2013 Sustainability Week

In collaboration with many partners the Center for a Sustainable Environment will be hosting the Fourth Annual Sustainability Week on October 21-25, with activities to educate and encourage the campus and community to go green!

The week will be a celebration of the University's sustainable successes, and educational motivation to make even more progress. And there is something for everyone. Visit UIUC's most sustainable sites, and watch intriguing presentations about environmental ideas.

Print a schedule At-A-Glance Schedule

All Week Events:

iHELP and Share your Soles Shoe Drive 
Looking to do some good and be green? Donate your gently used shoes at Campus Recreation facilities. The shoes collected will be distributed to local non-profit organizations. You can drop off any and all shoes in the designated bins at the ARC, 201 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign, or CRCE, 1102 W. Gregory Drive, Urbana.

How does your garden grow? Display depicting how much food can be grown in an area
The Housing Sustainability Council will mark off an ½ acre area within the quad of Ikenberry Commons. The purpose of marking off the space (spray paint) to to show the size of an ½ acre and to post signs that indicate how much food can be grown in the space. For example,  ½ acre can produce 7,500# of tomatoes. There will be signs showing the amount of produce that can be produced in a relatively small space. Signs will also show how much space/water/feed/energy it would take to produce beef, pork and chicken, respectively.

Monday, October 21:

11am-2pm: Sustainability Week Kickoff EXPO
Visit the many exhibits to learn how Illinois is going green and how you can do your part!
Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), Winter Garden, 201 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign

2-3:30pm: Sustainable Student Farm Tour - Registration is required.
The farm serves as a production farm to supply our residence halls with locally grown, low-input sustainable food. In addition, the farm acts as a living laboratory to connect students, community members, and the state at large with regional, small-scale food systems. We plan to broaden our focus to include the research, education, and outreach missions of the university. 
Location: The Sustainable Student Farm is located near the intersection of Lincoln and Windsor road.  We will provide transportation to and from the farm. Pickup and dropoff locations are:Lincoln Avenue Residence Hall (LAR), 1005 S. Lincoln Avenue, Urbana and Ikenberry Dining Hall, 301 E. Gregory Drive, Champaign.

3:30-5pm: Woody Perennial Polyculture Tour - Registration is required. 
A Woody Perennial Polyculture (WPP) is an assemblage of plant species that aims to mimic the structure and function of natural ecosystems to sustainably produce an agricultural yield while simultaneously restoring ecosystem services. Rather than perpetuating the separation of nature and humans, this system attempts to break down the dichotomy between ecological restoration and agriculture. This concept has grown and evolved out of fields such as agroecology, agroforestry, permaculture, silvopasture, carbon farming, and ecological restoration, but the application of this paradigm to large-scale industrial agriculture is a relatively new idea. The WPP community studied at this research site is an example of such a system that has the potential to become an ecologically sound, agriculturally productive, and economically viable alternative to the corn-soybean rotation (Herbaceous Annual Monoculture) that currently dominates agriculture in the Midwestern U.S.
Location: The Woody Perennial Polyculture is located near the intersection of Lincoln and Windsor road.  We will provide transportation to and from the farm. Pickup and dropoff locations are:Lincoln Avenue Residence Hall (LAR), (circle drive) 1005 S. Lincoln Avenue, Urbana and Ikenberry Dining Hall, 301 E. Gregory Drive, Champaign.

Tuesday, October 22:

10am-2pm: Global Water Day Events
Alpha Phi Omega (APO) National Service Fraternity in collaboration with the Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS), Engineers without Borders (EWB) and the Quench Foundation are organizing the Global Water Day on Tuesday, October 22nd, 2013. The program will be an amalgamation of events to raise awareness about the quality and scarcity of water in the world. EWB will showcase the student designed sand filters that are used in Guatemala while APO will raise awareness about the water scarcity through their Water Walk. SECS will be demonstrate the problems associated with usage of plasticwater bottles through their water tasting booth. They will also be raising funds through the Print Eco Fundraiser to support individual sustainability projects via the Kiva Microfinance Network.
Location: Illini Union Anniversary Plaza (Quad Side)
RSVP Here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1398608493705249/
Questions? Email Nishant Makhijani at nishant.makhijani19@gmail.com

6-8:30pm: Troubled Waters: A Mississippi River Story. Movie, Discussion, and Tour of ISTC Research Labs Registration is required. (print flyer)
The Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, a division of the Prairie Research Institute on the UI campus, presents a free showing of this Emmy Award-winning documentary at 6:30 pm with tours of the ISTC laboratories at 6:00 and 8:00 pm. Farming nurtures humans and nutrients are essential for food, but runoff is contaminating our rivers, lakes and aquifers. Join us to explore the challenges of policies and practices and proposed solutions.The movie traces the development of America's bountiful heartland and its effect on the legendary river. Through beautiful photography and inspiring narrative, the film offers remedies to the river's troubles through fresh ideas and concrete solutions. After the movie, Dr. George Czapar of the Illinois State Water Survey, another division of the Prairie Research Institute, will give a brief presentation on nutrients and water quality issues in Illinois. 
Website: http://www.istc.illinois.edu/October_22_2013_Event.cfm This event is free and open to the public. One dollar pizza and refreshments will be offered beginning at 6 pm. Free parking is available at the event. Please register for the event if you would like pizza: https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/8252686.
Illinois Sustainability Technology Center (ISTC), Stephen J. Warner Conference Room, 1 E. Hazelwood Drive, Champaign

Wednesday, October 23: Campus Sustainability Day

10am: Waste Transfer Station Tour - Registration is required.
Take a tour of the UI Waste Transfer Station at our state of the art Material Recover Facility.
10 E. St. Mary's Road, Champaign

10am-12pm: Campus-Wide Bicycle Count
The University of Illinois is partnering with Champaign County Bikes to host the first-ever campus-wide bicycle census during Sustainability Week 2013. Over a hundred volunteers will be dispatched across campus to help count parked bicycles during a one-hour period on October 23. The findings of the count will help inform future decisions around bicycle infrastructure, parking, and programming on campus. Sign up to volunteer or to learn more at http://go.illinois.edu/BikeCount2013.

11-12n: Center for a Sustainable Environment Director Chat with Students - Registration is required.
Details to come!
University YMCA, Lower Level K-1, 1001 S. Wright Street, Champaign

12n-1pm: Careers in Sustainability
Do you have an interest in doing environmental work? Come enjoy lunch for free and hear from professionals who work in the environmental field in areas of science, business, and education. Broaden your network, learn more about others' experiences and find out more about your interests or career! For more information, visit the Career Center.
Career Center at the Student Arcade Building, Room 143

12n-4pm: Bike Fix It/Bike Blender Smoothies!
Bring your bike for the cheapest tune up in town! Tune ups stats at $5.00. In need of a rad refreshment on your way to class? Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) has got you covered! Use your own two legs to blend up a sustainable smoothie on our student-built Bike Blender. Fruit and ice smoothies will be sold for $2.00. All proceeds will benefit the Students for Environmental Concerns. 
On the Main Quad

1pm: Energy Farm Tour - Registration is required.
There will be a tour to the nearby University of Illinois Energy Farm.  Bioenergy crop research and production plantings, including sustainable perennial grasses and broadleaved plants, woody feedstocks, and state-of-the-art environmental monitoring equipment are housed at the 320 acre farm.  We will also tour the 2007 Solar Decathlon house.  Locally produced and sourced goat milk gelato will be available at the farm.
Location: The Energy Farm is located near the intersection of Curtis and Race road.  We will provide transportation to and from the farm. Pickup and dropoff locations are:Lincoln Avenue Residence Hall (LAR), 1005 S. Lincoln Avenue, Urbana and Ikenberry Dining Hall, 301 E. Gregory Drive, Champaign.

3-4:30pm:Exploring Biotreatment of Saline Waters Lecture (print flyer)
Speakers: Dr. Harry Dankowicz, U of IL Dept. of Mechanical Sciences & Engineering; Dr. Fredrik Grondahl, KTH Division of Industrial Ecology; Srirupa Ganguly, IL Sustainable Technology Center; and Joseph Pechsiri, KTH Division of Industrial Ecology. To begin this event, there will be an introduction about the U of IL Illinois-Sweden Program for Educational and Research Exchange (INSPIRE) which is fostering research and faculty/student collaborations with KTH and other Swedish universities.  Following will be two research presentations on current projects on biotreatment of saline waters at KTH and ISTC.  Others on the U of IL campus working with algae, nutrients, and algal biofuels will also be invited to give brief updates on their work.  Open discussion will follow.  Refreshments will be served. This event is free and open to U of IL faculty, staff, and students as well as the general public.  Any U of IL researchers or students wishing to give a brief update about their related research, please contact Nancy Holm at naholm@illinois.edu.  The event will be held at the Stephen J. Warner Conference Room at the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, One. E. Hazelwood Dr., Champaign.  There is free parking in the circle drive in front of the building or metered parking in the lot ($1 per hour).  Cars with U of IL parking tags from any lot may park in the parking lot.  Bus service is available on the Yellow No. 1 shuttle from campus.  This event is co-sponsored by the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center (a division of the Prairie Research Institute) and the Center for a Sustainable Environment at the U of IL. 
Illinois Sustainability Technology Center (ISTC) Stephen J. Warner Conference Room, 1 E. Hazelwood Drive, Champaign

5-7pm: Sustainability Awards Reception
Please join us at a reception honoring our Sustainability Fellows and this year's Energy Conservation Incentive Program winners. 
Alice Campbell Alumni Center, 601 S. Lincoln Avenue, Urbana

Thursday, October 24: National Food Day

10-11am: Sustainability Meet & Greet Coffee
At the beginning of Fall 2013, the CSE hosted a week-long series of Meet and Greet Coffees.  These coffees brought together people interested in local sustainability efforts to meet and brainstorm with each other about ongoing or new efforts.  They were a tremendous success, and the participants requested additional meetings.  This is a follow-up Meet and Greet Coffee, and EVERYONE interested in local sustainability is encouraged to come by and say hello.  The point of discussion this day will be “Action: what specific next steps will we take?”  There will also be sign up opportunities for the Center for a Sustainable Environment's newsletter, to volunteer on various actual projects, and to participate on campus green teams.
Illini Union, Colonial Room, 1401 W. Greet Street, Urbana

11am-1pm: Tap That - Water Taste Test
The event involves students doing a blind test between tap water and bottled water. Then we survey which drink they prefer and what difference they can detect. 
Illini Union Anniversary Plaza (Quad Side)

11am-5pm: Sustainable Student Farmer's Market
The farm serves as a production farm to supply our residence halls with locally grown, low-input sustainable food. In addition, the farm acts as a living laboratory to connect students, community members, and the state at large with regional, small-scale food systems. Currently, the farm operates between 45-48 weeks per year, occupying 6 acres for outdoor field production and nearly 10,000 square feet of year round high tunnel production. In addition to selling the majority of our produce to the residence halls, we also market our produce directly to consumers on the quad. Every attempt is made to integrate educational aspects into all activities on the farm.
Illini Union Anniversary Plaza (Quad Side) 

Lunch and Dinner Hours: Food Waste Advocacy
More than 40% of food in America goes to waste. In light of this troubling statistic, service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega will be hosting a series of events in University Housing dining halls to advocate decreasing food waste. Members will explain to students the negative effects that food waste has on the environment and describe ways that everyone can do their part to prevent it.
University Dining Halls - Ikenberry Commons and Pennsylvania Avenue Residence Hall 

12-4pm: Bike Fix It/Bike Blender Smoothies!
Bring your bike for the cheapest tune up in town! Tune ups stats at $5.00. In need of a rad refreshment on your way to class? Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) has got you covered! Use your own two legs to blend up a sustainable smoothie on our student-built Bike Blender. Fruit and ice smoothies will be sold for $2.00. All proceeds will benefit the Students for Environmental Concerns. 
On the Main Quad

6-8pm: Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) Food Day Potluck
Join Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS) as we take part in the nationwide celebration of healthy, affordable, sustainably produced eats while raising awareness of local food efforts! If you're able, please bring a potluck dish to share, and come with some info about how it was cooked or purchased locally. Not able to bring something yourself? You can still share in the meal by giving a suggested $2 donation that will go to support local farming efforts. We're also bringing in some very cool guest speakers who'll fill us in on all things food justice - from community gardening to food access issues to what we're eating right here in our dining halls. Come with an open mind and an empty stomach! 
Red Herring, 1209 W. Oregon, Urbana

Friday, October 25:

10-11am: "Choosing the Right Bike" Free Class - Registration is required.
The Campus Bicycle Shop is offering this free class on choosing the right bike. This class will cover bike styles, sizing, the difference tire sizes make, and how frame geometry affects ride quality. The class will help cyclists understand what bike to purchase, how to go about selecting the right bike, and when to ask for help.
Activities and Recreation Center (ARC), Multi-purpose Room 7, 201 E. Peabody Drive, Champaign

3-5pm: Bike Expo at the Campus Bicycle Shop
The Campus Bicycle Shop is hosting a Bike Expo with representatives from local bicycling organizations and shops. The Campus Bicycle Shop is a collaboration between the University of Illinois and The Bicycle Project of Urbana-Champaign, dedicated to empowering individuals with knowledge about how to repair and maintain bicycles. There will be representatives from Bike@Illinois, Champaign County Bikes, Prairie Cycle Club, BikeFace, and many more.  Students, employees, and community members interested in meeting the amazing people behind our community-wide bicycling movement, should stop by to say hello, gather new information, and join the party.  Snacks will be provided.
608 E. Pennsylvania Avenue, Champaign (Garages behind the Natural Resources Building)

6:00pm: Homecoming Parade
Join green RSO's and the Sustainability Week Committee for the parade! You can ride a decorated sustainable bicycle, or walk with our Go Green banner.

We hope you will be able to attend some, if not all, events! 

Sponsored by: Center for a Sustainable Environment, Energy Biosciences Institute, Students for Environmental Concerns, Facilities and Services, Campus Recreation, Housing, Dining Services, Illini Union, Sustainable Student Farm, University YMCA, Campus Bicycle Shop, The Bike Project of Urbana-Champaign, the Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, and Alpha Phi Omega