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  1. 2021 Campus Sustainability Celebration!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Facilitate campus-wide sustainability events
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)
    iCAP 2020: Illinois Climate Action Plan

    All are invited to the 2021 Campus Sustainability Celebration and appreciation event! Meet and network with your peer sustainability advocates and hear about exciting campus sustainability progress! Since the event is in person, please be prepared to wear a mask and show your Safer Illinois app or equivalent status. If you can't make it in person, watch the livestream on YouTube! >>>

    October 20, 1–4 pm • National Center for Supercomputing Applications lobby, 1205 W. Clark St., Urbana

    Julie Wurth • Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment

    2021 Campus Sustainability Celebration!

  3. Red Oak Rain Garden Monthly Newsletter: October 2021

    Associated Project(s): 
    Red Oak Rain Garden

    Each month, the Red Oak Rain Garden (RORG) Team produces an e-newsletter to keep supporters updated on everything that is happening in the garden. In the October 2021 e-newsletter, the team highlighted RORG's seasonal plants to keep an eye out for, social media highlights, volunteer opportunities, and more!

    To read their October 2021 newsletter, please see the attached file below.

    Attached Files: 

  4. Solar Sites Open House

    Associated Project(s): 
    Solar Power on Campus
    Build a Culture of Sustainability

    UIUC SOLAR SITES OPEN HOUSE - October 15, 1:00-2:30 pm

    Ever wonder how far the university has come in solar energy use? Come out to the UIUC Solar Sites Open House hosted on Topia, an interactive online platform, to learn about different buildings and areas across campus that are producing solar energy! During the Open House, Morgan White will provide a guided tour to virtually visit ten locations on campus. Learn more about the amazing solar installations on campus!

    This event will take place online from 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. on Friday, October 15, 2021, at https://topia.io/uiuc-solar-sites.*

    *Chrome browser on desktop or laptop required.

  5. Weekly Update: Green Quad Day; Abandoned bicycles

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    All, Slower week, which was welcome. Sold a couple bikes and were able to get a handle on the influx of drop off repairs. The Green Quad Day event that was supposed to happen on Thursday was rescheduled to Tuesday, so we’ll staff for that event and hobnob with the larger sustainability community.

    I’ll make a run out to the abandoned bike emporium this week, too, and see if there’s anything worth our time. Was planning that for last week but it didn’t happen.

    We’ve got a couple bikes in the shop build queue, but I’ll grab a few from Urbana unless we get more donations this week.

    The numbers:


    Visitors: 35
    Sales: $850.50
    Bike (refurb): 3 for $490
    Memberships: 5 for $150
    Tires/tubes: 5 for $20

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  7. F&S Insider features Campus Tree inventory & State Champion Carolina Silverbell

    Associated Project(s): 
    Tree Campus Higher Education

    The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, according to the U of I Master Plan, measures more than a whopping 8,000 acres of land in the Master Plan Area. On that land grows too many trees to count… or so you thought.

    F&S helps count and maintain all 16,534 trees on U of I grounds. All are viewable through the U of I’s “TreeKeeper” database: https://illinoisedu.treekeepersoftware.com/index.cfm?deviceWidth=1280.

    That includes more than one “State Champion” tree – meaning it is the largest of its species in Illinois.

    “These trees, and all of them on campus, are valuable and a privilege to take care of,” said Brent Lewis, F&S landscape architect. “Having champions on campus shows the ability of our grounds professionals to carefully tend to their needs over many decades of time, ultimately allowing them to grow into the great specimens that we often take for granted.”

    The Carolina Silverbell in the backyard of the President’s House is the latest state champion tree on campus, joining the yellowwood found in the green space north of Lincoln Avenue Residence Hall, which attained champion status on Arbor Day 2019.

    In April, UIUC experts and students visited and measured the tree, confirming its status as the largest tree of its kind in the state.

    “The two multi-stemmed specimens behind the President’s House are the two largest specimens of this species I’ve personally seen. Granted, I don’t come across this species very often,” said Jay Hayek, extension forestry specialist with the department of natural sciences and environmental sciences. “Carolina Silverbell is considered a state-listed endangered species here in Illinois. Its natural range is limited to just two southern Illinois counties: Massac and Pulaski. It’s not that Carolina silverbell is necessarily so ‘rare,’ it’s just that this species is simply at the extreme edge of its natural range by extending ever so slightly into the southern tip of Illinois. Even in its more natural habitat, this species is relatively uncommon.”

    Since 2015, Illinois has been recognized as a Tree Campus USA, meaning the colleges and universities that most effectively manage their campus trees in an academic atmosphere. The F&S executive director charges the Campus Tree Advisory Committee, a multi-disciplinary and multi-agency outreach effort to plan forestry efforts. The Illinois Tree Campus plan is available at http://go.fs.illinois.edu/treecampus. All aid in the effort to promote healthy trees on campus and engagement with students, faculty, staff, and community members in the spirit of conservation.

    Three key measurements are taken: the trunk’s circumference 4.5 feet above the ground, total height, and the average “crown spread,” which is how far the branches grow out. The tree’s “total score” is equivalent to the circumference (in inches) + height (in feet) + the average crown spread (in feet) multiplied by 0.25.

    The new champion tree measurements:

    Circumference = 5.57 feet or 66.8 inches • Total Height = 60 feet • Crown Spread: 54.8 feet

    Total Score = 140.5 points

     

     

    Via F&S Insider,

    website: https://fs.web.illinois.edu/Insider/2021/07/06/what-it-takes-to-be-a-cha...

  9. ECEB Energy Kiosks

    Associated Project(s): 
    ECE Net-Zero Energy Building
    Campus Sustainability Month

    In the atrium of the Electrical and Computer Engineering Building (ECEB), there are two kiosks where people can sign various pledges related to decreasing energy use. Two solar-powered phone chargers will be raffled off to those who have signed the pledge during Campus Sustainability Month, October 2021.

    Nearly 20% of energy is unnecessarily wasted each day; very simple steps exist to reduce that number, such as turning off the lights when you leave a room or unplugging devices and cords when we aren’t using them. Other examples include replacing inefficient appliances (like lightbulbs!), which can also save money! Signing the pledge to be more conscious of your energy is a great step toward leading a more sustainable life. Here are a few other ways to learn more and get involved with sustainability on campus:

    If you have any questions about energy consumption or sustainability in general, feel free to reach out to campus sustainability staff at sustainability@illinois.edu. 

  10. New iSEE Greener Campus Certifications

    Associated Project(s): 
    Certified Greener Campus Programs
    Certified Green Chapter Program
    Certified Green Event Program
    Certified Green Office Program (CGOP)

    Congratulations to the newest recipients of our Green Office, Event and Chapter certifications! 

    Green Chapter Gold Certification:

    Zeta Psi-October 2021

     

    Green Office Gold Certification:

    iSEE (Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment)-October 2021

     

    Event Certifications:

    American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers General Meetings-Certified September 2021

    iSEE Campus Sustainability Trash Cleanup-Certified September 2021

    iSEE Campus Sustainability Celebration-Certified September 2021

    SECS (Students for Environmental Concerns) Divestment Teach-In-Certified September 2021

    iSEE Illini Lights Out-Certified October 2021

     

    Keep up the great work!

     

  11. SECS rep met with F&S staff about a green roof

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Roofs on Campus
    Students for Environmental Concerns (SECS)

    Alec Van Patten met with Brent Lewis, Betsy Liggett, and Morgan White to discuss the SECS' idea to get a new green roof on campus.  F&S staff shared some lessons learned from other green roof installations, and suggested some potential locations.  These include:

    • Newmark Civil Engineering Lab - first floor roof by the bridge
    • Nick Holonyak Micro & NanoTechnology Lab - closed picnic balcony on the north side
    • National Soybean Research Center - gravel roof by iSEE conference room
    • Turner Hall - the north entryway and offices
    • Future Arboretum Building - longer term and influential
    • The SECS team should review Google Maps and look at roofs they are interested in, if they want to consider other options.

    We also mentioned the ECE green wall, which needs help getting refurbished.  It most likely needs better watering and possibly needs a review of the soil quality.

    For the funding, the SECS is likely going to request SSC funding in the spring semester.  Brent says they can request pricing info from LiveRoof.com to get an estimated budget.

    Once a location is selected, Alec will email this group to move into the preliminary approval stage.

  13. Energy Model Files

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Models for Campus Facilities

    I looked at 6-buildings and we received two (2) native energy files. We did get four (4) PDF energy model files.

     

    Thanks,

     

    Tom

     

    Thomas J. Keller, PE,

    CxA, LEED-AP-BD+C

    Mechanical Engineer

     

    Engineering & Construction Services
    Facilities and Services

  14. Weekly Update: Bike Center tours; Green Quad Day

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Starting to slow down a bit. This week’ll be absolutely perfect riding weather: cool but not cold. Still get folks asking for bikes every day—yet to get any 4’ 11” folks or 6’ 3” racing folks for the tall and small bikes we have, though. We’ve got 3 more that should be for sale this week sometime. Soon, we’ll be having the “it’s too cold to ride” conversation with people. No bad weather, just bad gear and so on.

    Had a class come by on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday to tour the Bike Center and I talked about our operations, history of CBC, and the like. Always nice to get people into our space who might not otherwise have reason to visit.

    Last week I talked with Parking about the remainder of the bikes at the warehouse. I’ll make a trip out there this week to see if there’s anything worth our trouble.

    A gentleman came in looking for a small pin for his vintage brake levers and was able to find a workable solution in our used parts bins. He generously donated $10 for his 10 minutes of digging while bemoaning that regular bike shops could only offer to replace the brake levers outright. A happy customer who understands and appreciates our value and services—always a good interaction!

    This Thursday is the Green Quad Day event, from 10  - 4p. Will be good to get our name out there with other environmental/sustainability efforts on campus.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 64
    Sales: $1,052.60
    Bikes (refurb): 2 for $440
    Memberships: 8 for $240
    Tires/tubes: 10 for $76

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  15. Celebrate Campus Sustainability Month in October!

    Associated Project(s): 
    Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)
    Campus Sustainability Month - Waste Reduction Challenge
    Campus Sustainability Month

    iSEE invites you to a series of events throughout October to increase sustainability in our campus community. Take part in the Waste Reduction Challenge, join us for Green Quad Day (Oct. 7), or check out the first Student Sustainability Summit Research Symposium (Oct. 26)! And don’t miss the Campus Sustainability Celebration on Oct. 20. Find all the events on iSEE’s Sustainability Month Calendar!

    October 1–31

    Celebrate Campus Sustainability Month in October!

  16. iSEE Requests 'Campus as a Living Lab' Seed Fund Proposals; Deadline Nov. 9

    Associated Project(s): 
    iSEE funding for Campus as a Living Lab (CALL)

    iSEE is calling for proposals to support interdisciplinary research projects that tie directly to Illinois Climate Action Plan objectives. The funding enables development of preliminary data and collaborations with campus sustainability sites and projects; and preparation of external funding proposals through the Institute. Deadline Nov. 9.

     

    iSEE Requests 'Campus as a Living Lab' Seed Fund Proposals; Deadline Nov. 9

  17. Resilience iCAP Team September Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Resilience iCAP Team
    Resilience iCAP Team Recommendations Summary

    On Friday, September 24th the Resilience iCAP Team had their first meeting of the semester. The team reviewed the Resilience Charge Letter, discussed updates on the Hazard Mitigation Plan, Biodiversity Plan, and the Assessment of Progress. Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  18. SmartWay Project Check-in

    Associated Project(s): 
    ENG 177 GFX Global Sustainability Scholars

    Sinead Soltis checked in with students of ENG 177 to find out more about their project. The students explained that the project concerns increasing the use of aerodynamic elements on trucks to make transportation more efficient. They are going to do this by informing the trucking companies of the economic and environmental benefits of adding aerodynamic structures, such as side skirts, to their trucks, at the Dixie Truck Stop in McLean, IL. Morgan White, Sinead Soltis, and Abby Culloton (lead for the University to obtain affiliate status) will be accompanying them to the truck stop.

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