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  1. ECIP next steps

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP)

    Hi Paul,

     

    Should we set up a calendar time to talk via Teams about the ECIP plans?  I’d think it would include Jen Fraterrigo, and maybe Rob?

     

    Thanks,

    Morgan

    ----------------------

    Hi Morgan,

    During Monday’s meeting we chose to follow your advice and go with the fall schedule.

     

    We are again having conference schedule during this week and wonder if the sustainability week can be chosen on a week other than the week of Oct 16th – the 20th?

     

    Best

    Paul

    --------------------

    Hi Paul,

     

    I think the date of the Campus Sustainability Celebration can move, as long as it is within October. I'll touch base with Jen about it and confirm. 

     

    Thanks,

    Morgan 

    -------------------

    Good morning,

     

    I am fine with moving the Campus Sustainability Celebration to another week in October.

     

    Thanks,

    Jen

  2. Monarch seeds or plugs

    Associated Project(s): 
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas
    Bee Campus USA

    Jen and Morgan asked Brent Lewis about the use of plugs instead of seeds. They also want to explore partnering with schools and community groups to collect seed from local sources and that The Urbana Free Library has a seed library, in which we could help encourage participation.  Also, Jen would like to engage University Primary School, which is adjacent to the prairie where students found a lot of milkweed. One of their lessons is about monarchs. Milkweed pods are easy to harvest in the fall.

    Brent responded with the following message:

    Hi Jennifer,

    If we are doing butterfly weed on the main part of campus, then I want to use plugs.  For this recommendation, we’ve shifted to enhancing the low mow areas.  In that case, we are talking about a huge amount of space.  Due to the easy nature of growing these from seed and the large impact we are looking for, having them broadcast seed through these zones is the most effective way of accomplishing this. 

    We will make sure to get some out at the school there too.  That’s a great suggestion.

    Thanks,

    Brent.

  3. SCILL SSC application

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal on Campus
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    All,

     

    Just my opinion, but the application tends to vilify Abbott Power Plant by stating that geothermal will “exceed” iCAP goals by “reducing dependance on the Abbott Power Plant”.

     

    Also stated in the application, “The project builds on a new paradigm established with the Campus Instructional Facility, expanding the network of deep green infrastructure and drastically reducing energy reliance on the Abbott Power Plant.”

     

    With the acceptance of Abbott Power Plant into the International Test Center Network for Carbon Capture (ITCN) early this morning in London, England, I think it is important to note that Abbott is involved in other carbon reduction technology development efforts.

     

    To continue to develop negative connotations regarding Abbott Power Plant with the campus community is counterproductive to the resilience of the Universities efforts and mission. I support the impact that geo-thermal can have to help us reach carbon neutrality, but I also support the fact that we still need Abbott to achieve the core mission of the University, and we need to continue to find ecological solutions that support our invested physical plant assets.

     

    Please continue to declare success regarding carbon reduction, but don’t make Abbott Power Plant the bad actor.

     

    Again, just my opinion.

     

    Respectfully,

    Rob

    Attached Files: 

  5. latest on geothermal at scill?

    Associated Project(s): 
    Geothermal on Campus

    Hi Jon,

     

    I heard they are maybe cancelling the geothermal at SCILL.  Is that accurate?

     

    Thx,

    Morgan

    ---------------------

    Hi Morgan,

     

    I have not heard anything about cancelling geothermal. It’s been developed to 90% CD’s as the building’s main source for heating and cooling.  

     

    I would be shocked if it was removed.

     

    Thanks,

    Jon

    --------------------

    Hiya,

    A little birdy said you two thought the geothermal in the military axis might be cancelled… very unlikely. 

     

    :-)  Morgan

    --------------------

    That’s what I heard from Stacey.  If they build the geothermal field, they still have to connect to chilled water AND pay the full fees right?  That’s what I heard.  Curious how that works. 

  6. Energy iCAP Meeting 3/27/2023

    Associated Project(s): 
    Energy iCAP Team
    Building-Level Energy Efficiency
    LEED Certification
    Changing Usage of Individuals

    The Energy iCAP team met on Monday 3/27/23 to discuss recommendations on energy standards for newly constructed buildings and improving communication of energy research on campus between labs and the broader campus community.

    View the recording: https://mediaspace.illinois.edu/media/t/1_9vmyh6sl

    Attached Files: 

  7. Weekly update: No First Visit Free policy, weekend and summer programming

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Pretty chill this last week. Weather was iffy but we were a little busier than expected considering that. I moved some bikes over from the warehouse as we have a volunteer who’s on a take-apart-a-bike-every-Friday schedule, so I’ll do my best to accommodate him going forward.

    We have been piloting our No First Visit Free policy without too much push back. We’ve had a few people turn and leave, but that’s fine.

    This week I’ll work on planning/R&D for some weekend programming and take stock of summer staffing.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 41
    Sales: $552
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $180
    Memberships: 5 for $150
    Tires/tubes:  4 for $36

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  8. Weekly capstone meetings: Meeting from 3/1, 3/10, and 3/22

    Associated Project(s): 
    2024 Campus Bike Plan
    Independent Student Projects

    Meeting notes from 3/22:

    • LRTP 2045 review it
    • They are starting work on 2050
    • Subject line for email: Name of Person/Organization
    • Expect 5-7 meetings (Landscape Architects, SPO, Transportation iCAP team, SSC, maybe League of American Bicyclists, Champaign County Bikes, RPC)
    • The rest will be communicated with through emails and/or CTAC
    • April 27th, morning meeting with CTAC
    • Start document for 2024 Campus Master Bicycle Plan (start outlining sections i.e introductions, executive summary, etc.). Use the 2014 plan as a template. 
    • In April we will start filling some of the information on the 2024 plan (Introduction, Planning Process).
    • In April will present to Bumsoo Lee and DURP to show progress

    Meeting from 3/10:

    Sarthak and Ethan met via zoom to discuss plans for the rest of the semester. Ethan is to finalize the email template which they will begin sending out after Spring break (last two weeks of March). Ethan is also to finish readings mentioned by Stacey by the next meeting in two weeks. 

    Notes: 

    • Be ready for reach out process, email ready, finish readings, you will hear from us in coming months, there will be future stakeholder meetings, feel free to share some ideas over email now, attach 2014 bicycle plan and 3 reports (at least the 2019 and 2022 one) (link it in email itself). 
    • Start report for undergraduate project early April.

    Meeting from 3/1:

    Sarthak and Ethan met via zoom to reflect on their meeting with Stacey. Ethan and Sarthak made note of stakeholders that she suggested that we reach out to and other readings to review. Ethan is to draft an email for reaching out to stakeholders once we return from Spring Break. Ethan is also expected to review RPC Bike Plan, Campus Master Plan, Crash Data, and TDM Plan.

    Notes:

    • Readings to do:
      • RPC Bike Plan
      • Campus Master Plan
      • Crash Data
      • TDM
      • APBP and League of American Bicyclists we will reach out to
      • Look at TDM report for Bicycle Friendly University updates
      • TDM to be published this year
    • Starting introductory email template and we would greatly appreciate your input and guidance when developing plan
    • Give info on what the old plan was and progress
    • Suggestions on adding more 
    • Ethan: start draft of email 
    Attached Files: 

  11. Housing Sustainability Re-Cap

    Associated Project(s): 
    Achieve Zero Waste
    Increase Recycling Rates

    Below is an email exchange regarding University Housing recycling:

    It was great talking with all of you about sustainability in University Housing. I hope my input didn’t scare you too much. Given our size, and the number off residents we house, we have to maintain some discipline in how we communicate to and interact with our residents. I’m sure we can find a viable method for reaching our residents to inform them of sustainability issues and event across campus. Below are a few talking points I jotted down during out meeting.

     

    • Below are four key communication methods for reaching our residents.
    1. 11x17 posters in the dining halls. You would need to produce 200 posters to reach all the halls. I can share any drafts you have with various people in Housing to get their feedback before they are printed.
    2. Digital Signs Link: https://housing.illinois.edu/resources/policies/digital-signs
    3. Dining hall napkin holders (I need to double check with Thurman Etchison on availability, or Meredith can ask him next time she talks with him)
    4. Housing Insider and Family and Graduate Housing Newsletter. The Housing insider a weekly newsletter we send to all undergraduate residents. The FGH Newsletter is sent to all graduate and apartment residents monthly. Notices in the Housing Insider are typically one and done. They don’t like to run the same notice for consecutive weeks at a time.
    • I attached our standard recycling container label. This is placed above all recycling containers in Housing and in the trash/recycling rooms in the residence halls.
    • Placement of a QR code on the residence hall room recycling containers, similar to what was displayed on the Don’t Waste It recycling containers. I suggest we wait until next summer when the students are not in the rooms to add this to the containers. It’s far less complicated if the residents are not in their rooms. Although, like Meredith suggested, we could explore providing the stickers at the residence hall front desks for the students to place on the containers themselves.
    • We discussed incorporating a short segment on sustainability in the RA training at the beginning of the academic year. I will bring this idea to the Residential Life leadership to get their thoughts.
    • We also discussed how we might be able to include components on sustainability in our programming to Housing residents. Nathan Sanden is responsible for implementing the Residential Curriculum, so I will share this idea with him for thoughts and input.

     

    I ended up closing the meeting invite without saving, which I was using to keep notes during the meeting. So please let me know if I missed any key takeaways.

     

     

    BRYAN JOHNSON

    ------------------------------

    Hi Bryan,

     

    Daphne Hulse and I have been developing plans for a campus-wide plastic waste reduction campaign. I think the communication methods you mention below could be valuable for messaging. If you agree, Daphne can incorporate these into the strategy.

     

    We remain interested in adding a sticker with a QR code to the residence hall room recycling containers to direct students to a website with more information about recycling and waste management. Can you provide an estimate of how many stickers we would need?

     

    I also want to follow up on your last two points about incorporating sustainability into RA training and programming to Housing residents. Our survey data indicate that first year students are more likely to purchase single-use plastic bottles, so we think targeting this group is important. Has Residential Life leadership and or Nathan Sanden responded to your inquiries concerning this issue?

     

    If you would like to discuss any of these items further, Daphne and I would be happy to join you on a call.

     

    Thank you,

    Jen

    ------------------------------

    Okay, I have some answers for you. Attached is our proposal to the SSC to fund the recycling containers. The original purchase was for 6,511 containers, but I would guess a few have disappeared by now. I was not able to find anyone within our Sustainability LLC to help mange this project or take on submitting another request to SSC to fund the stickers. If we move forward with this project, we will need to meet with Housing Facilities staff to iron out the logistical details. Our facilities staff will not be able to assist with placement of the stickers, so we will need to find a different avenue for getting them placed. I copied Matt Brown and Mark Kuehl from Housing Facilities on the email to keep them in the loop.

     

    Herb Jones, Director of Residential Life, said he is open to a conversation to talk through your thoughts on incorporating a sustainability component into our RA training. Jenny Bates, copied here, manages his calendar, if you would like to reach out to her and schedule a time to meet.

     

    Also, here is an updated link to Housing’s website for digital sign requests. We redesigned our webpage a couple months ago and the old link was inactive.  https://www.housing.illinois.edu/digital-signage

     

    Also, also, I am still trying to confirm if we rent out the space on the napkin holders in the dining halls. We have not done this in the past, but we have a new Director of Dining who might have a different direction for these.

     

    Thanks,

    BRYAN JOHNSON

    ------------------------------

     

    Bryan,

     

    Thank you for sharing this information. It is all very helpful!

     

    Daphne and I can look into developing an SSC proposal, perhaps with the assistance of our iCAP Engagement team. I think we can also find people to help with sticker placement if the project is funded.

     

    We are looking forward to discussing incorporating a sustainability component into RA training with you on April 7 at 3:00 pm.

     

    Best,

    Jen

  12. Application drafted

    Associated Project(s): 
    Project Revert to Earth

    From: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Saturday, March 25, 2023 8:23 PM
    To: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Re: SSC Application

     

    Daphne, 

    Yes, we liked the gift card idea, so we put down 5 gift cards of $100. 

    We have successfully submitted the application!! Again, appreciate all of your help and I am so excited for this project. Fingers crossed:) 

     

    Have a wonderful weekend, 

    Hannah Kim

    From: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Friday, March 24, 2023 10:59 AM
    To: Kim, Hannah <    hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Re: SSC Application

     

    Hi Hannah,

     

    That make sense to me. Another option might be to purchase x number of gift cards for a raffle drawing (ex: all volunteers who sign up and show up are automatically entered into a raffle drawing for 3 $25 or $50 gift cards). That was an immediate thought that came to mind!

     

    From: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Friday, March 24, 2023 10:56 AM
    To: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Re: SSC Application

     

    Hey, 

     

    Thank you for taking a look at it:) Yes, we are currently working on the budget as we talked to Professor Prescott, and she recommended us to have some payments for students to volunteer to gather the data as the scale of the study doesn't seem so feasible for two students. So, we have been thinking about that aspect. What do you think? 

     

    Hannah Kim 

    From: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Friday, March 24, 2023 9:40 AM
    To: Kim, Hannah <    hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Vaya, Sakshi <    svaya2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: RE: SSC Application

     

    Thank you very much for sharing, Hannah! This looks excellent. I’m hopeful that SSC will take to it and move you on to step 2.

     

    The only piece I noticed missing was the “Total amount requested from SSC” on page 2. Are you still working on finalizing the proposed budget before submitting?


    Thank you!

    Daphne

     

     

    Daphne Hulse (she/her)
    Zero Waste Coordinator
    Facilities & Services | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    +1 (217) 333-7550 | dlhulse2@illinois.edu
     
    Bu0VAhW8+s0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=

    Please consider the environment before printing an email. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.

     

     

     

    From: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2023 11:29 PM
    To: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Vaya, Sakshi <svaya2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: SSC Application

     

    Dear Daphne, 

     

    Hello, I hope you have had a good week so far. Here is the finalized application for the research project. I am so excited to submit this and start this big journey!! 

     

    Best, 

    Hannah Kim

    Attached Files: 

  13. 3-24-23 Housing + F&S meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Dump and Run

    Attendance: Pete Varney, Shawn Patterson, Dan Hiser, Bryan Johnson, Mark Kuehl, Morgan White Daphne Hulse

    1. Squirrels. Housing was scouting areas outdoors and BSWs brought up the concern with squirrels.

    1. If we collect food, will the squirrels be an issue?

    2. We would only accepted closed, non-perishable foods, but this does not ensure students will follow the guidelines exactly.

    3. What do the squirrels do?

    1. E38 in front of Campus Rec/Scott Hall, squirrels have been seen eating the wiring. BSWs are concerned that squirrels would eat and break things stored in the storage units.

    2. PODS locations for LAR, Allen, & Busey. There are not many great spots outdoors.

    • Potentially: parking spots - in front of Allen, or over by McKinley.
    • Busey: place it on the grass between this area? Not a lot of space.
    • All of the other places suggested, it would work okay to put PODS outdoors.

    3. Staff to man the storage containers.

    1. If volunteer staff are outdoors to open and close the doors to the PODS, it can allow us to keep the PODS idea and also prevent squirrels from entering.

    2. Things don’t really get busy until Wednesday. Maybe do a couple hours of pickup during afternoon on Monday and Tuesday. Start full time on Wednesday. Saturday is the last day. No volunteers on Sunday.

    4. Dan & Transportation Co. can provide transportation to the places that can’t have a big pod in them.

    1. This would follow our original plan to put gaylords in the halls and have them taken to PPSB.

    5. Create certain hours for drop off (volunteers man during these hours). All other hours the PODS are closed.

    6. Suggested locations for PODS.

    1. 4 spots at IKE (one at each corner)

    2. 1 PAR

    3. 1 ISR

    4. 20 footers.

    5. Markup on exactly where those are at, LAR-Busey-Allen would go.

    6. Northside of Allen Hall/LAR check with transportation people - Morgan will check and copy Daphne.

    7. Daphne to reach out to the Main Library about their food pantry.

    1. Thurman in Dining may be able to assist with collection.

    2. Group agreed that keeping food collection separate from Dump & Run is best.

    8. Daphne’s quotes (for local PODS companies) was close to the estimate that Bryan and Mark found.

    1. One company was significantly more expensive, probably because they come from Normal, IL (not in town) and they have extra fuel surcharges, expensive pick up and drop off fees.

     

    2023-03-24 Meeting recording here on google drive.

  17. Campus Rainwater Management Plan SSC Grant Application

    Associated Project(s): 
    Rainwater Management
    Rainwater Management Program
    Rainwater Management Plans

    Hello Student Sustainability Committee. Attached is a SSC Step 1 funding application request for the campus Rainwater Management Plan. I have also included a photo of the Boneyard Creek since it is a campus waterway and the application requested one map, graphic or picture. Please contact me with any questions and thank you for considering.

    Betsy

    Attached Files: 

  19. FSH 232 compost opportunity

    Associated Project(s): 
    Project Revert to Earth

    From: Hulse, Daphne Lauren
    Sent: Wednesday, March 22, 2023 1:40 PM
    To: Kim, Hannah <hannahk9@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Vaya, Sakshi <svaya2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: FW: Composting Tumbler

     

    Hi Hannah,

     

    During our call yesterday we briefly touched on part 2 of your project, to be informed by the research study. If it is determined a small-scale pilot compost project should be implemented on campus (& depending on the response from the Sustainable Student Farm), this class which regularly produces food scraps might be a great start.


    Thank you,
    Daphne

     

    Daphne Hulse (she/her)
    Zero Waste Coordinator
    Facilities & Services | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    +1 (217) 333-7550 | dlhulse2@illinois.edu
     
    Bu0VAhW8+s0AAAAASUVORK5CYII=

    Please consider the environment before printing an email. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure.

     

     

     

    From: Wong, Corina <cwong54@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Thursday, February 2, 2023 12:13 PM
    To: Moore, Meredith Kaye <mkm0078@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Re: Composting Tumbler

     

    Hello Meredith and Daphne, 

     

    My class consists of 40 people (or 20 pairs) and we meet twice a week. Our food scraps would consist of egg shells, fruit, and veggies scraps. I'm thinking about 5-10 pounds a week. It depends on each lab. 

     

    Thanks,

    ​Corina Wong (she/her/hers)

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

    Food Science Major - Class of 2026

    cwong54@illinois.edu | 773-733-3719 

    From: Moore, Meredith Kaye <mkm0078@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Wednesday, February 1, 2023 11:02 AM
    To: Wong, Corina <    cwong54@illinois.edu>
    Cc: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <    dlhulse2@illinois.edu>
    Subject: RE: Composting Tumbler

     

    Hi Corina,

     

    Thank you for reaching out and for your interest in responsibly disposing of food from FSH 232. I am copying Daphne Hulse, who is the campus Zero Waste Coordinator so that she can stay in the loop as well. We still have a tumbler at the National Soybean Research Center and Presby Hall. These are approximately 65 gallons; do you have an estimate of how much food waste your course generates? The Presby Hall tumbler is not at capacity, so theoretically, you are welcome to use this for vegetable/fruit scraps. We are in the process of identifying a larger scale option though unfortunately this is all we have available at the moment.

     

    Thank you!

    Meredith  

     

    --------------------------------------------
    “There are a lot of dreamers – dreaming is very important, but it’s really the dreamer and the doer. You’ve got to be the doer.” –Will Steger  

    MEREDITH MOORE
    Sustainability Programs Manager 

    University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
    Institute for Sustainability, Energy, and Environment (iSEE)
    1101 W Peabody Drive (Suite 382), Urbana, IL, 61801
    217.333.0119 | mkm0078@illinois.edu
    www.sustainability.illinois.edu
     
    signature_2127019860

    Please consider the environment before printing out an email. Under the Illinois Freedom of Information Act any written communication to or from university employees regarding university business is a public record and may be subject to public disclosure. 

     

    From: Wong, Corina <cwong54@illinois.edu>
    Sent: Tuesday, January 31, 2023 10:08 PM
    To: Moore, Meredith Kaye <    mkm0078@illinois.edu>
    Subject: Composting Tumbler

     

    Dear Meredith,

     

    My name is Corina Wong, and I am taking FSHN 232: The Science of Food Preparation. When researching composting at UIUC, I found your contact information regarding a composting tumbler. I was wondering if the composting tumbler still exists. 

     

    I'm emailing you because in FSHN 232 we produce a lot of food waste due to the nature of food preparation. Right now, our food waste is simply tossed into the trash. I would like to find a solution to our food waste (and one that would last for future semesters since this class is offered every fall and spring). I was wondering if we could put our food waste into that tumbler. If not, do you have any alternative solutions? I have contacted the dining services, and unfortunately, delivering our food waste to the Grind2Energy services is not possible. 

     

    Please don't hesitate to ask me any questions!

     

    Thanks,

    ​Corina Wong (she/her/hers)

    University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign 

    Food Science Major - Class of 2026

    cwong54@illinois.edu | 773-733-3719 

  20. Outreach for Bee Campus advisory board members

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bee Campus USA

    Good afternoon! I’m Sinead Soltis, one of the sustainability interns at Facilities and Services. In representing my team at F&S, I am planning on getting a committee together to once again to advise our campus’ Bee Campus affiliation. Our campus has previously held this designation in 2018 & 2019, but the committee has since dissolved. As a committee, we will weigh in on all things pollinator related, in addition to having a space for students to share their volunteer efforts regarding bees with faculty/staff (& vice versa)! I can see this being a low-commitment group, as we will likely be sharing efforts already being made across the Champaign-Urbana area.

     

    With that being said, I wanted to gauge interest for joining as a member. Meetings will likely be held monthly, or bi-monthly, as needed. I am aware that some of you have previously been members of this committee, or at a minimum, listed as a member. I would appreciate members who have previously sat to join us, at least for the first few meetings. Also, feel free to forward this invitation to anyone you would feel would benefit from sitting on this committee!

     

    If you are interested in joining the committee, please respond to me when you can. A tentative meeting is planned for some time in April, although an exact date has not yet been chosen.

     

    Bee Campus USA website, for more information: https://beecityusa.org/bee-campus-usa-commitments/

     

    Thanks in advance,  

    Sinead Soltis  

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