Week 12: April 3 & 5

Looking ahead to the 12 week:

A few new projects & progress:

1. Recycling & Aramark: There has been a major misunderstanding among Aramark employees about recycling on campus. The belief was that any recycling bin or bag with non-recyclable material in it had to be thrown in the trash. However, our recycling company, Waste Management, operates with a single stream process, where they expect a certain amount of non-recyclables to be present. Thus bags and bins of recyclables with non-recyclables should still be recycled.
   1. educational material for Aramark staff, and gift?
   2. educational material for staff and students
   3. promotion during Green Week; video?
   4. trip to Waste Management to see single stream process
   5. potential for news release to counter “OWU does not recycle” rumors.
   6. academic and residential campus: get WCSA to purchase additional recycling bins (Emily survey)
   7. Expand to frats: pledges and newer members responsible for white bagging recycles and placing them by garbage bags on appropriate days. Contact Aramark for white bags.
2. May Move Out
   1. pods delivered April 16-17
   2. additional banners being made
   3. start promotion effort soon
      1. video promo
   4. check posters, large and small, and website
3. Student Research Symposium
   1. Noah: draft of presentation (Google Slides)
   2. share with class when basic presentation is done.
4. Reusable Food Containers
   1. Peyton: promotional video
5. Bucket Mobile Garden
   1. photos for blog
   2. planting photos
6. Promotional Video Shorts: Merrick, Ham Wil, Smith, Library monitors
   1. Green Screen: “talk to Chuck”
   2. Reusable food containers
   3. May Move Out
   4. Composting
   5. Branch Rickey rain gardens (April 23)
7. Composting: Next steps
   1. Have: amounts of food scraps: general plan is to take them to Blue House Worm Farm and Price Farms
   2. Kristina Bogdanov: “my husband, Aleks Ilic with Blue House Worm Farm would be very happy to meet with you and talk about worm composting and worm casting. You can reach him at bluehousewormfarm@gmail.com or you can email me. April 10th, 14th, and 29th are days where he has scheduled events but other days, including weekend, should work very well if you are interested to come by our house and see the farm and process.”
   3. Write a one-page memo with a proposal to collect and transport food scraps.
   4. Green week: schedule Blue House Worm Farm, Price Farms, Allie Niemeyer (auto composter)
8. New: Food Waste Collaboration:
   1. Price Farms, Stratford, MTSO, city of Delaware, OWU
   2. Entrepreneurial Center: develop a viable business plan?
9. New: Summer Environmental Practicum
   1. live at MTSO (or ?) and work at MTSO, Price Farms, Preservation Parks, Stratford, etc.
   2. faculty and professionals from region: engage with students as they complete their work
   3. funds via participating companies, orgs. (who get labor)
   4. attend to OWU and city and regional sustainability projects (rain gardens, etc.)
10. New: Outdoor Nation Campus Challenge: Collaborate with Caroline Cicerchi (Delaware Sustainability Coordinator) and Annie Vitti (E&S) and Tree Håus.
    1. Info: http://www.oncampuschallenge.org
    2. Noah & Juniper: Report on feasibility by next week Thursday
11. Branch Rickey Arena (BRA) Rain Gardens are a go!
    1. April 23: work starts
    2. Promote with signs, press release, info during Green Week
12. New: Solar Stuff
    1. OWU Solar Array Exploratory Trip: Trip to Denison (Friday) to visit their campus solar array for background on a similar array on or near the OWU campus (in collaboration with the city of Delaware): Friday, March 30: 12:30 to 4pm.
    2. Message to STF or ? about the potential for a solar array?
    3. Venture Solar. Jobs? Alumni Alex Giles ’11 of New York City: Alex is the co-founder of Venture Solar, a home energy company based in Brooklyn, NY. Since its founding two and a half years ago, Venture Solar is a $32 million dollar business, with more than 100 employees. Alex would like to hire OWU grads, as early as this summer. He also would like to come back to campus to speak with students about his company and industry. Via Jim Buggy, OWU Development Officer (located in CT).
13. dSpace Open Source Archival software: for our database of OWU and regional sustainability and environmental projects?
    1. Emily
14. Blurry