You are here

Project Updates for collection: Living Lab Facilities / Programs

Search

Search tips:

  • This form will search for words in the title OR the description. If you would like to search for the same term(s) across both the title and description, enter the same search term(s) in both fields.
  • This form will search for any of the words you enter in a field, not the exact phrase you enter. If you would like to search for an exact phrase, put double quotes (") around the phrase. For example, if you search for Bike Path you will get results containing either the word Bike OR the word Path, but if you search for "Bike Path" you will get results containing the exact phrase Bike Path.

  1. Update on drilling

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Battery at Energy Farm

    From: Stumpf, Andrew J 
    Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2023 7:37 PM
    To: Rubin, Joshua ; Mies, Tim ; Lamb, Jeremy ; Klein, Bradley Dean 
    Cc: Lin, Yu-Feng ; Weckle, Amy Lorraine; White, Morgan 
    Subject: UTB at the Energy Farm

     

    Hi folks,

     

    Here is an update. Dom and Todd worked to get half of the hole grouted today and now wait until tomorrow morning to see if the battery floats, or not. Theoretically it should not, but we will see. They will start up again at 8 am if anyone is over that way. Xiaobing and Tony have gone back to Tennessee.

     

    Best,

    Andy

  2. Clean vehicle tax credits

    Associated Project(s): 
    UI Ride
    Use Electric Vehicles (EV)
    Decrease Emissions from UI Fleet

    Following is Pete Varney's response to the question from Morgan, "In addition to the Ford Lightning EVs, could we potentially get EV versions of the turtle-top 15-person vans?  Also, is there any discussion about getting Hybrid buses for UI Ride?"

    When discussing EV we have to look at manufacturer availability and operational needs. Car Pool vehicles, 15-pass vans, need to be able to operate both locally and on extended trips ruling out EV due to range restrictions.

    We won’t be looking to replace the first UI Ride bus until FY24/25. We can explore hybrid, but this class of vehicle is different from MTD hybrid buses. Electric may be an option. When the time comes, we’ll discuss with the System office as they put the $$ into UI Ride.

    Thank you,

    Pete

  3. Weekly Update: Close to M-F hours

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Another abbreviated week for me, but the staff held down the fort. We’re working up bikes and our staff is peer-to-peer training during slow times to get the new folks up to speed.

    This week I’ll schedule some off-hours staff trainings and a staff meeting to help bring folks along. We’re close to being able to open back up M – F, still have a few more things to iron out. I even found the same open hours poster we used to have for our M-F hours, so we don’t have to order a new sign. Reduce, reuse, recycle!

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 17
    Sales: $299.30
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $160
    Memberships: 1 for $30
    Tires/tubes: 3 for $45

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  4. Invitation to collaborate on a presentation

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Geothermal Coalition

     

    I was contact by some colleagues withy Future Earth – Taipei (https://futureearth.org/about/who-we-are/international-offices/taipei-global-hub/) for a potential webinar series.  I suggested them to think about campus sustainability actions as a living laboratory and they are very intrigued by this idea.  They asked me to suggest speakers and I am thinking about Jack, Morgan and Andy.  So, I would like to ask if you are interested.  Some of their previous talk can be found at https://www.facebook.com/futureearth.org/.  All the communications and activities will be between 6pm-11pm CST due to time difference.  I am happy to have more discussion if you are interested.

     

    Presenters:

     

    Ms. Morgan White, https://fs.illinois.edu/resources/newsroom/2021/10/14/white-named-acting-director-of-the-f-s-capital-programs-division

    Mr. Jack Reicherts, https://studentengagement.illinois.edu/student-sustainability/ssc/team/reicherts/

    Dr. Andrew Stumpf, https://directory.illinois.edu/detail?userId=astumpf@illinois.edu&widgetId=15

    Dr. Ping-Yu Change, https://scholars.ncu.edu.tw/en/persons/ping-yu-chang

    Dr. Jui-Pin (Rubin) Tsai, https://www.bse.ntu.edu.tw/member?teacher_id=48&page=1

    Dr. Yu-Feng Forrrest Lin, https://directory.illinois.edu/detail?userId=yflin@illinois.edu&widgetId=15

     

    Cheers,

     

    Yu-Feng F. Lin

    Director

        Illinois Water Resources Center

    Principal Research Hydrogeologist

        Illinois State Geological Survey

    Clinical Professor

        Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Research Professor

        Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  5. Invitation to collaborate on a presentation

    Associated Project(s): 
    Illinois Geothermal Coalition

     

    I was contact by some colleagues withy Future Earth – Taipei (https://futureearth.org/about/who-we-are/international-offices/taipei-global-hub/) for a potential webinar series.  I suggested them to think about campus sustainability actions as a living laboratory and they are very intrigued by this idea.  They asked me to suggest speakers and I am thinking about Jack, Morgan and Andy.  So, I would like to ask if you are interested.  Some of their previous talk can be found at https://www.facebook.com/futureearth.org/.  All the communications and activities will be between 6pm-11pm CST due to time difference.  I am happy to have more discussion if you are interested.

     

    Presenters:

     

    Ms. Morgan White, https://fs.illinois.edu/resources/newsroom/2021/10/14/white-named-acting-director-of-the-f-s-capital-programs-division

    Mr. Jack Reicherts, https://studentengagement.illinois.edu/student-sustainability/ssc/team/reicherts/

    Dr. Andrew Stumpf, https://directory.illinois.edu/detail?userId=astumpf@illinois.edu&widgetId=15

    Dr. Ping-Yu Change, https://scholars.ncu.edu.tw/en/persons/ping-yu-chang

    Dr. Jui-Pin (Rubin) Tsai, https://www.bse.ntu.edu.tw/member?teacher_id=48&page=1

    Dr. Yu-Feng Forrrest Lin, https://directory.illinois.edu/detail?userId=yflin@illinois.edu&widgetId=15

     

    Cheers,

     

    Yu-Feng F. Lin

    Director

        Illinois Water Resources Center

    Principal Research Hydrogeologist

        Illinois State Geological Survey

    Clinical Professor

        Civil and Environmental Engineering

    Research Professor

        Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

  6. iSEE Quarterly update for Winter 2022

    Associated Project(s): 
    Report on Progress
    iSEE Campus as a Living Lab (CALL) Projects
    iSEE Congress
    Environmental Leadership Program (ELP)
    Certificate in Environmental Writing (CEW)
    Grind2Energy
    Fighting Illini, Fighting Waste
    Illini Lights Out
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Certified Greener Campus Programs
    Bee Campus USA

    Greetings, Colleagues,

     

    I hope the start of 2023 is going well. I’m reaching out today to send you iSEE Quarterly update for Winter 2022 from the Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment.

     

    For more up-to-date news from iSEE, please sign up for our E-newsletter at https://illinois.edu/fb/sec/5031776.

     

    IN RESEARCH

     

     IN EDUCATION & OUTREACH

    • Registration is open for iSEE Congress 2023 — “Addressing Crises of a Planetary Scale: Lessons from Pandemics and Climate Change.”
    • The Fall 2023 Critical Conversation is expected to bring together stakeholders to discuss climate-smart commodities.
    • iSEE’s Environmental Leadership Program for Spring 2023 is already more than past the midway point; check out our student blog for some perspective on the immersive learning experience.
    • Read a Certificate in Environmental Writing (CEW) success story in former Q author and CEW recipient Zack Fishman.

     

    IN CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY

    • Our Grind2Energy video explored how dining hall food waste produces energy and fertilizer; its release spurred coverage by The News-Gazette and WCIA-TV.
    • iSEE’s new, more comprehensive Student Action webpage offers listings for iSEE jobs, volunteering, and student organizations to join.
    • Illini Lights Out fall semester featured RECORD totals: more than 640 volunteers turned off 20,303 bulbs, saving the campus as much as 35,000 kWH, $3,090, and nearly 25 tons of GHG. Spring dates: Jan. 27 (130+ volunteers, 5,043 bulbs, 8,700 kWH, $760, 6.2 tons of GHG), Feb. 10 and 24, March 24, and April 21.
    • At the November Zero Waste basketball game (see video) more than 280 pounds of beverage containers and other recyclables were diverted from the landfill. The next Zero Waste basketball game March 2 seeks 100 volunteers. iSEE partnering with F&S, Housing, Athletics, and Union for a #don’twasteWednesdays twitter campaign all spring. FALL PLAN: a ZW football tailgate.
    • A new Waste Transfer Station video shows the great work by Facilities & Services — but also the need for all campus community members to pre-sort their recyclables to prevent them from becoming landfill waste.
    • Greener Campus certifications in the new year: One new office (Visit Champaign County!), one new chapter (Sigma Lambda Gamma sorority), and nine new events (including Illini Lights Out) certified in January.
    • Read our article about the sustainable features of Campus Recreation and our feature about the new beekeeping club on campus.

     

    Thanks for reading, and best wishes for the remainder of the spring semester!

     

    Best,

    Madhu Khanna

     

     

    Madhu Khanna

    Pronouns: she, her

    Alvin H. Baum Family Chair & Director, Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment

    ACES Distinguished Professor in Environmental Economics

    Co-Director, Center for Economics of Sustainability

    University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

    1301, W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801

     

     

     

  7. Project Announcement for UTB Installation

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal Battery at Energy Farm

    Below is a message from Andrew Stumpf regarding the installation of the underground thermal battery at the UIUC Energy Farm:

    Dear colleagues,

     

    It is with great excitement that I can announce the project to install Underground Thermal Battery (UTB) system developed by Dr. Xiaobing Liu’s team at Oakridge National Laboratory at UIUC Energy Farm will begin next week. This will be a several weeks project that includes installing the UTB, associated geothermal boreholes, geothermal heat pump, HVAC upgrades and control center. On Monday the UTB will be placed in the ground. Skinner Drilling will be installing the UTB with assistance from Durbin Geothermal. All the other work will follow over the coming weeks. I expect drilling will start between 8:00 and 8:30 and take about 1 hour, and then the battery will be lowered into the ground and be done before noon.

     

    You're most welcome to visit.

     

    Best,

    Andy

     

  8. Res005 Sustainability Economic Analysis recommendation - Submittal

    Associated Project(s): 
    iCAP Working Group (iWG)
    Resilience iCAP Team Recommendations Summary
    Resilience iCAP Team

    The Resilience iCAP Team submitted the attached Res005 Sustainability Economic Analysis recommendation to the iWG on 2/20/2023. The recommendation states:

    Provide undergraduate research support for reporting on sustainability concepts including cost-benefit analysis, lifecycle costs, and finance considerations for Sustainability-related projects of interest to the local urbanized areas of Urbana, Champaign, and Savoy.

    Topic examples include Green Infrastructure or Energy Conservation / Renewable Energy projects that municipalities are interested in undertaking. This research should help identify useful case studies and provide reporting on the economics of “green” capital projects of interest. Information showing that Green Infrastructure projects and/or Renewable Energy projects are fiscally sound, financially viable, and can demonstrate a return on investment have a greater chance for adoption over the easier “status quo” or lowest-bidder projects.

    iSEE will provide some oversight and work to identify potential resources to partner with communities to answer sustainability questions with regard to “green” and “sustainable” community investments – where cost-benefit analysis and life cycle analysis reporting would be beneficial.  ISEE recommended that Eric Green’s ENVS 492 undergraduate course is an appropriate class to partner with.

    This recommendation also seeks assistance from iSEE to help identify future funding for the development, implementation, and outreach of this plan.

    Additionally, the Education iCAP Team will assist in identifying online and on-campus degree programs with capstone courses that may align with the project scope. The Resilience iCAP Team leaders will continue to work with community partners to identify areas of prioritized need to be shared with a growing network of faculty and programs who in turn, are interested in providing real-world research-based opportunities to their students.

    Through ENVS 492 and potential online and on-campus capstone programs, students will work with communities to conduct research and outreach, and to disseminate applicable reports and findings.

    Suggested unit/department to address implementation: ISEE

    Attached Files: 

  9. Weekly Update: Build-a-bikes completed, increasing number of bikes on the floor

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Abbreviated week for me as I took a half day on Thursday and all of Friday off. Staff handled things admirably and I’ll check in with them today for a full shift report.

    Got a couple Build-a-Bikes completed and a bike sold last week. We’ve got a dozen or so bikes on the floor and working to bump that number. I’ll likely grab a few more bikes from the warehouse, too.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 29
    Sales: $429.25
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $90

    Bikes (B-a-B): 2 for $100
    Memberships: 1 for $30

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  11. Spring 2023 Goals

    Associated Project(s): 
    Student Sustainability Leadership Council (SSLC)

    SSLC’s Spring 2023 Goals

    We are excited to continue our work in campus sustainability this semester! Some of our goals for this semester include:

    • Bolster and growing membership among constituent organizations

      • More socials/personal connections

    • Collaboration with local groups

      • Grand Prairie Friends, Citizens Utility Board, and Prairie Rivers Network

    • Finalize plans for Earth Month

    • Prepare for Sustainable Food Event in the fall

    • Elect new leaders for SSLC

    • Take on and revamp the Sustainability Grammy’s

  12. Fall 2022 Recap

    Associated Project(s): 
    Student Sustainability Leadership Council (SSLC)

    SSLC’s Fall 2022 Recap

    SSLC made many steps towards creating a sustainable campus and collaborating with environmental groups in Fall 2022, including:

    • Coordinated events and initiatives for Campus Sustainability Month to raise environmental awareness.

    • Formed new partnerships with community organizations to increase impact.

    • Improved meeting attendance, with more students actively participating.

    • Planning a program of sustainability events from October to April to maintain engagement and momentum throughout the entire academic year.

    • Had productive discussions with iSEE to align efforts with university sustainability initiatives and address student concerns to campus administration.

     

  13. Land & Water iCAP Meeting 2/17

    Associated Project(s): 
    Land and Water iCAP Team
    Campus Landscape Master Plan (CLMP)
    Water Audit / Inventory
    Monitor Soil Health
    Cover Crops on South Farms

    On February 17th, the Land & Water iCAP team met to discuss the details of a permeable pavers recommendation. The team then split off into breakout rooms to organize future soil and water committee initiatives. 

    Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  14. Resilience iCAP Team February Meeting

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

    Resilience iCAP Team had its February meeting virtually on Friday, February 10th, at 1 PM. The team discussed the revised Sustainability Economics Analysis Recommendation, next steps for Coordinated Rainwater Management Plan project, and additional help for Biodiversity Master Plan project. 

    Meeting minutes are attached. 

    Attached Files: 

  16. Funding Approval for Micro-Agrivoltaics - Salvage of Equipment

    Associated Project(s): 
    Carbon Credit Purchasing Program (C2P2) with Second Nature
    Agrivoltaics: Crop Production and Solar Panels on the Same Land
    Ground Mounted Solar PVs BRC Research Test Bed

    Ehab Kamarah and Madhu Khanna approved $10,000 in funding to support Agrivoltaics projects on campus.

    Tim Mies sent the following email excerpt to Madhu Khanna on Feb 7, 2023:

    I would like to update a bit on how this project might go forward, and ask for your thoughts on possible funding to complete this project (connect to campus grid).

     

    Carl to date has purchased 3 solar frames which can hold up to 72 of the size panel I have in storage (from the 2007 Solar Decathlon house).  Unfortunately I have only 40 panels, which will lead to a gaps in shading with only 12 panels per structure.

     

    My initial intention was to apply to SSC for funding to fill the space, purchase inverters, and hire electricians to connect to the campus grid.  This application would occur after the initial goal, shading research plots, is complete.

     

    Since this last email, I was contacted by Brent Lewis at F&S regarding potential surplus panels available immediately due to a demolition project under way for the failed building the panels connect to.  The picture below shows 60 panels of larger capacity (245 watt instead of 180) that would be able to fully populate the footprint of Carl’s frames.  In addition, there are inverters and ancillary connection parts that can likely be reused to allow these panels continued production on the campus grid.

     

    A ballpark estimate from F&S would be 5-10K to salvage all of the panels and equipment.   Do you think there would be support from Ehab to utilize carbon credit funds to at least salvage the panels and reinstall on the new frames?  I would be willing to apply to SSC again for the final connection if carbon funds could not cover this all.

  17. It's official! ECE is Net Zero Certified!

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

    https://ece.illinois.edu/newsroom/news/net-zero-certification

    The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Building at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has become the university’s first zero energy certified facility through innovative facility design and clean energy produced on campus. All of the operational energy associated with the building is now offset through a combination of on-site solar production and solar renewable energy credits (SRECs), which earned the 238,000 gross square foot facility official Zero Energy (ZE) Certification from the International Living Future Institute (ILFI).

    According to ECE department head Bruce Hajek, “achieving net zero energy was an aspirational goal of everyone who contributed to the project and is the embodiment of the teaching and cutting-edge discovery excellence taking place in this world-class facility. The ability to meet this goal—in less than 10 years since the building’s opening—by using solar energy generated on campus showcases the relentless campus focus on reducing carbon emissions and what is possible through collaboration and leadership in this critical area.”

    The ECE Building produces about 11 percent of its energy through its rooftop array, a 300 kW setup featuring 970 panels. The rest of its consumption is supported through SRECs from Solar Farm 2.0, a 12.32 megawatt (MWdc) utility-scale installation on south campus bordering the Village of Savoy.

    Aerial view of Solar Farm 2.0 south of campus.Aerial view of the Solar Farm 2.0 south of campus. (Photo courtesy of Jim Baltz)

    The IFLI standard for meeting ZE certification includes accounting for all heating, cooling, and other energy a facility uses. Any non-electrical consumption is converted to a kilowatt-hour electricity equivalent to assess the efficiency performance and necessary offset. The certification process required a full year for verification and guarantees for continued zero energy operation into the future. Offsite renewable energy production must also be located within the same regional power grid and linked to building energy usage.

    Ehab Kamarah, associate vice chancellor and executive director of Facilities & Services, said, “Being an active partner with ECE on these types of projects is an example of why the university is a recognized leader in sustainable building design, construction, operations, and on-site renewable energy production. Finalizing this certification is a credit to the U of I’s expertise in solar innovation and expanding clean energy portfolio.”

    Reaching energy conservation and clean energy targets as a part of overall sustainability efforts is fundamental to Illinois’ land-grant university mission. The Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) is the university’s strategic plan to meet the Climate Leadership Commitments, including becoming carbon neutral as soon as possible and building resilience to climate change in the local community. The Urbana campus renewable energy portfolio already meets more than 12 percent of annual electricity needs.

    The ECE building is a sustainable learning laboratory with features that reduce energy consumption and help make zero energy a reality. In November 2019, the building achieved LEED Platinum certification from the U.S. Green Building Council for advanced energy efficiency features, such as LED and fluorescent lighting, intelligent systems to optimize energy usage, excellent space configuration, recycled materials incorporation, and other green design attributes. The facility was designed with most windows facing south for optimal daylighting, heat recovery chillers, chilled beams, exhaust heat recovery wheels, and occupancy sensors. Also, following the opening, the F&S Retrocommissioning team worked to enhance building control systems for peak efficiency by modifying programming, set points, and some controls.

    <<see video of solar panels at https://youtu.be/iU4SqjMxB1A>> 

    Many characteristics of the ECE Building directly contribute to research and educational use. A section of the rooftop solar array connects to a major research laboratory in the building and provides hands-on experience with photovoltaic technology. There is a weather station on the roof for collecting data about conditions that affect solar production, like wind speed, temperature, humidity, insolation, and cloud cover. For all visitors, interactive digital signs show updated energy usage and a power dashboard in the building’s atrium.

    More information about the ECE building is available at: https://ece.illinois.edu/about/buildings/energy-efficiency

  18. Energy Farm Mini Agrivoltaics

    Associated Project(s): 
    Agrivoltaics: Crop Production and Solar Panels on the Same Land
    Carbon Credit Purchasing Program (C2P2) with Second Nature
    Ground Mounted Solar PVs BRC Research Test Bed

    Below is an email from Madhu Khanna regarding the energy farm mini agrivoltaics. 

     

    From: Khanna, Madhu <khanna1 at illinois.edu> 
    Sent: Thursday, February 09, 2023 3:37 AM
    To: Kamarah, Ehab <ekamarah at illinois.edu>; White, Morgan <mbwhite at illinois.edu>
    Subject: Energy Farm mini agrivoltaics

     

    Hi Ehab

     

    While we are waiting for doing the agrivoltaic experiments at Solar Farm 2 and build our own AV farm, Carl Bernacchi has been working on creating a small AV experiment at the Energy Farm with a few solar panels that can be set up to grow vegetables underneath. This project will generate solar energy that will be connected to the campus grid.

     

    Tim Mies and Carl Bernacchi have sent the following information.  Carl has used his USDA funds to purchase solar frames. They have been able to acquire panels from storage and  Brent Lewis at F&S.  But need $5-10K to salvage the panels and reinstall them.

     

    Can we approve up to $10K funds from the carbon credit fund to cover these costs? Tim plans to apply for SSC funding as well and if he gets funding then these costs can come down. We can justify it as a project that will contribute to increasing renewable energy generation in the future.

     

    Best

    Madhu

     

     

     

    Madhu Khanna

    Pronouns: she, her

    Alvin H. Baum Family Chair & Director, Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Environment

    ACES Distinguished Professor in Environmental Economics

    Co-Director, Center for Economics of Sustainability

    University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign

    1301, W. Gregory Drive, Urbana, IL 61801

     

    email: khanna1@illinois.edu; phone: 217-333-5176; fax: 217-333-5538

     

    http://ace.illinois.edu/directory/madhu-khanna

    https://ceos.illinois.edu/bio-khanna

    https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=LPH4gbUAAAAJ&hl=en

     

    https://illinois.zoom.us/j/2173335176?pwd=Ri8rTzQ0S1RxZHpiY2tEWVdaSlhtZz09

     

    _____________________________________________________________________

    From: Mies, Tim <tmies at illinois.edu> 
    Sent: Tuesday, February 7, 2023 1:50 PM
    To: Khanna, Madhu <khanna1 at illinois.edu>
    Cc: Bernacchi, Carl J <bernacch at illinois.edu>
    Subject: Energy Farm mini agrivoltaics

     

     

    Good Morning Madhu,

     

    I would like to update a bit on how this project might go forward, and ask for your thoughts on possible funding to complete this project (connect to campus grid).

     

    Carl to date has purchased 3 solar frames which can hold up to 72 of the size panel I have in storage (from the 2007 Solar Decathlon house).  Unfortunately I have only 40 panels, which will lead to a gaps in shading with only 12 panels per structure.

     

    My initial intention was to apply to SSC for funding to fill the space, purchase inverters, and hire electricians to connect to the campus grid.  This application would occur after the initial goal, shading research plots, is complete.

     

    Since this last email, I was contacted by Brent Lewis at F&S regarding potential surplus panels available immediately due to a demolition project under way for the failed building the panels connect to.  The picture below shows 60 panels of larger capacity (245 watt instead of 180) that would be able to fully populate the footprint of Carl’s frames.  In addition, there are inverters and ancillary connection parts that can likely be reused to allow these panels continued production on the campus grid.

     

    A ballpark estimate from F&S would be 5-10K to salvage all of the panels and equipment.   Do you think there would be support from Ehab to utilize carbon credit funds to at least salvage the panels and reinstall on the new frames?  I would be willing to apply to SSC again for the final connection if carbon funds could not cover this all.

     

    Please let me know if you have any additional questions or clarifications that we can provide.


    Best,
    Tim

     

    Attached Files: 

  20. SSLC Executive Board Applications

    Associated Project(s): 
    Student Sustainability Leadership Council (SSLC)

    Below is an email from Jack Reicherts regarding SSLC Executive Board Applications.

     

    Ahoy mateys!

    I hope this message finds ye well after our SSLC meeting on Monday. I wanted to take a moment to thank all those who were able to attend and make the meeting a success. We had a jolly good time discussing some important and exciting updates for the SSLC.

    For those who missed the meeting, we discussed the upcoming Sustainability Career Panel on February 15th from 5:30 - 7:30 pm at the Campus Instructional Facility in Room 2035. We also talked about an opportunity to view a screening of the documentary "The Magic Stump" on 2/19, put on by Grand Prairie Friends and several other community groups  (We will arrange carpool (shippool?) next week, RSVP here: https://www.grandprairiefriends.org/events/the-magic-stump-bird-documentary-screening-conservation-reception). Additionally, we discussed a letter writing event on March 9th in collaboration with the Citizens Utility Board.

    We also went over the process for applying to be a co-president of the SSLC, which includes a short application and an interview. Here's a short blurb if you want to promote this opportunity to your members, which I encourage you to do!

    "Apply to be considered as a Co-President of the Student Sustainability Leadership Council (SSLC) and make a difference on campus! The SSLC is a student-led organization that brings together the leaders of campus sustainability and environmentalist student groups to collaborate and drive positive change. Exec board responsibilities include overseeing sustainability programming, planning meetings with member organizations, and serving as a liaison between the student body and the campus administration. The time commitment is estimated at 2-3 hours per week on average.

    To apply, fill out this form (https://forms.gle/uGhFA3SYpHFTF4Nt5).  We collect your basic information, a short statement of purpose, and an endorsement from the leader of your respective sustainability organization. After submitting your application before the February 25th deadline, you will be contacted for a short interview. Any questions, comments, or concerns may be directed to sslc-chair@mx.uillinois.edu"

    Lastly, we talked about our plans for Earth Month, including Green Quad Day on 4/21, a Tuesday Talk by Citizens Utility Board on April 25th with free meals for the first five attendees, and the Sustainability "Greenies" (Awaiting official approval on this name lol).

    I also want to give a hearty shout out to all of our member organizations for providing us with some great updates. And remember, anyone is encouraged to use our listserv and Discord to promote any upcoming opportunities from their groups.

    Thank ye again for yer attendance and contributions to the meeting. I look forward to seeing ye at our next gathering. Hit me up if you have questions, comments, concerns, or a treasure map.

    Fair winds,
    Jack Reicherts, Pirate Co-Captain of the SSLC.

    Arrrr! 

Pages