P10G96448 placed in the vestibule outside the bottom of the stairwell, C0192.

P10G96449 placed at C100A.

Registration is open for the 2023 Reimagine our Future Competition as of May 19, 2023.

Below is a link to the website:

https://reimagine.web.illinois.edu/

Attached are informational graphics on the 2023 Dump and Run program.

P10H08415 on first floor outside 137, near lecture hall.

P10H08424 outside of room 62 in the basement and P10H0843 in 163C area where the old cafe space used to be.

The 2015 iCAP, chapter 8, objective 1 is, "By the end of FY16, conduct a Request for Proposals process for verified carbon offsets — and undertake the first campus purchase of offsets." iSEE is developing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for purchasing carbon credits, aka carbon offsets.

iSEE is developing the technical specifications for a Request for Bids (RFB) for purchasing carbon credits, aka carbon offsets in FY17. These will be used both to replace the carbon credits sold from calendar year 2016, and as a starting inventory for the Virtual Storeroom.

During this process, iSEE will develop detailed specifications for carbon offsets to ensure that all purchased offsets are additional (in the sense that they enable reductions beyond business-as-usual), measurable, conservative (to ensure reductions are not overstated), permanent, independently verified, trackable, and transparent. The 2015 iCAP intended to have an RFP done by the end of FY16, and the current schedule will have the purchase completed by the end of FY17.

Background

Because campus sells carbon credits through the Carbon Credit Purchasing Program (C2P2) at Second Nature, we need to replace those boutique carbon credits with carbon offsets.  By the end of FY17, we will buy 103,000 carbon offsets (equivalent to 103,000 tons of greenhouse gasses not being released into the atmosphere) to replace those sold from calendar year 2016.

Additionally, in the same RFB, we will purchase 10,000 additional carbon offsets which will be used to set up a new virtual storeroom to allow campus units to voluntarily offset their carbon emissions, for example from air travel to scholarly meetings.

Dear Madhu,

Thank you for taking the time to speak with me and here is a follow up email to our zoom conversation. The committee on natural areas at UIUC oversees research on roughly a dozen university-owned properties that include about 1,000 acres of natural lands spanning east-central Illinois. The largest of these, the Vermilion River Observatory, located about 45 miles by road east of campus, was acquired by the Dept of ECE in the 1960s to construct a radio telescope. The ~495 acre property is now managed by the CNA for various environmental research projects and there are ~105 acres of agricultural land that are leased to a tenant farmer by ECE for cash revenue that at its peak generated ~20k/year but the value of the crop has been declining recently. Due to being in the drainage of the Vermilion river, the soils of the VRO are somewhat marginal in their production value and I think there is some chance the tenant farmer will decide to leave the lease. Or it may be possible given a suitable research project to take over the lease and use the lands for research.

The project I am interested in pursuing is a long-term, large-scale ecological and agricultural experiment evaluating trajectories of agricultural lands following agricultural abandonment. Considering the scale of the agricultural lands on the VRO, I think it could be possible to have large and well-replicated experimental treatments that include comparisons among passive revegetation, bioenergy production, and active reforestation. Potential study outcomes could include carbon sequestration/flow, biodiversity conservation, and economic and energy cost/benefit analyses comparing the costs of these different experimental treatments versus the returns on investment. By east-central Illinois standards, I think the productivity of the agricultural lands on the VRO could be considered marginal, but based on my read of the literature and our conversation, I get the impression that these marginal lands are more likely to experience agricultural abandonment in the coming years.

Assuming ECE would be open to a change in the management strategy for the agricultural lands on the VRO, which I would be happy to discuss with ECE and the OVCRI if we decide to proceed, the CNA could provide some logistical support for a large-scale research project on the VRO, including through the use of some of our farm equipment and out buildings on the property. We also have two full-time research/management staff whose time can be budgeted into proposals. And I am eager to undertake more long-term experiments on the CNA properties using former agricultural lands, since I see this as one of the most unique and important values of these properties that can be applied to a pressing environmental challenge.

This is something I would be excited to pursue through the support of iSEE and I would love it if it gave us a chance to collaborate, Madhu. Attached please find an aerial photo of the VRO and an older site description map. Please let me know if you think this could dovetail with other opportunities currently being pursued by iSEE and CABBI and let me know what I can do to help!

Best,

Brian

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This is the land that Brian Allan had mentioned to me

Madhu

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Working on the inventory now, finding some strange things going on. Image below of recently installed machine in Vet Med.

Also, new fountains are being installed/replaced on campus. Probably should inform involved parties if we want all new fountains to be bottle fill capable.

Macie should have the info to you in the first week of August.

Thank you,

Pete

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I’m looking at the email below and wondering if the Zero Waste iCAP Team would want to recommend that UIUC have a new facility standard for major reconstruction and new construction to include filler stations for new water fountains.

Morgan

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I think it’s a good idea to require the installation of the *bottle-filler* style hydration station. I don’t know the pros/cons of specifying a campus standard. Maybe this is something the team can evaluate.

Daphne, feel free to suggest edits for the ZW priorities.

Morgan, let’s discuss the other items on this list when we meet today.

Thanks!

Jen

Hi all –

I hope everyone is doing well!  

I’m reaching out with an opportunity (not related to waste reduction 😊).

The National Wildlife Federation, alongside our new partner, Garden for Wildlife Inc., have launched an initiative to support our partners (k-12 schools, colleges/universities, churches, etc.) in their efforts to expand quality native habitats for people, pollinators, and wildlife. Garden for Wildlife Inc., sells “direct-to-consumer” native plants to 38 states in the eastern and central United States (western states are coming soon!)

Your campus can now apply for free native plants for your native plant and habitat projects . These plants will come pre-selected, be native to your area, and include at least one species of milkweed, an essential plant for supporting pollinators and monarch butterflies. These plants are slightly smaller than quart size, with at least 3 inches of new growth. They will begin to bloom within a couple of months of planting, depending on the season. 

In order to request plants, you must meet the following requirements: 

• Plant in the approved space within 3 days of receipt (i.e. – a school, community green space, park, etc.). 
• Maintain the wildlife garden for at least 5 years and share and donate photos of the space or planting. 
• Display provided signage noting that the plants were donated by Garden for Wildlife by the National Wildlife Federation. 
• Cover the costs of plant delivery - $38 / 64 plants (i.e. – 192 plants = $114, 768 plants = $456, etc.) 

To apply, please visit: https://gardenforwildlife.com/pages/donations 

Please reach out with any questions. This is first come first serve, so if you are interested, please don’t hesitate to fill out the online form! 

Thanks, take care,

Kristy 

From: Sarah Carten <SCarten@heartlandcocacola.com>
Sent: Wednesday, July 19, 2023 9:15 AM
To: Hulse, Daphne Lauren <dlhulse2@illinois.edu>; Jake Slager <jakeslager@coca-cola.com>
Cc: Liz Doeschot <LDoeschot@heartlandcocacola.com>
Subject: RE: Rvat Containers

Hello Daphne.  We are going to schedule to delivery the containers on 8/11 between 8am – 2pm.  If something changes and you want sooner, just let me know.  Thank you.