In this our tenth year of Sustain Champlain, we’ve continued making strong headway in making our campus and community a more sustainable place to work/live/study. Here’s a glimpse as to what we’ve been up to:
Student Eco-Reps
- 16 Student Eco-Reps representing diverse academic fields have explored themes including: Waste,
Transportation & Conscious Consumption - 5 students attended Student Sustainability Leadership Symposium at Connecticut College and two students presented (in good company with students from Tufts, Harvard, etc.)
- Joined the RAs for Leadership Development night on Wed 11/18 to discuss the upcoming Kill-A-Watt Challenge in February
Academic Connections Committee
- Working with Robin Collins, who with a team of students, is putting together a group to submit a stormwater project (raingarden) at Boardman Hall for the national EPA Rainworks Competition
- Val Esposito (EHS), Cheryl Casey (CCM), Robin Collins (ITS) and I were awarded a grant via Vermont Campus Compact and attended a workshop about environmental service learning. Water quality will be a central theme for three spring classes
- Preparing for annual Sustainability Month in February – please let us know if you have any
speaker/presentations/film screenings that would be appropriate to include in our master calendar. - Working with Kim McQueen & the Champlain Publishing Initiative to collect “Profiles in Sustainability” – interviewing our campus population to show the diverse array of sustainability work
- Developed a google map of field trips within walking or short driving distance
- Developing a tool to assess sustainability literacy, that we hope to pilot test in the spring semester
- Fall events have included: Biomimicry speaker, FairTrade speaker, fair trade LEAD event, etc.
Green Revolving Fund Committee
- Campus Apiary now has a new viewing window & interpretive sign, thanks to the GRF. Check it out behind
Perry Hall - Received two proposals for our Nov. 1 deadline – funding one from the CCPI on a series of materials about the importance of bees; film screening planned for April; second proposal was sent back for a bit more work
- Working with Physical Plant team to determine next lighting upgrade project that the GRF can fund.
- Next deadline for community proposals in March 1. See more information here.
Purchasing (Food & more) Committee
- Continuing our work as a Fair Trade Designated campus:
- Had a few events in October in honor of Fair Trade month
- Building a live list of fair trade products offered on campus
- Working with Campus Store on a fair trade apparel option
- Had a few events in October in honor of Fair Trade month
- Created a “good giveaways” spreadsheet of ideas and sent to those departments/teams to often have giveaways
- Researching vendor code of conduct that includes language about commitment to social and environmental responsibility
- Ironing out logistical details of using the Real Food Calculator – tracking how much local, organic, humanely raised & ecological raised food Sodexo purchases
Waste Reduction/Diversion Committee
- held annual Trash Bash – Oct. 26 – still over half, by weight, of what was thrown in trash could have been
diverted to compost, recycling,etc. - Working with Sodexo on a plan to promote reusable take out containers for the Grille/Zime
- Still working toward finalizing Waste Stations in CCM building – bin labels are here, signs and bubbles with real objects next. Hope to have all in place over winter break.
- Working on a appreciative/informative video for custodial crews, to ensure that their final stage of taking materials from buildings to appropriate dumpsters is happening
- Together with PAUSE, developing a Cigg Butt anti-litter campaign
- Developing a campus swap shop for Durick Hall
- Reinvigorating campaign for refillable mug usage
Transportation Committee
- Bikes
- Earned Silver level designation from League of American Bicyclists
- Final touches on CCM covered bike rack
- Work study position to manage Bike program (rack usage, bike share, bike shop)
- Earned Silver level designation from League of American Bicyclists
- Parking
- two additional spaces in Rowell lot for Zone 4 permit holders. We have also added a space for Visitors to Rowell Annex
- Added 3 more handicapped spaces (1 CCM, 2 MIC)
- Starting installing No Idling signs around campus – finishing up Robin Collins’ class project, funded by Green Revolving Fund
- Working with Burlington Electric Department on installing 1 EV charging station
The spring will continue with even more work and more fun, with big events such as the annual Kill-A-Watt Challenge and Sustainability Month in February. Contact us if you are interested in getting involved in these events or any of our committees.