Projects for Spring 2017
Green Week & Earth Day 2017: For all project groups: plan events, information, outreach related to projects for week of April 17.
Priority: OWU Sustainability Plan Adoption
Project Boss: Emily Howald
Little Helpers: For all students in 499, selected help with outreach to groups and attendance at some meetings.
Goal: submitted to OWU Administration for adoption by end of semester
- Research and compose a signable letter of support for Plan that does not entail a financial obligation.
- Select groups to meet with to review Plan and sign support letter:
- Sustainability Task Force (present at February meeting [tba])
- Executive Committee (meet by ?)
- WCSA (meet by ?)
- Environment & Wildlife (meet by ?)
- ?
- Arrange meetings
- Present to Faculty during last faculty meeting (Green Week): April 17
Priority: May Move Out: Planning and Implementation Spring 2017
Project Boss: [Eva Blockstein, James Ormerod, Sydney Spotts]
Little Helpers:
Goal: successful 2017 May Move Out with improvements in promotion and outreach
- Appoint a project boss and point person or some other chain of command (by Friday Jan 27)
- Arrange a meeting with Peter Schantz (B&G): cc Krygier & Howald (by Friday, Jan 27). Have Krygier review email before it is sent.
- Review materials: Geog 499 Spring 2017 / Action: May Move Out
- Prepare to discuss (briefly) effort in class meeting Friday Jan. 27
- May Move Out Foci:
- Planning and implementation of May Move Out
- Promotion
- Recycling
- ?
Priority: Reusable Food Containers (& Chartwells Sustainability)
Project Boss: [Ryan Bishop, Sarah Hanes, Izzy Sommerdorf]
Little Helpers:
Goal: increase the ease of use and use of reusable food containers
- Appoint a project boss and point person or some other chain of command (by Friday Jan 27)
- Arrange a meeting with Dan McGee (Chartwells): cc Krygier & Howald (by Tuesday Jan 31, noon) after discussion about the range of issues to be discussed. Have Krygier review email before it is sent.
- Review materials: Geog 499 Spring 2017 / Action: Reusable Food Containers
- Prepare to discuss (briefly) effort in class meeting Friday Jan. 27
- Prepare to discuss effort in class meeting Monday Jan. 30
- Chartwell’s Sustainability
- Reusable Food Containers
- Promotion
- Problems with return options (lack of scanners)
- Problems with “image” of food containers
- ?
- Composting: status of composting
- Alex the Worm Guy
- New composting company
- Additional Chartwell’s Initiatives & Issues
- Food Recovery Network & related efforts
- Red meat reduction
- Purchasing Local Foods (Yellowbird Foodshed)
- Bottled water sales (check if still in decline)
- Other waste issues (coffee cups, etc.)
- ?
- ?
- Reusable Food Containers
Priority: Green Infrastructure in Residence Halls & SLUs
Project Boss: [Ryan Bishop, Emily Howald]
Little Helpers:
Goal: implement at least Phase 1 of the plan below
- Appoint a project boss and point person or some other chain of command (by Friday Jan 27)
- Review materials: Geog 499 Spring 2017 / Action: Sustainable Residence Halls
- Develop a proposal in phases for green infrastructure
- Phase 1: Split recycle/garbage bins in rooms on one res hall floor / one RA
- Understanding the recycle and waste stream on the residential side of campus. Contact B&G.
- Understanding the procedures for moving recyclables: housekeeping (Aramark) vs. students managing their own waste/recycling.
- Funding of the recycle/garbage bins (WCSA grant?)
- ?
- Phase 2: more extensive infrastructure changes to floor / RA
- Sustainable Living Vision + Treehouse SLU ideas
- Evaluation?
- Include ideas in development of new SLUs?
- Phase 1: Split recycle/garbage bins in rooms on one res hall floor / one RA
Delaware Foodshed Collaborative
Project Boss: Emily Howald
Little Helpers: Maddie Coalmer, Larynn Cutshaw
Goal: continue the conversation about how a sustainable campus garden can be established and maintained.
- Arrange meeting of the following
- Chris Fink, Laurie Anderson
- Seminary Hill Farm: Tadd Peterson, Noel Dheer
- Stratford (?)
- Chris Burger (Master Gardeners of Delaware)
- Related issues:
- Activity courses (gardening)
- Salvaging current garden and prepping future garden space
- Potential to use existing gardens (south of campus)?
Composting
Project Boss: Eva Blockstein
Goal: Proposal to evaluate composting for students and efforts towards that goal established (implement outdoor composting, acquire Zera composter).
- Develop proposal for implementation and evaluation of composting on campus
- Traditional outdoor composting bins for SLUs
- Kitchen food scrap composter: https://www.zera.com ($999)
- Grant money from WCSA or SIP?
- Scraps and food waste saved and picked up by company potentially working with Chartwell’s and City of Delware
- Goal: recommend a sustainable approach to composting for students and SLUs
Activity Courses: Sustainability
Project Boss: Emily Howald
Little helpers: Maddie Coalmer, Larynn Cutshaw
Goal: to have two activity courses (gardening, some kind of repair focus for 2nd module Spring 2017 or Fall 2017)
- Emily Howald will continue to work to get instructors and help define two initial courses.
- Assistance with recruiting students to take courses, document ideas for additional courses
Proposed Environment & Sustainability Program
Project Boss: John Krygier
Little Helpers: Maddie Coalmer, Larynn Cutshaw
Goal: OWU approves an Environmental Science major and revised Environmental Studies major as part of the new Environment & Sustainability Program.
- Wait on forthcoming faculty meetings to work out details of program and major revisions
- Ideas for a new introductory Environment & Sustainability course
- Potential assistance to get proposal adopted
Green Fee Revisited
Project Boss: Ryan Bishop
Goal: review efforts in 2012 to implement green fee and assess the viability of reintroducing the idea (as a way to fund a sustainability coordinator).
- 2012 materials in Geog 499 Spring 2017 / Action: Green Fee (2012)
Additional Projects: Potentially Outsource to Geog 360 or Independent Studies
- Outreach to regional campuses: Ohio Five Student Coalition for Climate Action (OFSCCA)
- Earth Hour & Light Pollution (w/ Mallory Cochran, Max Kerns)
- Reduction in Bottled Water Purchases & Hydration Stations
- Bikeshare Revisited: evaluate the utter failure of past projects and the potential of a collaboration with the City of Delware on a sustainable bike project.
- Plastic Bag Reduction on Campus
Outreach for Spring 2017
- Jenifer Way-Young, Delaware Health: recycling, composting, food recovery, May Move Out, community gardens
- Karen Crosman, OWU Development: Grants
- Colin Smith, Delaware Watershed Coordinator
- Rand Griffin
- Delaware Citizens Climate Lobby
- Sustainable Delaware