Dear SWATeam members,  We are so happy to welcome you to the FY20 SWATeams, including Energy, Land and Water, Zero Waste, Transportation, Education, and the new Resilience Working Advisory Team (RWAT).  SWATeams are an important part of our overall Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP) efforts, and we truly appreciate your assistance and support! 

In 2014, iSEE worked with the Office of the Chancellor to develop the formal sustainability procedures to support the Carbon Commitment.  These procedures established the SWATeams, the iCAP Working Group (iWG), and the Sustainability Council.  In 2018 Chancellor Jones and the Mayors of Urbana and Champaign signed a Resilience Proclamation, so RWAT is the newest part of our SWATeam process.  We are currently working on an update to the iCAP procedures document. We’re also updating the 2015 iCAP plan to the new 2020 iCAP, and FY20 SWATeams will contribute to such an important milestone of iCAP!

For both returning and new SWATeam members, here are a few things to expect in the coming weeks:

• iSEE Director Evan DeLucia will be sending a formal charge letter for each team.
• iSEE Sustainable Programs Coordinator Meredith Moore is training the new SWATeam clerks and graduate assistant, Regina Cassidy.  Then the SWATeam clerks will contact you to schedule three full team meetings this semester, one in September, October, and November.
• The SWATeam pages on iSEE have been updated, and we will be updating the iCAP Portal pages.
• We will send you a schedule for the 2020 iCAP development, with specific timelines for the SWATeams to draft specific, measurable objectives for the 2020 iCAP.
• You will receive an invitation to the SWATeam kick-off event, hosted by iSEE in September.

As mentioned above, this year will be highly focused on drafting the 2020 Illinois Climate Action Plan iCAP.  Each of the SWATeams will be asked to recommend specific, measurable objectives for the 2020 iCAP.  To help facilitate this effort, the two of us, as co-chairs of iWG, will both be attending each full SWATeam meeting in September, October, and November.  The actual iCAP chapters will be written by members of the iWG and iSEE staff, based on the input received from SWATeams and campus, for review by the iWG.  In Spring 2020, there will be campus and community review of the draft chapters, and the SWATeams will be included as key stakeholders in that review process. Ultimately, the 2020 iCAP with a chapter for each SWATeam, and additional related chapters will be formally submitted to the Sustainability Council for campus approval.

The University is committed to being carbon neutral as soon as possible, and no later than 2050, and to bolstering our community’s resilience to the impacts of climate change. SWATeams play a key role to achieve those goals. We thank you for your willingness to assist in the efforts that will make us a model of sustainability for the nation. Thank you for your time, your enthusiasm and your continuous efforts!

Sincerely,

Ximing Cai and Morgan White

iCAP Working Group, co-chairs

University of Illinois Home Yard and Garden newsletter is a great way to stay up on Illinois weed, disease and insect problems and management guidance.  With the below link you can sign up for direct emails notifications as well.

Issue no. 9 of the Home, Yard & Garden Newsletter is now available on the Web. Point your browser to:

http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu


IN THIS ISSUE:

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White grubs
http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1098

White grub is a common name for the larvae of June beetles, chafers and Japanese beetles that feed on the roots of turfgrass.  The grubs can be found in the first 8 inches of soil beneath turfgrass.  They are white, C-shaped larvae, about 1 inch long and have 6 jointed legs attached close to their small brown head capsule.  Excessive root feeding by white grubs can leave turfgrass poorly anchored to the soil and can result in brown patches in a lawn that can be pulled back like a rug.  This can impact the aesthetics of a lawn and, in some cases, can make sports fields less safe for children and athletes.

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Nimblewill Noticeable During Hot Dry Conditions
http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1099

There have been a few recent calls about nimblewill (Muhlenbergia schreberi).  With the hot, dry conditions we have had  lately, our cool-season turfgrass growth has slowed, making warm-season  nimblewill growth more noticeable.  While  cool-season turfgrasses are dormant, nimblewill is actively growing and  enjoying the lack of competition.  This  unbalance can allow nimblewill to be a serious weed problem.

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Fire Blight
http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1100

I have received a few reports and questions regarding fire  blight on ornamental pears. Fire blight is a bacterial disease that infects  approximately 75 different species of plants, all in the Rosaceae family. Apples,  pears, crabapples, and ornamental pears are the most seriously affected  species. Other rosaceous hosts include cotoneaster, hawthorn, quince,  firethorn, and mountain-ash.

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Bacterial Leaf  Scorch – New Molecular Service Available
http://hyg.ipm.illinois.edu/article.php?id=1101

It’s the time of the year that we start seeing bacterial  leaf scorch symptoms develop in central Illinois, and several samples have been  submitted that appear to be infected in the last few weeks. We are now offering  a molecular test for this pathogen, which will reduce the turnaround time, and  because it’s more sensitive than the previous ELISA test, ca be used any time  during the growing season when symptoms appear.
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Mike

Dear FY19 SWATeam members, As another academic year is about to begin, we want to first thank you for all of your help moving campus toward the goals outlined in the Illinois Climate Action Plan (iCAP). Each of the six SWATeams worked on multiple recommendations last year, and after careful evaluation by the iCAP Working Group (iWG), several recommendations are under consideration now at the appropriate campus units. Additionally, several prior SWATeam recommendations are continuing to show progress, such as the Solar Farm 2.0 project, which is likely to be approved by the Board of Trustees this fall.

Now, the iWG is gearing up for the drafting of the 2020 iCAP. Last year, we have received a lot of feedbacks from the SWATeams and the student body about the 2015 iCAP, our successes, and our areas for growth. After extensive consideration, we have reorganized the SWATeams as announced in the iSEE newsletter earlier this month. Soon we will be updating the email lists, so please do not be concerned if you are removed from a SWATeam email list and are planning to stay on the new team; all returning members will be added to the new SWATeam email lists, as they are created.

If you have any questions, please let us know and we’ll be happy to discuss this further. We thank you for your time, your enthusiasm, and your continuous efforts!

Sincerely,

Ximing Cai and Morgan White

iCAP Working Group, co-chairs

The Facilities & Services (F&S) at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) submitted the application to renew the Bicycle Friendly University (BFU) status for UIUC on August 21, 2019. The University expects to retain its Bronze-level BFU certification with this application. Please see attached the complete application that was submitted to the League of American Bicyclists (LAB).

University of Illinois organized a meeting for all participating units - UI, CBC, Urbana, Champaign, MTD, CCRPC, TBP, and CCB. Please see attached the notes from our meeting.

All, Monday and Friday of last week I was out of the shop. Student staff covered for me with minimal issues. We’ve been selling bikes pretty steadily now, and that number will likely only rise the closer we get to the school year starting.
Big thanks to Todd for clearing out the huge pile of scrap bikes. More room is always good!
This week we have a LTN discussion so we can get moving on that and a TBP-UIUC meeting. Additionally, I’ll be reorganizing the back of the shop since we have so much new space, setting up a staff meeting for my student staff in advance of the crazy semester rush, and processing the inventory that came in late last week.

The numbers:
Visitors: 45 (computer trouble kept that number lower than it actually was)
Sales: $1,215.00
Memberships: 3 for $90

Bikes (refurb): 6 for $925

Thanks!

Jacob Benjamin
Manager, Campus Bike Center

Hello all,

Thanks for coming to our last meeting. For those of you who could not make it, no worries. Our next steps will be weeding the rain garden. I am still working on a list of plants with pictures, but in the meantime I have attached a updated list of the names of all the plants that should be there and notable weeds. Anythings you weed can be thrown into the lawn, if it happens that there are a lot of weeds that have been pulled still throw them onto the lawn, or perhaps a small tarp if anyone has one, and let me know so we can send Grounds to pick it up. 

As far as trees go, we are still going to go ahead and try to pull all tree saplings out. We discussed that this will likely be easiest after a rain. If they just aren't coming up and digging them out does not seem viable, at that point we can have Grounds come herbacide. 

We are going to continue this process likely until mid Fall, at which time I am hoping we will have plugs to put in. 

I am also working on an event that we can do at the start of the school year to get more volunteers out and helping around the rain garden. I will have more news on that soon.

Thanks again for everyone' your help! If you have nay questions, comments, or concerns, feel free to shoot me an email.

Best,

Vince

 Vet Med Rain Garden Plant Identifier Doc