submitting your resume, please come to volunteer for a shift working in the garden. The available shifts are Wed, May 29^th from 1:30pm-4:30pm and on Friday, May 31^st from 9-12. Please email Bee Vadakan what shift you plan to attend.

Applications are due by Sunday, June 2nd at Midnight

May 2013: Internships, Employment, & Volunteering

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.

Volunteer for Bike to Work Week and Day
Love bikes? Want to make Bike to Work Week and Day a success and join in the fun? Click here to learn about the many opportunities to get involved this year.

Internships with WaterLab Wastewater Recycling Research Facility
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. Learn about the issues this facility will address and about the methods and features of the lab in this article. UCSC students can learn more about WaterLab and internships by contacting Eli Weintraub and via the Center for Integrated Water Research website.

IDEASS Accepting Applications for Interns for 2013-2014
Turn your ideas into reality! Do you have your own sustainable project design with potential to make a real community impact, but you aren’t sure how to make it a reality? Apply to IDEASS, a team-based 3-quarter internship program that provides students with real opportunities to work on local sustainability challenges with community partners or sponsors. Please click here to apply today for Fall Enrollment or go to http://sustainability.ucsc.edu/ideass for more information!


Rock & Roll on the Knoll Seeks Collaborators 
On the Stevenson Knoll on May 11, from 2 PM - 12 AM, the Rock & Roll on the Knoll event will be blasting tunes and celebrating the UCSC community through art and music. If you are in a sustainability org, are a musician, artist, or dreamer and want to collaborate, email rockandrollontheknoll2013@gmail.com. They are looking for people interested in making the event sustainable, and are open to any ideas you have for engaging activities! Find out more on the Facebook page here.



Volunteer to Campaign for the GROW Measure 54
The purpose of the GROW measure (Gardens, Resources, Opportunities, Waste Management), a new undergraduate fee of $4.20 per student, per quarter is to ensure students have adequate training and educational opportunities to garden, compost, and reduce their impact on the environment. This measure will provide infrastructure support and student work positions on the UCSC campus, across college gardens, experiential learning sites, and waste reduction efforts as we strive for a Zero Waste campus by 2020. If you are interested in participating in the campaign to promote the GROW Measure 54 prior to the elections this spring, please contact student leaders at ucscfswg@ucsc.edu or call 831-459-3675 for more details. Campaigning has begun and voting begins on May 13 through May 20, 2013.

Sustainability Office and Colleges, Housing, and Educational Services (CHES) Hiring Now for Next Year!
Are you interested in gaining meaningful work experience? The Sustainability Office and CHES are looking for motivated and passionate students to join their teams for the 2013-14 academic year. Read more here.

National Fellowship Program: Deadline July 1
The Environmental Leadership Program's National Fellowship Program offers intensive leadership and skills training and national networking opportunities. Through immersive retreats, their curriculum helps emerging leaders hone their leadership styles, improve their strategy and organizational development, and strengthen their outreach to diverse constituencies. With the assistance of professional coaching and peer learning, each Fellow develops a Personal Leadership Plan. It consists of two multi-day retreats in September 2013 and January 2014 and access to 4 hours of professional coaching. For information on eligibility, cost, dates and locations, and how to apply, visit the website. Applications are due July 1.

Berkeley-Based Urban Adamah Residential Leadership Training Program Accepting Applications for Fellowship
Urban Adamah, based in Berkeley, CA, is a three-month intensive residential leadership training program for young adults ages 21-31, that integrates urban organic farming, social justice work and progressive Jewish living and learning. Twelve Urban Adamah Fellows are selected each season to operate an organic farm and educational center, intern with community organizations addressing issues at the intersection of poverty, food security and environmental stewardship, and learn an approach to Jewish tradition that opens the heart and builds joyful community. Applicants do not need any farming or Jewish knowledge to participate. Summer program is June 9 – Aug 30, and fall program is Sept 8 – Nov 22. Admissions to the fellowship are rolling. Applications will be reviewed as soon as they are complete. Visit the website for more information and to fill out an application at www.urbanadamah.org

Farming Institute Immersion Program Accepting Applications
Come learn to farm at The Farming Institute! The Farming Institute is a unique, fast track, 11 week farming immersion program taking place on two organic vegetable farms in Eastern Iowa. It is designed to equip emerging farmers of all ages, such as college students, recent graduates or others wanting to fulfill a dream. The program includes a mixture of hands on and classroom experience. During the program, students will complete a business plan for their future farm and learn about the land, the business of farming and the farming process. For more information or an application visit http://www.thefarminginstitute.com or email Kate Edwards at kate.wildwoodsfarm@gmail.com or by phone 319-333-2980.

Apply for SEE-U, Summer 2013
Summer Ecosystem Experiences for Undergraduates (SEE-U) is seeking applicants for it's summer session. SEE-U is a program that seeks to highlight ecologically impacted areas of the world for undergraduates of all majors. You travel to your choice of one of the four beautiful yet endangered ecosystems where you live and learn about the particular challenges that area faces. Hosted through Columbia University, you earn 5 science credits while going abroad with other students and learning about environmental concerns on an international level. For more information click here.

AHA Bolivia Sustainability/Social Responsibility Internship
This combined internship, learning workshop, and cultural experience program is designed to introduce students to socially responsible business practices, international business, and environmental respectfulness in business. Participants will gain a deeper understanding of how business works in a developing nation, and how it relates to export markets such as the U.S. and Canada. Participants will engage in hands on learning and will produce a measurable intern project by the end of the program. Program includes: practical internship, learning modules and accompanying activities (6-8 hours per week), accommodation (shared housing), artisan site visits, spanish classes (6 hours per week), and airport pick-up. The cost is $2700 for 4 weeks. For questions, or to apply, send your resume and a letter of interest to Cecilia at ahabolivia@gmail.com. Visit the website at http://www.ahabolivia.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@ucsc.edu.

June 2012: Classes, Training & Community

IDEASS Now Accepting Applications: Deadline June 20

Are you an innovative, entrepreneurial, and self-motivated student seeking opportunities to put ideas about sustainable design, social change and environmental stewardship to the test? A new interdisciplinary program: Impact Designs, Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service (IDEASS) is now accepting applications for class enrollment for the 2012-2013 academic year. Juniors and Seniors from all majors are encouraged to apply. Click here for details, and here to apply now!

Opportunities with ESLP Next Year

The Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) offered eleven wonderful student-led sections this Spring Quarter. They also had an inspiring guest lecture series that raised awareness and brought new ideas to the table about environmentalism and social justice issues. If you want to become part of the inspiration, they’re offering organizer positions and 2-5 unit internships for the upcoming academic year. For more information, visit their website or send them an email.

Summer Writing Workshops
This summer, UCSC Environmental Studies lecturer and research associate Sarah Rabkin will be offering a five-day writing retreat in the northern Sierra Nevada and two workshops at Sitka Center for Art & Ecology, on the Oregon coast. For more information, please click here.

Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy: Apply by June 1
Graduate and senior-level undergraduate students are invited to apply for this University of Illinois at Chicago interdisciplinary program that explores a broad spectrum of sustainability and energy related topics including policy, economics, health, science, engineering, environment, urban planning, business and entrepreneurship. Themed "Election 2012: Energy, Economics and Environment," the August 2012 institute will use the presidential election as the point of departure for a critical analysis of national energy and sustainability issues. For fullest consideration, applications should be submitted by June 1.

Webinar: Creating a Bike-Friendly Campus Culture - June 6
Best for those institutions that are still in the foundational stages of developing a campus-wide alternative transportation strategy, this Academic Impressions webinar will take a step-by-step approach to creating a bike-friendly culture on any campus using Duke University (NC) as an example. Supported by AASHE, this event will start with basic initiatives including bike racks, bike storage rooms and bike maps, and move into deeper investments like developing effective town/gown relationships. It will take place at 4 PM online. Click here for more information and to register.

May 2012: Classes, Training & Community

Live at PICA Next Year!

Interested in living in the PICA community? If you enjoy living sustainably, gardening, sharing home-cooked meals, and living in a friendly educational community, PICA (Program in Community and Agroecology) might just be the place for you! Details on how to sign up for the Village's amazing themed housing can be found here. If you have any questions or would like more information, please contact Bethany Hecht.

Summer Writing Workshops
This summer, UCSC Environmental Studies lecturer and research associate Sarah Rabkin will be offering a five-day writing retreat in the northern Sierra Nevada and two workshops at Sitka Center for Art & Ecology, on the Oregon coast. For more information, please click here.

AASHE Rio +20 Webinar - Increasing Collaboration to Build a Sustainable Future: May 10
Co-produced by AASHE, this webinar is the first in the Security and Sustainability Forum's "Run up to Rio +20" webinar series. AASHE's Executive Director Paul Rowland will host a panel of academic and industry thought leaders in a discussion about existing sustainability initiatives and collaborative efforts, and how they can be augmented to help meet the goals being established at the United Nations Rio +20 Summit. The webinar will take place 1:15 p.m. Eastern, May 10.

CURC Recycling Webinar - Campus and Community Outreach: May 10
Recycling Education and Awareness: Tools, Tips and Ideas for Campus and Community Outreach," hosted by the College & University Recycling Coalition (CURC) and co-sponsored by AASHE, will cover tools and communications strategies specific to college campuses. Participants will learn how to increase program visibility through national events including Recyclemania; maximize reach through collaborations with campus-based and community organizations; and effectively utilize social media and other free communications tools. This webinar will take place 1:00 p.m. Eastern, May 10.

Workshop for Integrating Sustainability into Education: Registration Deadline May 15
This three-day workshop, to be held June 4-6, in San Diego, CA, and allows academic faculty to explore how they can meaningfully integrate sustainability, which is broadly defined, into their classrooms. Presentations on sustainable agriculture, sustainable communities, and biomimicry; a visit to the San Diego Zoo; a presentation on sustainability initiatives at Balboa Park; a Kumeyaay exhibit and presentation at the Museum of Man; and an optional excursion to the Mission Bay Aquatic Center, with tour and canoeing/kayaking afterwards. Limited to 40 participants, register now!

IDEASS Now Accepting Applications: Deadline May 25

Are you an innovative, entrepreneurial, and self-motivated student seeking opportunities to put ideas about sustainable design, social change and environmental stewardship to the test? A new interdisciplinary program: Impact Designs, Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service (IDEASS) is now accepting applications for class enrollment for the 2012-2013 academic year. Juniors and Seniors from all majors are encouraged to apply. Click here for details!

Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy: Apply by June 1
Graduate and senior-level undergraduate students are invited to apply for this University of Illinois at Chicago interdisciplinary program that explores a broad spectrum of sustainability and energy related topics including policy, economics, health, science, engineering, environment, urban planning, business and entrepreneurship. Themed "Election 2012: Energy, Economics and Environment," the August 2012 institute will use the presidential election as the point of departure for a critical analysis of national energy and sustainability issues. For fullest consideration, applications should be submitted by June 1.

Webinar: Creating a Bike-Friendly Campus Culture: June 6
Best for those institutions that are still in the foundational stages of developing a campus-wide alternative transportation strategy, this Academic Impressions webinar will take a step-by-step approach to creating a bike-friendly culture on any campus using Duke University (NC) as an example. Supported by AASHE, this event will start with basic initiatives including bike racks, bike storage rooms and bike maps, and move into deeper investments like developing effective town/gown relationships. It will take place at 4 PM online. Click here for more information and to register.

Summer Writing Workshops

This summer, UCSC Environmental Studies lecturer and research associate Sarah Rabkin will be offering a five-day writing retreat in the northern Sierra Nevada and two workshops at Sitka Center for Art & Ecology, on the Oregon coast.

July 15-20, 2012
on California's North Yuba River
High Country Writing Retreat
San Francisco State University Sierra Nevada Field Campus
35400
Highway 49, Sattley, CA
jrblair@sfsu.edu
http://www.sfsu.edu/~sierra/
Take inspiration from the Sierra's spiced air and rushing waters. Explore the Lakes Basin, Sierra Buttes, Yuba River, & Sierra Valley. Group sessions provide guidance and prompts as well as time to write and share work without judgment. Unstructured periods allow for individual writing, wandering, and optional one-on-one instructor conferences. Bring a writing project in progress, an empty notebook ready to be filled, or both. For new and experienced writers.

August 20-21, 2012
at Cascade Head on the Oregon Coast
Writing at the Edge
Sitka Center for Art & Ecology
56605
Sitka Drive, Otis, OR 97368
info@sitkacenter.org
www.sitkacenter.org
At the lip of a continent or the limits of propriety, edges are jumping-off places—unsettling and exhilarating. Write poetry and prose inspired by edges of all kinds. Instruction, readings, and writing time will connect you with whatever is poised to take flight.

August 22, 2012
at Cascade
Head on the Oregon Coast
Writing the Image, Drawing the Text
Sitka Center for Art & Ecology
56605
Sitka Drive, Otis, OR 97368
info@sitkacenter.org
www.sitkacenter.org
Paint images in language; draw pictures from your words. Create illuminated notebook pages by moving between visual and verbal expression—a refreshing way to jump-start ideas and tap the creative well. Work in graphite pencil, colored pencil, pen and ink, watercolor, or any other portable medium. Enjoy this well-tended haven for  reative expression at a headland preserve of native coastal prairie and old-growth Sitka spruce forest. All skill levels are welcome.