University of Oregon Office of Sustainability
Fall 2022 Newsletter
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Letter from the Office of Sustainability |
Our team recently read and discussed an article from journalist Anand Giridharadas on how people are actually more persuadable than partisan politics and social media trolls would have us believe. Giridharadas' definition of persuasion focuses less on "winning" someone over to your side and more on the complex work of connecting with people about their concerns, their lives, and their ambiguous thoughts in order to build common ground on crucial issues. His arguments also align with climate scientist and communicator Katherine Hayhoe's work on how to build engagement for climate action by talking and connecting with people, starting from their needs, fears, and desires.
The piece and our team conversation underscored the balance between dreaming big when contemplating a sustainable future and being willing to roll up sleeves and do the complex, contingent, and challenging work of bringing that future to life. The articles in this newsletter represent doing the work on various levels, and what jumps out is how many different ways there are to do sustainability work. From campus restoration to student leadership development, recycling education, and faculty research, the work is dispersed but also interconnected. Happy fall and happy reading!
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UO faculty and students bring native plants and pollinators back after wildfire
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After the devastating Holiday Farm Fire that tore through sections of the McKenzie River area in 2020, UO Ecologist Lauren Ponisio took on a project to replant native plants and track native pollinators. The initial results were promising, with wildlife ecologist and co-director of the UO’s Environmental Leadership Program (ELP), carrying on the work with ELP students.
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UO’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History announced a Center for Archeological and Interdisciplinary Research and Education
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Per Around the O, “Focus areas for the center include the peopling of the Americas, studying historical ecology and human responses to environmental change, exploring hidden histories of groups underrepresented in traditional historical studies, preserving collections, and sharing information with the public via exhibitions, publications and multimedia presentations.”
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Unpacking the Quack's Recycling and Trash
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This year the UO welcomed over 5300 first-year students to campus, the largest first-year class in institution history! Student employees with the Office of Sustainability and students in the Environmental Leaders ARC, part of that incoming class, supported the Zero Waste program during move-in. Due to their efforts, we decreased contamination and increased recycling, as well as gave new students and their families a warm welcome to campus life.
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UO's Recycling is Unique!
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Every recycling system is different. Watch our new video explaining the recycling system at UO, take the quiz, and enter a raffle to win $25 duck bucks! (UO students only.)
If you ever have any questions about the recycling system, call or text the recycling help line: 541-999-4173
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| Student Sustainability Center Rolls Out New Programs
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The Student Sustainability Center rolled out several new or expanded programs this fall to engage, inspire, and organize the next generation of leaders. These initiatives include a host of volunteering activities that range from restoration to gardening to furthering food security. The SSC also offers talks and activities; access to free, used office supplies in the R.O.S.E. room; and a leadership and engagement program.
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We are excited to welcome two new team members, Boz Van Houten and Ryan Haag of our energy management team, to the Office of Sustainability!
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| This fall UO is hiring 11 new faculty as part of our Environment Initiative. This hiring effort reflects the UO’s commitment to investing in transdisciplinary research and teaching in climate solutions and environmental justice.
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CPFM Staff visit Reed College for Inspiration for UO's Willamette River Natural Area Management Plan
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On October 7 staff from the offices of Sustainability, Campus Planning, and Facilities Services toured Reed Canyon, a 28-acre natural area at the heart of Reed College, to learn about restoration and maintenance that has transformed the canyon over the last 20 years. The canyon includes the headwaters of Crystal Springs Creek, which provides critical salmon and steelhead habitat, and has a diversity of wildlife and native plants that supports outdoor learning, recreation, and a natural place to rest and relax. The tour was led by Reed’s Facilities Operations Manager, Zac Perry, who has been a champion of the Reed Canyon restoration and maintenance efforts. Last summer CPFM completed the Willamette River Natural Area Landscape Management Plan. This plan establishes guidance for how CPFM can restore and maintain our 24-acre riverfront natural area to create and enhance a variety of habitats (riparian areas, grasslands, and mixed forest). Reed College’s success in restoring the canyon is an inspiration to the potential of how our riverfront could become a destination for more students to learn, recreate, and relax along the Willamette River.
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