From the Office of Sustainability |
It’s beach season, which has us thinking about sea creatures, specifically crabs. Did you know, crabs molt their shells in order to grow? As their bodies get bigger, they eventually become too constrained by their rugged protection and slip out of it like a tree outgrowing its pot. During the time in-between abandoning their old shell and developing a new one, they are vulnerable and yet it had become too impossibly painful not to grow. People can take inspiration from the crabs in considering our own metaphorical growth. We can recognize that growth often only happens when it becomes too uncomfortable to stay the same. And perhaps with this recognition we can be more okay with the uncomfortable exposure period before we finish expanding into our new iteration, whether that’s as individuals or a society. Wherever you are in your relationship to growth, we hope that it is bringing opportunities to dip your toes into sand, water, grass.
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Emily Hamblen and team bring new life to UO's Willamette River Natural Area
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Meet Emily Hamblen, our first Campus Natural Areas Steward, who’s swapping her wildlife research with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife for the University of Oregon's natural areas. The Willamette River Natural Area (WRNA) is an outdoor lab buzzing with interdisciplinary research and service projects to preserve plant species, enhance wildlife habitats, and study landscapes. Emily is bringing the WRNA plan to life to create spaces for research, education, and recreation. Check out Emily talking about the potential for collaborations with the WRNA’s campus neighbor, the Urban Farm Riverside.
Joining Emily this summer are three student Sustainability Associates—Aaron, Ifeoma, and Andrew—who are diving headfirst into mapping invasive species, increasing public engagement, and sprucing up the grounds. The associates are also tackling independent projects that align with their career goals while furthering the WRNA’s mission. Stay tuned as Emily and her team of champions transform our natural spaces!
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Enhancing sustainability: welcoming our new Energy Specialist
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The Office of Sustainability is thrilled to introduce Madeline Jonas-Lowery—Energy Program Specialist! Madeline is pursuing her Energy Management with Building Controls degree after making a career switch from education where she worked as a special education teacher. She brings her expertise to the UO Energy Analysis unit by collecting, managing, and analyzing energy and utility data and by providing essential administrative and operational support, helping drive our sustainability efforts forward.
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Sarah Stoeckl joins AWCS workshop for Climate Wayfinding
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In June, Sarah Stoeckl, Office of Sustainability Associate Director, participated in one of three inaugural workshops with All We Can Save (AWCS). The workshop prepared higher education faculty and staff to bring AWS’s “Climate Wayfinding” program to campuses in 2024-25. Stay tuned for more on this program at UO in the coming months!
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Staff from Mt. Pisgah Arboretum show the 2024-25 Sustainability Fellows a new all-terrain wheelchair that will be available for patrons to check out and will increase outdoor accessibility at Mt. Pisgah.
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Faculty from UO and Heritage University collaborate on sustainability initiatives
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Seven faculty participated in the Sustainability Fellows partnerships and pedagogy workshop in June. The faculty—six from UO, one from Heritage University—represent a range of disciplines but share an interest in leveraging academic strengths to support community partners and bring innovative, impactful learning to their students. The fellows program is in its final round of funding and is honored to have been sponsored by the PNW Just Futures Institute’s grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation since 2021. Learn more about the program and meet the current and former Fellows by clicking the link below.
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Why coffee shop waste belongs in the trash
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Did you know? All coffee shop waste is not recyclable and belongs in the trash—cups, lids, stir-sticks, straws, even receipts! In particular, no cups are accepted in any recycling bins.
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All cups designed for hot beverages have a plastic or wax coating (which makes them a non-recyclable “mixed material”) and belong in the trash.
- Even a few drops of leftover liquid in a cup contaminates the recycling. Cups with liquid waste need to go in the trash.
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You might think the plastic lining on a paper cup means it can go in the plastic recycling container—it can’t! It is the wrong kind of plastic.
Help keep our recycling clean and recyclable—put all coffee shop waste in the trash!
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Summer transportation update
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Transportation Services has a few updates for this summer. First, the E-bike Lending Library has been a huge success! If you are interested, sign up now—there is currently a two to three month waitlist for borrowing a bike.
Second, don't forget to secure your bike parking permits and LTD bus passes. Information on bike parking permit renewal will be sent out in a few weeks to those with existing permits. New secure bike parking permits can be requested starting on September 3, 2024. Additionally, remember to update your LTD bus pass. The new benefit code will be available on September 3, 2024. Follow the steps to redeem your benefit code below.
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Promises and challenges of sustainable apparel |
While the sustainable apparel industry is flourishing with new start-ups and collaborations, we also share a cautionary story about the challenges of supporting long-term sustainability efforts.
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Oregon and UO’s Lane County receive climate and justice-focused grants from the EPA |
“The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency announced the general competition selection of the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality to receive a $197,181,796 Climate Pollution Reduction Grant. Oregon is among 25 selected applications to receive $4.3 billion in funding to implement community-driven solutions that tackle the climate crisis, reduce air pollution, advance environmental justice, and accelerate America’s clean energy transition.”
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Further, Lane County and United Way of Lane County have been awarded an environment and climate justice community change grant from the EPA, bringing almost $20 million to increase resilience, equity, and access throughout Lane County.
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The UO Surplus Furniture program is open this summer. Summer hours end September 21st (check website for updates). Come on down and find out what’s good!
Surplus is open five days a week:
- UO community (faculty and staff) hours: Tuesday-Friday 2-3pm
- Public hours: 3-5:30pm
Reminder: Faculty and staff do not pay for items for reuse on campus. UO faculty and staff can pick-up items for campus reuse during any open hours but can only make purchases for personal use during public sale hours.
Surplus is in the process of lining up a new location and will announce our new digs as soon as the new location has been finalized. More information is available on the UO Surplus website and you can browse the inventory using the link below.
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Have you considered vanpooling? Learn more about this convenient commute option at an upcoming info session on August 7th. A vanpool consists of 5-15 commuters who travel to work together, following a set schedule and route determined by the riders. Fares depend on the size of the van and the daily round-trip mileage, with LTD providing a significant monthly subsidy. Vanpools are ideal for those living at least 20 miles from their workplace with a consistent work schedule. LTD offers virtual info sessions about vanpooling, with upcoming sessions on August 7th from 10am-12pm, October 2nd from 1pm-3pm, and December 4th from 1pm-3pm. For more information, please visit LTD's vanpool website.
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Other events and opportunities in August |
Have a story for the newsletter? Email your idea to Katie Lucca (klucca@uoregon.edu).
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