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  3. ECIP Award Winners

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

    On October 20, 2021, the 2021 Energy Conservation Incentive Program (ECIP) Award Winners were announced at the Campus Sustainability Celebration!

    UIUC is home to a total of 10 winners and honorable mentions, as listed below according to their categories:

    • Occupant Action Category
      • Ice Arena
      • Student Dining and Residential Programs
      • English Building
      • Campus Recreation Center East (CRCE)
    • Energy Advancement Category
      • Stock Pavilion
      • Forbes Natural History Building
      • Levis Faculty Center
      • Early Development Lab
    • Honorable Mentions
      • State Farm Center
      • Bielfeldt Athletic Administrative Building

    See the attached file to read the official announcement of 2021 ECIP Winners, including the locations' % improvements and monetary savings.

    Attached Files: 

  4. Green Infrastructure & Erosion Control Conference

    Associated Project(s): 
    Rainwater Management
    Green Sports Alliance (GSA)
    Division of Intercollegiate Athletics (DIA) Climate Action Plan

    The 2021 biennial Champaign County Stormwater Partnership Green Infrastructure and Erosion Control Conference took place on October 20th.

    The following email provides some context and resources with more information about the event.

    The program and the media post for the conference are attached below.

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

    From: Liggett, Betsy Jo 
    Sent: Friday, September 03, 2021 9:59 AM
    To: Stillwell, Brett
    Cc: White, Morgan; Wilcoxen, David B; Ruhter, Colleen; Liggett, Betsy Jo
    Subject: Green Infrastructure & Erosion Control Conference

     

    Good morning Brett!

    I wanted to share an upcoming conference opportunity with you and others in DIA. F&S Safety and Compliance is a member of the Champaign County Stormwater Partnership to help meet goals for our campus stormwater municipality permit. One of the permit Public Education and Outreach goals is to host a biennial stormwater conference. We have several speakers this year one of which is a member from Green Sports Alliance (GSA) who will speak about the GSA program and provide examples of what other organizations/universities have done to meet the program missions.  Green Sports Alliance

     

    Please share with others and join us October 20, 2021 for the free biennial Champaign County Stormwater Partnership Green Infrastructure and Erosion Control Conference. This year the conference will be virtual instead of at the iHotel and Conference Center, however Professional Development Hours are still available. Attendance is limited and you can register at the following link Champaign County Stormwater Conference - CHAMPAIGN COUNTY STORMWATER PARTNERSHIP (ccstormwater.org)

     

    Thank you!

    Betsy

    Attached Files: 

  7. Data Regarding EPA Campus Rainworks Challenge

    Associated Project(s): 
    EPA RainWorks Challenge
    Rainwater Management

    Yuhze Zhang, leader of the Master plan team in EPA Rainworks Challenge 2021, asked Brent Lewis, UIUC's campus landscape architect, for some data for the challenge. Data asked for includes campus storm peak runoff, existing green infrastructure, turf lawn irrigation.

    More information regarding the data can be found in the email chain attached below.

     

    Another participant of the EPA Rainworks Challenge, Matthew Rodriguez, also requested data.

    This email chain is attached below.

     

    The Water Reuse Handbook is also attached below (attachment from both email chains).

     

    Attached Files: 

  8. Weekly Update: Fixing bike pump; fixing bicycles; student employment

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Last Tuesday we had our Green Quad Day event. We had a few people stop by later in the week after talking with them and one potential student application for employment. We were also generously resupplied with clothes for making into rags. (Thanks, Morgan!) The beautiful weather was certainly an added perk.

    On Thursday I picked up the remaining bikes from the warehouse that are worth our time. We’ll get to rehabbing those bikes this week. There are a good 20 – 30 bikes left there that are destined for the scrap heap. Unfortunately, 3 of the 10 bikes didn’t pass even a basic inspection so they’ll be fodder for parts.

    We’re currently very low on used 26” tires. There’s a sentence I never thought I’d write.

    This week I’ll also get the ball moving on fixing the outdoor pump, which is broken again.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 40
    Sales: $586.50
    Bike (refurb): 1 for $190
    Memberships: 7 for $210
    Tires/tubes: 8 for $32

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  9. Campus Landscape Master Plan - Core Planning Committee Charge Letter 2021

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Landscape Master Plan (CLMP)

    On October 18, 2021, the Campus Landscape Master Plan - Core Planning Committee Charge Letter was sent out to its members.

    In this document, Ehab Kamara, the Interim Executive director of Facilities and Services, outlines the responsibilities of committee members and background information for this project. 

    See the attached file to read the charge letter.

    Attached Files: 

  10. 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!

  11. Update: Green Cleaning Engagement on Campus

    Associated Project(s): 
    Green Cleaning Products and Practices

    As of October 16, 2021, F&S Building Services does not have a Green Cleaning Certificate. However, this is not preventing F&S from trying to implement sustainable practices. 

    Right now, F&S Building Services is performing green cleaning practices in the Campus Instructional Facility (CIF) and the new addition to the iHotel Conference Center. This is being done by aligning practices with green cleaning standards to the best ability possible.

    Moving forward, the university is transitioning towards having Housing implement its own green cleaning process. However, efforts are currently delayed due to COVID-19 and ongoing staffing concerns.

  13. Weekly Resilience Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build Resilience with Our Local Community
    Vision Zero
    Green Jobs
    Rainwater Management

    Resilience Meeting Notes 10/15/2021 for meeting between Stacy Gloss, Meredith Moore, and Morgan White

    1. We discussed ideas for the Design for America RSO project on Environmental Justice.  Stacy will set up a meeting with D for A RSO students to discuss potential project topics and request a 1/2 page - 1 page project idea back to us for approval/revisions. The project might cover an environmental justice topic and be worked on from now through May. We will request that the complete project be designed to be presented in the late Spring, and the results go beyond educational/informational and lead to an initiative of some kind.
    2. Stacy provided a progress update on Resilience iCAP objectives.
      1. Green Certifications Inventory. Stacy will present this for comment at the next resilience ICAP meeting
      2. NGICP exploration
        1. Stacy will submit SSC proposal to support a pilot program for F&S staff to receive NGICP training at Parkland. The project will evaluate the benefits and decide whether to adopt having more or all campus grounds workers take the training later.
        2. Stacy will request Heidi and Eliana present at a (future proposed) joint meeting of the land/water use and resilience committee about the NGICP program and benefits
      3. Coordinated rainwater planning
        1. Morgan said that she recently had a conversation with a director at Sanitary District who asked for campus to become more involved with watershed management through a watershed working group, which is different than MS4 compliance.  
        2. Morgan also requested that Stacy involve Eliana Brown more in coordinated rainwater planning for future meetings
        3. Stacy will attend the stormwater management organization’s conference on Oct. 20.
      4. Sustainability leadership topics – plan for Stacy to present these at next resilience ICAP meeting
      5. Vision Zero Discussion
        1. Stacy will submit a white paper on next steps for Vision Zero on Campus late next week.
        2. Stacy and Sarthak will meet with a professor who supports / advocates for Vision Zero next week. 
        3. We discussed who would need to be involved for approval and planning of a Traffic Garden, Stacy will report back to Sarthak on this subject.

  15. 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: 

  16. 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.

  17. vision zero check-in meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Build Resilience with Our Local Community
    Vision Zero

    iCAP 8.6 Vision Zero Meeting

    10/13/2021

    Stacy Gloss and Sarthak Prasad met to discuss the Vision Zero objective. Sarthak will email Vision Zero for a meeting to ask questions about a campus designation. Sarthak will also follow up with the Housing Director about a request to develop a Safety Village / Traffic Garden project in partnership with Cynthia Hoyle at MTD for children to learn about bike and pedestrian safety.  The project site is proposed for the abandoned streets on the corner of Florida and Race, adjacent to Orchard Downs campus property.

     

  18. Engagement iCAP Team Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Engagement and Outreach
    Engagement iCAP Team
    Engagement iCAP Team Recommendations Summary

    The Engagement iCAP Team met on Tuesday, October 12 for an ideation session for recommendations for the upcoming semester. New members Kathy Adams, Sonali Kumar and Kavya Mula were introduced to the team along with Shibu Kar, the team's new co-chair! Meeting minutes are attached with a link to the recommendation ideation powerpoint.

    Attached Files: 

  19. 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

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