Recycling plastic bags is an important aspect of specialty recycling for campus.
The Illini Union Bookstore has started plastic bag recycling in collaboration with their vendor. This program is an exciting opportunity to reduce plastic film waste on campus.
University Dining purchased 10,000 reusable containers for use this upcoming fall!
Morgan White reviewed the following Entomology courses with Professors May Berenbaum and Adam Dolezal:
*During the review, Professor Berenbaum and Professor Dolezal added IB 468 to the pre-existing list of the other courses.
To combat the issue of food waste, U of I Housing collaborated with F&S Utilities & Energy Services, Operations, Maintenance & Alterations, and environmental compliance. The committee researched various food waste options, including composting, pulpers, and grinder systems used for anaerobic digestion -- including Grind2Energy systems.
These operate similarly to an industrial garbage disposal. However, it uses significantly less water than the digester system, up to 90-95 percent less. Additionally, it does not send the waste directly to the sanitary sewer. The food waste is pumped into a 5000-6000 gallon tank located on the outside of the building it serves. A tanker truck empties the waste and takes it to the local sanitary district. The industrial-strength waste is processed in an anaerobic digester, where it undergoes treatment without oxygen. The methane produced is collected and used to generate electricity at the treatment plant.
Read more about Grind2Energy use on campus through the F&S Website or the PDF in the attached files!
On July 12, 2021, Adam Dolezal, May Berenbaum, Layne Knoche, Eliana Brown, Morgan White, and Avery Maloto met over Zoom to discuss pollinator efforts on campus. The conversation included topics such as: Bloom Calendar, Red Oak Rain Garden, Dorner Drive Retention Pond, Setting up a BioBlitz, and more.
See the attached file to view the minute notes.
F&S submitted the Spring 2021 Semesterly Report to the SSC for the Eco-Olympics project!
Read the report in the attached files below.
Discover Magazine released an article highlighting the biodiversity benefits that can stem from pairing solar farms with pollinator-friendly plants. Supporting its claims with initiatives from universities across the country, the article recognizes the University of Illinois' pollinator habitat at Solar Farm 2.0.
Read the article on Discover Magazine. Or, refer to the PDF of the article in the attached files.
Calling all citizen-scientists! The Seventh Annual BeeBlitz will be on Saturday, June 26th, 2021 from 9-11 AM CDT!
To attend, meet at the Pollinatarium or go bee spotting in a forest, prairie, or backyard near you! Bring your camera or smartphone and be ready to snap photos of honey & bumblebees, then upload them to BeeSpotter to contribute to its database of Midwestern bee spottings.
Interest in this project began in October 2017, at the AASHE Student Summit. Several residents of the Sustainability Living-Learning Community attended a workshop at this summit about the Bee Campus USA movement. These students were inspired by the progress of other universities and decided to start this project on our own campus. From that point on, the Sustainability LLC, Facilities & Services, Red Bison Ecological Restoration (RSO), and the Pollinatarium have collaborated to ensure the success of this project. The application process in this project must be done annually to maintain the Bee Campus USA certification.
Bee Campus USA is a nation-wide movement to support pollinators on university campuses. A university that is Bee Campus USA-certified proves that they are progressing in awareness, native plant landscapes, and safe pest management. The Bee Campus committee developed an official web page in spring 2018 and worked with Facilitites & Services to develop a University Habitat Plan. In addition, with funding from the SSC, we will be installing pollinator signage on campus in fall 2018.
A 24" by 36" blank sign was installed at the corner of Florida Avenue and Orchard Street, by the Florida-Orchard prairie, near Orchard Downs and the Presidents’ House. The information planned to be featured in the sign will originate from the new Bee Campus brochure. This text will highlight the Bee Campus student organization, information about pollinators, as well as university and campus initiatives to be more pollinator-friendly. Thanks to funding by SSC, the signage will be ready for public display by the end of 2021!
See the attached files to view the installation of the blank sign!
F&S submitted the Spring 2021 Semesterly Report to the SSC for the Solar Farm 2.0 Landscape Buffer project!
Read the report in the attached files below.
Entomology Today released an article highlighting the strategy and benefits behind pairing solar energy with pollinator habitats. Supporting its claims with UIUC and Iowa State initiatives, the article discusses content such as the scorecard approach, efficiency of the positioning of planted vegetation, and restrictions from geographic locations.
Read the article on Entomology Today. Or, refer to the PDF of the article in the attached files.
Kelly Allsup, University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator, is hosting a Swallowtail Butterflies Webinar on June 14, 2021, from 12-1 pm.
During this presentation, Kelly will tell you what plants need to be put in your garden to help 6 species of swallowtail butterfly caterpillars! Make sure to tune in via Zoom to learn more.
The 350 square-foot pollinator garden at the National Soybean Research Center is planted! The weather was beautiful and we had a fun time hearing plant stories and learning about our very own native species from Layne Knoche. Check out our Facebook post here.
Huge thank you to Layne Knoche, Eliana Brown, and the whole Red Oak Rain Garden team, Eric Green, Michael Dzianott and the Red Bison team, Joey Kreiling, Blake Cedergren, and the From the Ground Up team, and all friends who helped out with the planting.
Stay tuned for more fun!
The following is a message from John Marlin. In this message, Marlin includes information about the wildflower display at Lincoln Avenue Residence (LAR), as well as photographs of the location:
Hello,
At the moment and for the next several weeks woodland wildflowers will be blooming at LAR, specifically to the north of the front steps, continuing past the edge of the building, and alongside the north east side of the building. There are about 20 woodland species in the mix. This is a fairly good example of the type of plants that could be placed in small beds around campus to help pollinators and provide visual relief. The spring plants are especially nice to have around as students face the stress of finals and leaving their friends for the summer. I believe you would find a visit worthwhile. I would be glad to join at any convenient time.
The project was initiated in 2016 by the LAR Living Learning Community. In addition to the woodland plantings there are prairie and related plantings starting at the south side of the steps and continuing around the south side of the building to the loading dock. An additional planting is in the courtyard by the dining room. Various prairie species will bloom in sequence beginning now and through the fall. These plantings compliment the nearby Red Oak Rain Garden.
Over 50 students and community members planted the area. A part-time intern helped maintain it for the first year and a half. A $5,000 grant paid for the most of the plants and intern. There has been very limited maintenance due to the virus and lack of funds for the intern. The main problems are some weeds and aggressive spread of some of the native plants. Insects and birds use the plantings and several classes have visited.
There is a growing consensus in favor of locating pollinator pockets and other native planting around campus. Once in the ground they require minimal maintenance. A few seasonal student interns with some supervision could manage quite a few. I hope there can be some action along these lines over the next few years.
John C. Marlin, PhD
Research Affiliate, ISTC, PRI
217-649-4591
Photo 1: Volunteers planting at LAR in September 2016
Photo 2: Up-close photo of LAR flowers in April 2021
Photo 3: Up-close photo of LAR plants, including flowers, in April 2021
Photo 4: Photo of LAR plants and flowers underneath a tree in April 2021
Photo 5: Photo of LAR plants and flowers in April 2021
The iWG met on April 27, 2021, and discussed the iCAP Team recommendations: ZW002 Join NERC Government Recycling Demand Champions, ZW003 GreenerOffice Delivery Service Enrollment, ZW004 Reusable Dining Containers Program, LW002 Vet Med Parking Re-Design, and LW003 Certified Green Building Certification. See meeting minutes attached.
The attached file shows the planned location for the large Bee Campus sign to be installed at the Florida and Orchard Prairie.
The Bee Conservancy, an environmental NPO, is handing out hundreds of free native bee homes across the U.S. and Canada in hopes of boosting native bee populations.
As part of its Sponsor-A-Hive program, the group is offering 500 native bee homes to community-focused organizations that support food growth, education, or ecological conservation. (Two hundred were awarded in fall and 300 are being awarded this spring.) Eligible groups include community gardens, nature centers, schools, tribal organizations, parks, and zoos. According to Guillermo Fernandez, founder and executive director of The Bee Conservancy, "We’re looking for organizations that share our passion to nurture local bee populations, create habitat for them, and support their communities and local food systems."
Applications are open until the end of April 2021!
Read more about The Bee Conservancy native bee home giveaway in the TreeHugger article.
