Zero Waste Orientations at UCSC

By focusing their efforts over the past five years, the UCSC Orientation Office has made significant progress towards making orientation programs zero-waste events. These efforts help introduce new UCSC students and family members to a culture of sustainability on the campus.

For example, all 7,000-8,000 participants receive reusable canvas bags with support from the Student Environmental Center to avoid using plastic bags, and students’ nametags double as reusable luggage tags. Also, four years ago they purchased colored flags to help new students navigate the campus, which eliminated the use of balloons. The reusable flags are much more functional and are loaned throughout the year to a least seven different offices on campus for various programs.

During all meals served during summer orientation, they have 6 to 7 zero-waste stations. Each station always has one to two Orientation Leaders present to help educate new students and families on how to best dispose of what was on their plates. During summer 2012 Orientation more than 3,000 pounds of waste were composted, compared to about 200 pounds of trash. 

Great work, UCSC Orientation Office and welcome to all of this year's new Banana Slugs!

Land Habitat Watershed Updates 2012

“This internship has justified my passion for ecology... I have been so lucky to be a part of this internship and I am thankful for all the doors that it has opened for me. Anyone who will participate in this will gain much experience in the field of ecology, biology, statistics, mathematics, and environmental concepts.” 

- Spring 2012 Campus Natural Reserve student intern
 

A core objective of the sustainability movement is the protection, maintenance, and stewardship of the environment and the endurance of critical environmental resources for future generations.  In order to accomplish these goals it is essential to educate citizens about the environment and train future environmental scientists. The 409-acre UCSC Campus Natural Reserve (CNR) exists as a living laboratory and outdoor classroom that provides education and research opportunities right outside the doors of our traditional classrooms and laboratories.

In fiscal year 2011-2012, 23 instructors and more than 800 students used the CNR and surrounding campus undeveloped lands to gain hands-on experiences in their formal course work.  In addition to course and volunteer activities, more than 70 undergraduate student interns and 200 student volunteers gained direct experience in research, education, and stewardship activities while working closely with trained Site Stewardship, Arboretum, and CNR staff and faculty members.  A major recognition of the importance of the CNR was the induction of Dr. Greg Gilbert’s Forest Ecology Research Plot into the Smithsonian Institute’s Global Earth Observatory network of forest plots, launching CNR research onto the world stage.

Please contact Campus Natural Reserve steward Alex Jones for information on internship and volunteer opportunities. Visit the website for more information.

September 2012: Classes, Training, & Community

IDEASS Sustainability Program Spaces Still Available - Apply Now!

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? Impact Designs: Engineering and Sustainability through Student Service is a new team-based internship program on campus designed to create opportunities for students to work on local (primarily off-campus) sustainability challenges with community partners or industry sponsors. Applications for enrollment in Fall 2012 will be accepted until the program is full. Click here for more information and to apply today.

Drop Your Own Drip (DYOD) has found a new home!

The 2012 Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) 5-unit class project has been adopted by the Student Environmental Center (SEC). That means that there are exciting new ways to earn credit through the the ENVS department and be involved with facilitating the annual campus-wide water-use competition. Interested? Check us DYOD out online here and find out how you can get involved by emailing the new Organizer, Sarah Angulo.

Ithaca College Online Sustainability Leadership Certificate - Sessions Begin September 20 and October 11
Offers the chance to credential sustainability work through single seminars or a six-seminar sustainability leadership certificate. All work is completed online. Participants will learn to assess their organization's green policies and practice, communicate sustainability initiatives and evaluate best practices. New online seminars begin 11 times each year. Next two session start dates: September 20 and October 11. Discounts are available to AASHE members. Upcoming seminars include "How Green is Your Organization: Sustainable Policy and Practice" and "How Green is Your Organization: Sustainable Infrastructure." Most Ithaca sustainability seminars are now GBCI (Green Building Certification Institute) approved. Find out more here.

September 2012: Internships, Employment, & Volunteering

Green Office Certification Program Seeks Student Staff

As a member of our Green Office Certification program you’ll learn how to conduct energy and waste assessments of campus offices, write reports and present recommendations to participating office staff to empower them to improve their environmental performance. As a member of the green office certification team, you’ll attend weekly meetings and work closely with campus staff and other stakeholders to reduce waste and increase conservation in campus offices. Ideal candidates will demonstrate interest in sustainability, initiative, excellent organizational, communication and writing skills. Find out more about the program here, and for a list of available positions, click here. Send your resume and letter of interest to Shauna Casey. Be sure to note the position title you are applying for in the subject line of your email.

ESLP Publicity and Media Outreach Intern

Education for Sustainable Living Program (ESLP) is looking for interns interested in helping us create artistic flyers and website design! Interns will attend any necessary meetings with ESLP’s collaboration networking sphere to discuss outreach efforts, and get involved with the organization while developing flyers, web design and publicity skills on a professional level. Internship is 2-units and Photoshop skills are preferable. Please contact ESLP for more information and to apply.

Get Involved with the Campus Sustainability Plan
Since 2010, working groups of staff and students have been making progress on environmental performance targets for UCSC in eight topic areas: Buildings & Facilities, Energy, Food, Land & Habitat, Procurement & Business Contracts, Transportation, Waste, and Water. Now, it's time for UCSC to create a new Campus Sustainability Plan 2.0 for the years 2013-16! If you'd like to check out the original Campus Sustainability Plan, click here. To get involved in the planning process and help create the next set of environmental performance targets for UCSC, please email Elida Erickson.

Help UCSC Take Back the Tap

These cool water spigots for refilling your reusable water bottle were installed by UCSC Take Back the Tap. Visit their Facebook page to find out all the locations so you can stay hydrated.

Take Back the Tap UCSC is an initiative to end the sale and distribution of bottled water on our campus. If you've seen those new water spigots around campus for filling up water bottles, you can thank Take Back the Tap. If you're interested in getting involved, please email Take Back the Tap or visit their Facebook page.

Call for Volunteers: Greenbuild International Conference and Expo
Greenbuild is the world’s largest conference and expo dedicated to green building, and it is coming back to San Francisco November 14-16. If you are a full-time student or professional age 25 and under, volunteer and attend for free! For more information visit the website. For questions, click here to send an email.

Volunteer at the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History
Interested in gardening, habitat restoration, tidepooling, maintaining exhibits and helping at events for the Santa Cruz Museum of Natural History? Volunteer today! Find out more and fill out an application here or email Matt.

September 2012: Clubs, Gardens, & Hikes

Food Systems Learning Journeys for Fall Quarter

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

Volunteer in the Arboretum Eucalyptus Grove - Mondays 9 AM
Help out the Arboretum at UC Santa Cruz as a volunteer in the Eucalyptus Grove. The group meets on Mondays from 9 AM until noon in the Eucalyptus Grove, opposite Western Drive. Parking is available in the Grove for these Monday morning work parties. Please bring hat, gloves, water, and layers of clothing. Tools will be provided. Find out more here.

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

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

Natives First Gardeners at the Arboretum - Tuesdays 9 AM
This weeding group was formed to help with the Entrance Native Garden at the Arboretum on Tuesday mornings at 9 AM. Enjoy a friendly group, and get involved in beautifying this ongoing project while enjoying the beauty of the California Native collection. Bring gloves, water, and sun protection. For more information, click here.

Kiwi Gardeners at Arboretum - Tuesdays 9:30 AM
Join this weeding and pruning group that meets every Tuesday morning 9:30 AM - 12:30 PM. Get involved enhancing the beauty of the New Zealand garden. Bring gloves and smiles. We provide the Kiwi vibe. Hope to see you mate, cheers!

Friends of Community Agroecology Network - Tuesdays 6-8 PM

FoCAN is a student-initiated, student-led community at UCSC that supports CAN's mission of promoting rural livelihoods and sustainable food systems through action education and participatory action research. Join FoCAN for their end-of-the-year celebration on Tuesday, June 5, to have a potluck and celebrate FoCAN and the community they have fostered throughout the quarter. The celebration will take place at the Sustainable Living Center in the Village, building A. Find out more about FoCAN here.

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

Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers' Market - Wednesdays

Eating locally grown food reduces your carbon footprint and supports the local economy. Purchasing your food through the area’s farmers’ markets ensures that you are getting the freshest, healthiest and tastiest foods while supporting local jobs, increasing local spending and promoting the region’s strong farming tradition. Check out the Downtown Santa Cruz Farmers' Market, and learn more, including hours and locations, here. Check out this article about 8 Foods You Should Always Buy at the Farmers' Market.

Student Environmental Center - Wednesdays 6:30-8:30 PM

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

Aussie Weeders at Arboretum - Thursdays 9 AM
This rousing group gathers 9 AM on Thursday mornings. The Australian Collections beam from their attention, and the garden visitors enjoy laughter and joy that is the Aussie Weeders.

Path to a Greener Stevenson - Meeting time TBD

PTAGS at Earth Summit 2012

Path to a Greener Stevenson (PTAGS) meets in the Stevenson House 2 lounge. PTAGS is an environmentally conscious group of staff and students whose aim is to implement change towards sustainability through projects within our community. They see the Stevenson community as an environment to encourage students to turn their innovative thoughts into action. For more information, visit the Facebook group or email Blake Redding.

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

Stevenson Garden Work Days - TBD

Stevenson Garden, photographed in summer 2012

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

Kresge Garden Work Days - Sundays 10 AM - 2 PM 

Amaranth, photographed at the Kresge Garden in Fall 2010

Join fellow gardeners at the Kresge Garden workday and workshop every Sunday! Bring a dish to share for the potluck lunch! To see what the weekly workshop will be, check out the website.

Seymour Center Offers Guided Tours on the Santa Cruz Wharf - Saturday & Sunday, 1 PM & 3 PM

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

September 2012: Upcoming Events

OPERS Fall Festival Sustainability Tent - Tuesday, Sept. 25, 3-7 PM (East Field)

Come celebrate the start of the school year and learn about how you can get involved in sustainability efforts on campus through volunteering, internships, and classes.  To reserve a space tabling for your sustainability related organization or group for the festival send your contact information to the Food Systems Working Group (FSWG).

Harvest Festival at the UCSC Farm - Sunday, Sept. 30, 11 AM - 5 PM

Join us on the CASFS/UCSC Farm for live music, great food, cooking and gardening workshops, farm tours, and much more. This event is free for all UCSC students and $5 for general admission.  To reserve a table for your sustainability related organization or unit for the festival click here. (Right, a photo of apple tasting at last year's Harvest Festival.)

Follow Your Food: From Seed to Seed - Wednesday, October 10, 7-9:30 PM (Oakes 105)
Join Jared Zystro from the Organic Seed Alliance and Elizabeth Henderson from the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) for a talk investigating culture in agriculture, food justice, and our responsibility of stewarding the seeds that sustain us. We will discuss the role that the general public and farmers play in supporting a grassroots movement toward the regeneration and resilience of our food system. A focus will be placed on the importance of cultivating farmer-centric seed systems that develop locally adapted and open pollinated varieties. This event will take place in Oakes Academic Building 105. For more information, please contact Elan or visit the Demeter Seed Project website.

Seed Exchange and Culture Swap - Saturday, October 13, 12-3 PM (UCSC Farm Gatehouse)

The UC Santa Cruz Demeter Seed Library invites students, staff, faculty, community members, and farmers from California’s central coast to participate in the ancient tradition of sharing heirloom and open pollinated vegetable and flower seeds. Join the seed project and gain access to its collection of locally adapted seeds for free. We will have workshops on seed saving, making kombucha, as well as free access to seeds and scobys. For more information, please contact Elan or visit the Demeter Seed Project website.

Fall Plant Sale at the Arboretum - Saturday, October 13, 12-4 PM

Looking for some plants for your home or garden? Don't miss the fall plant sale at the Arboretum, hosted by the UC Santa Cruz Arboretum and the California Native Plant Society, Santa Cruz County Chapter. 10 AM - 12 noon for Arboretum and CNPS members, and 12-4 PM for the public. For more information, please visit the website.

41st Annual Environmental Education Conference - October 9-13 (Oakland, CA)
Hosted by the North American Association for Environmental Education, this conference will gather more than 1,000 environmental education professionals for workshops, field experiences and a research symposium. Keynotes include "The Story of Stuff" author Annie Leonard, "Social Marketing to Protect the Environment" author and professor Wesley Schultz, and urban and environmental policy and planning professor Julian Agyeman, who will co-present "Environmental Education for the Future: Integrating Equity, Inclusion and Diversity." For more information, please visit the website.

Simply Committed Photo Challenge: Deadline June 8

The Simply Committed Photo Challenge is up and running on our Facebook page! Many of you have already made a pledge on our page to change one habit in your lives to become more sustainable either at Earth Summit or Earth Day. Some examples of pledges that were made by students were to bring reusable bags to the store, buy local, ride a bike and walk more often instead of driving or taking the bus, and to eat more organic food. Those of you that have not already made a pledge--it is not too late! Post your pledge right now! The photo challenge involves taking a funny picture engaging in the sustainable commitment that you made. The more ridiculous and comical the better!

The challenge will last until June 8 and the winner will be randomly chosen and announced on June 9! The winner will receive a $30 gift card to the Bay Tree Bookstore. You can post your pictures right onto the UCSC Sustainability Office page, or if you do not use Facebook and want to participate, you can email them to the Sustainability Office! The contest is open to all UCSC students, staff, and faculty. Good luck and have fun!

Here are some examples of photos submitted already:

"I pledge to be more 'weary' of what I eat, considering environmental impact and virtual water of the food...no matter how GREEN the food is. Virtual Water, also called hidden water, is the water that goes into production of a product, such as the water for the plants necessary for production. For more info check out here. Also, seeking more local food decreases the transportation needed for the food, thus decreasing the energy footprint of the food product!" -- Abbas, Green Campus Team Manager

"I pledge to spend more time outdoors in the glorious sunshine to remind myself of what it is I'm working to preserve and protect!" -- Melissa, Internship Coordinator Assistant in the Sustainability Office

What are you waiting for? Choose a pledge, take a photo, and post it. Simply Commit to sustainability and you could win!