UF Celebrates 40th Anniversary of Earth Day, Sustainable Change on Campus

This year’s Campus Earth Day Celebration included herb giveaways from Gators for a Sustainable Campus, clothing donations and hazardous waste collection. There were also educational games, art activities and a number of student and community organizations interacting with passersby. A “Greening Your Career: Bringing Sustainability to the Workplace” panel discussion, hosted individuals speaking on how they had incorporated sustainability principles into their positions, and advice for students about to enter the workforce about how to channel their own passions when they transition.

President Machen gave his annual “State of Sustainability at UF” address, emphasizing the importance of individual action and the part every Gator plays in transforming our university. He commented on the solar panels currently being installed on Powell Hall, and what this can mean for both UF and the community at large. These panels, done in partnership with Progress Energy, not only represent a step toward sourcing energy through renewable means, but to also be an engaging, educational piece for the over 200,000 annual visitors to the Florida Museum of Natural History about the prospects of solar energy in sunshine state.

Additionally he remarked on our continued recognition on the national scene. The University of Florida was most recently included in the Princeton Review’s Guide to 286 Green Colleges.

This year also marked the second year of the Sustainable Solutions Awards. There were a number of notable achievements, and the following list helps reflect some of the efforts, individuals and groups who help champion sustainability here at UF:

Most Active Green Team - Finance and Accounting
Most Active Student Organization - 2010 Solar Decathlon Team
Waste Reduction - Online Swap Meet Program
Student Waste Reduction - Florida Alternative Breaks
Water Conservation - “Can You Take A 5-Minute Shower?” - Water Conservation Pilot Program
Energy Efficiency and Conservation - Physical Plant Division, Retro-Commissioning Team
Student Energy Efficiency and Conservation - Neutral Gator Renter’s Initiative
Bright Idea Award - “Pushing the Envelope” Campaign, Susan Smith
Student Bright Idea Award - Clotheslines at Campus Housing Facilities, Ricardo Brown-Salazar

Congratulations to all of our winners and nominees!

Commencement Goes Carbon Neutral

This year, all Gator graduates will be “green” graduates. Inspired by the carbon neutral 2009-2010 Gator athletic season, the O’Connell Center and the UF Office of Sustainability continue to make strides toward the university goal of carbon neutrality by offsetting the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, the University Auditorium and the O’Connell Center’s utilities during commencement ceremonies.

“We are always looking for new ways to be sustainable, and we are thrilled to contribute to the university wide goal of carbon neutrality during this premier event on campus,” said Lynda Reinhart, director of the O’Connell Center.

The offsets, purchased through the local nonprofit Neutral Gator and coordinated with assistance from UF’s Physical Plant, help reduce UF’s footprint while simultaneously helping to fund a more energy-efficient Gainesville. Taking such large and interactive events and making them carbon neutral also helps educate the Gator Nation of UF’s dedication to sustainability and how every facet of the orange and blue can go green.

Additionally, more than 350 graduating students signed the Green Graduation Pledge, committing to carry the values of sustainability with them as they move on from the University of Florida.

The Office of Sustainability and the Student Government agency, Gators Going Green, joined to promote the pledge, tabling at various events throughout the spring term and at cap and gown pickup, in addition to adding an online capability to sign the pledge. The site will allow graduates to connect and reflect on sustainability in a global context, as well as stay informed and involved with sustainable developments at UF. A reception was held at Boca Fiesta on April 22 to honor this year’s signatories, foster new relationships, and celebrate these students’ commitment to spread sustainable change.

40 Days of Change - Week 6

This week marks the culmination of the Office of Sustainability’s 40 Days of Change campaign, 40 opportunities to make a CHANGE in your home, life and world in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. The week will feature a variety of activities and opportunities for students, staff and faculty to recognize notable sustainability achievements of the past year and discuss opportunities for the future. Some of the events in Gainesville include:

Monday April 19
Sign the Green Graduation Pledge
UF Bookstore, 10am-4pm

Tuesday April 20
Sustainable Products Tradeshow
Reitz Union Grand Ballroom, 10am-2pm

The State of Solar, presented by ASES
106 Rinker Hall, 6:30pm

Wednesday April 21
CAMPUS EARTH DAY CELEBRATION
Plaza of the Americas
Hazardous and Electronic Waste Collection - 10am-3pm
Greening Your Career panel - 11am
Status of Sustainability presentation by UF President, Bernie Machen - 1pm
Sustainable Solutions Awards Presentation – 1:30pm

Thursday April 22
Earth Days Reception and Movie
Hippodrome, 5:30pm-9pm

Friday April 23
Recycle Your Coursepacks
Campuswide, all day

Saturday April 24
UF Cultural Plaza Earth Day Celebration
UF Cultural Plaza, 10am-3pm

40 Days of Change - Week 4

This week marks days 21 – 27 of the Office of Sustainability’s 40 Days of Change campaign, 40 opportunities to make a CHANGE in your home, life and world. Some of events on campus and in Gainesville this week include:

FOOD WEEK - 5 Days, 5 Issues Sponsored by UF Student Organizations

Diverse student groups will host events highlighting the problems, solutions, and opportunities presented by our current food system. The events will cover local to global food issues. Come hungry and be prepared to leave with a full stomach and mind.

Monday April 5
Stop Hunger Now!
Broward Basement, 630pm-830pm

Tuesday April 6
Be Organic & Slow Food
Plaza of the Americas, 1pm-3pm

Wednesday April 7
Young Farmers and the Future of Agriculture
New Physics Building 1002, 630pm-830pm

Thursday April 8
The True Cost of Food
Williamson Hall 100, 630pm-830pm

Friday April 9
The Bitter Side of Sugar
CSE E119, 6pm-8pm

Saturday April 10
The Old Homestead Trail
Dudley Farm, 10am-12pm

Sunday April 11
Food and Faith: A Panel Discussion on Sustainability, Food and Religion
Friends of the Music Room, University Auditorium

Next week's events include the Florida Food Summit (April 12 - 13). The event at UF’s Reitz Student Union will facilitate networking, dialogue, and visioning among members of the Florida food system, and help develop the connections needed for robust farm-to-institution programs. All FFS events are free and open to the public. For more information and to RSVP, follow the links below.

Food Summit Day 1: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=105157976186258&ref=ts

Food on the Lawn Farmers Market and Fair: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=108291702532173&ref=ts

Food Summit Day 2: http://www.facebook.com/#!/event.php?eid=108765575813525&ref=ts

40 Days of Change: Week 3

This week marks days 14 – 20 of the Office of Sustainability’s 40 Days of Change campaign, 40 opportunities to make a CHANGE in your home, life and world. Some of events on campus and in Gainesville this week include:

Monday March 29

Meatless Monday

Worldwide, all day

Tuesday March 30

Register Your Bike

Campuswide, all day

Wednesday March 31

Union Street Farmers Market

Downtown Plaza, 4pm-7pm

Thursday April 1

Getting Below the Surface - UF Water Institute Seminar

209 Emerson Alumni Hall, 3pm-5pm

Friday April 2

Explore Campus Conservation Areas

Campuswide, all day

Saturday April 3

Ardisia Days: Invasive Plant Cleanup

San Felasco Hammock Preserve State Park, 9am-12pm

Sunday April 4

Visit Gainesville Natural Areas

Citywide, all day

For event details and full calendar, visit www.sustainability.ufl.edu/40daysThe University of Florida Office of Sustainability is proud to sponsor 40 Days of Change in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day. From March 16th to April 24th, members of the local community and Gator Nation at-large are invited to make a change in their lives, homes and world by participating in sustainability-focused events throughout the area. Activities during the 40 days will encourage participants of all ages to be active both socially and physically through interactive participation in indoor and outdoor events. 40 Days of Change will culminate with the Florida Food Summit and Campus Earth Day celebration in April.

Follow Sustainable UF on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sustainableUF

UF Food Summit to showcase issues surrounding Florida food systems, sustainability

The University of Florida Office of Sustainability will host the first Florida Food Summit April 12-13. The event at UF’s Reitz Student Union will facilitate networking, dialogue, and visioning among members of the Florida food system, and help develop the connections needed for robust farm-to-institution programs.

The summit is part of the Office of Sustainability’s 40 Days of Change campaign – a celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

The event will commence with a welcome reception, followed by public panels focusing on local food systems at the local and state level. Additional events include film screenings, multimedia presentations and a “Food on the Lawn” fair and farmers market. “Food on the Lawn” will take place on UF’s Plaza of the Americas from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 12, and feature food demonstrations, educational displays and local produce for sale. A photography exhibition, “Range, Furrow, and Grove: Images of Florida Agriculture,” will also be on display April 5-17 in the Reitz Student Union Gallery.

Michael Dimock, executive director of Roots for Change, will present a keynote speech on sustainable food system development. The presentation will take place the evening of April 12. Robert Stone, outreach coordinator for Florida Folklife Program, will present “Florida Cowboys and Agricultural History” the evening of April 13.

A special workshop will be held April 13 for local and national stakeholders invited to share their knowledge on and ideas for creating and accelerating farm-to-institution programs.

Additional programs hosted in the days leading up to the event will complement the summit program and include movie showings, student-led programs and a panel entitled “Food and Faith,” featuring local religious leaders.

Sponsors of the event include Alachua County, Aramark Higher Education and Darden Restaurants, along with considerable support from the University of Florida Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences in planning and participation.

UF team sets open house for solar home that will compete internationally

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — The University of Florida Solar Decathlon team will hold several events this week to showcase its project: a student-designed solar home that will compete internationally this summer.

The events culminate in an open house Friday where the public can tour the home that will compete in Solar Decathlon Europe, an international competition designed to advance innovation and research in solar, sustainable and industrialized housing.

The Project: RE: FOCUS team will encourage the UF community to “Make a Change, Not a Footprint” from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesday in the Plaza of the Americas with an expo featuring solar panels, renderings of the home, the home’s floor plan staked out to scale, and other information on the project.

On Thursday morning, Project RE:FOCUS will take over the 34th Street wall to inspire the Gainesville community members to make a small change in their lives to reduce their carbon footprint.

Friday’s open house will feature tours of the home, information about the project and presentations by College of Design, Construction and Planning Dean Christopher Silver, team leader and building construction professor Robert Ries and student team leader and doctoral student Dereck Winning.

“The Solar Decathlon gives students from across the university the opportunity to work together on a real-world project, and Friday will be the first opportunity for the team to present their work to the sponsors and the community,” Ries said.

The open house will take place at the UF Solar Energy Park, 2610 S.W. 23rd Terrace, from 3 to 6 p.m., with the presentations delivered at 3:15 p.m. Those who attend are encouraged to carpool to promote sustainability and due to limited parking.

The UF team, comprised of more than 125 students from four colleges and eight disciplines, will compete in Madrid this June in 10 categories that include solar power, innovation, sustainability and communication. The team’s entry fuses innovation with the design of the historic Florida Cracker House to further the field of solar energy and inspire solutions for sustainable living that fit market needs.

For updates on the house, visit http://www.floridasolardecathlon.org/

Writing Credits: Kathryn Watson

40 Days of Change: Week 2

This week marks days 7 – 13 of the Office of Sustainability’s 40 Days of Change campaign, 40 opportunities to make a CHANGE in your home, life and world. Some of events on campus and in Gainesville this week include:

Monday March 22

Recycled Goods Arts and Crafts Forum- ACTIONS!

Environmental Awareness Week Reitz Union, 6pm-7pm

Tuesday March 23

Save My Oceans tour

Plaza of the Americas, 10am-3pm

Wednesday March 24

enVeg Vegan Cooking Demonstration

Yulee Hall Commons, 7pm-8pm

Thursday March 25

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle, Rethink!

Plaza of the Americas, 10am-3pm

Friday March 26

Solar Decathlon Open House

UF Energy Research and Education Park

Saturday March 27

Earth Hour Worldwide,

8:30pm-9:30pm

40 Days of Change: Days 1 - 5

This week marks the launch of the Office of Sustainability’s 40 Days of Change campaign; 40 opportunities to make a CHANGE in your home, life and world. Some of events on campus and in Gainesville this week include:

Tuesday 3/16
40 Days of Change Kickoff Activities

Reitz Union Colonnade, 10:30am-1:30pm

Wednesday 3/17
UF Lacrosse and Softball Green Games

UF Lacrosse Field and Softball Stadium, 6:30pm

Thursday 3/18
Alternatively Fueled Vehicles Display and Panel Discussion

Reitz Union North Lawn, 10am-3:30pm

Friday March 3/19
1st Annual Gainesville Environmental Film & Arts Festival

Hippodrome, The Age of Stupid (7pm) and The End of the Line (9pm)

Invisible Children's Legacy Tour

Reitz Union, Room 282, 7:00pm

Saturday March 3/20
Kanapaha Spring Garden Festival

Kanapaha Botanical Gardens, 9am-6pm

Follow Sustainable UF on Facebook: www.facebook.com/sustainableUF

REMEMBER - Submit applications for Sustainable Solutions Awards online: www.sustainability.ufl/ssa

UF asks Gators to mark 40 days of change to commemorate Earth Day

The University of Florida Office of Sustainability will sponsor “40 Days of Change” in celebration of the 40th anniversary of Earth Day.

From March 16 to April 24, members of the local community and Gator Nation are invited to make a change in their lives, homes and world by participating in sustainability-focused events throughout the area.

“40 Days of Change” will launch on March 16 with a series of interactive activities at the Reitz Student Union. Participants can plant their own edible greens, make jewelry from recycled materials, and learn more about the campaign.

The campaign encourages participants to be active both socially and physically through interactive events including University of Florida Lacrosse and Softball “Green Games” on March 17, the Gainesville Environmental Film & Arts Festival on March 19-28, a handmade natural soap workshop on March 20, “Range, Furrow, and Grove: Images of Florida Agriculture” photography exhibition on April 5-17, walking tours of Paynes Prairie every Thursday and “5 Days 5 Issues” presentations by UF student organizations April 5-9.

The focal point of “40 Days of Change” will be the 2010 Florida Food Summit, hosted by the UF Office of Sustainability, on April 12 -13. The event will take place at the university’s Reitz Student Union and will facilitate networking, dialogue, and visioning among members of the Florida food system, and help develop the connections needed for robust farm-to-institution programs.

The campaign will culminate with Earth Day events on campus and in the community April 19-24. UF’s campus Earth Day celebration on April 21st will include the annual State of Sustainability address by President Bernie Machen on the Plaza of the Americas, followed by the presentation of this year’s Sustainable Solutions Award recipients. Sustainable Alachua County and the UF Office of Sustainability will host “Earth Days,” the movie, at the Hippodrome during the week, and on April 24, the Florida Museum of Natural History will hold a community Earth Day celebration and Rebuild Together will provide a chance to volunteer in the community for National Rebuilding Day.

“40 Days of Change” is an opportunity for community members to learn more about sustainability initiatives while contributing and interacting with each other. The full schedule of events, with information on times and locations, can be found here.

Upcoming Earth Month Events

April 22nd is officially Earth Day, but events here on campus will start early in the month.

On April 9th, Dr. Jared Diamond, Professor of Geography (UCLA) and Pulitzer Prize-winning author, will present a lecture on his latest book, Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. Diamond will discuss the signs of collapse and how, if identified in time, it might be prevented. The lecture will take place at 8:00PM at the Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. It is free and open to the public. Tickets will be available the day of the event at the venue box office.

Supplementing Dr. Diamond’s lecture, UF faculty will present a panel on April 16th titled “Is Collapse Imminent?” highlighting UF research on climate, environment, and society. On April 14th, a “Sustainability Mythbusters” panel will address common sustainability conundrums and offer tools for answering difficult questions. Both panels will take place at 6:30PM in Weil 270.

The 4th annual UF Sustainable Products Trade show will take place on April 21st from 10:00AM – 2:00PM in The Reitz Union Grand Ballroom. Participating vendors, UF departments, and student organizations will display sustainable products purchased by UF and options for green personal-use products.

The campus Earth Day celebration will take place on the Plaza of the Americas on April 22nd. President Machen will present the annual report on the State of Sustainability at UF at 10:30AM. Campus sustainability recognition awards, a student organization fair, and other Earth Day activities will follow.

For more information on these and other community events visit UF’s Office of Sustainability online calendar.