Happy Earth Week! How are you planning to show some love to Mother Earth this week? Here's the latest in news, events, and announcements from WCU's Office of Sustainability!
Earth Week at WCU
It's Earth Week Golden Rams, and that means lots of opportunities to get involved, educate yourself, and celebrate our planet. Below you'll find a detailed schedule of events. Feel free to click on the flyer above or any below and share widely!
Tuesday (TODAY) Earth Day at 50: Online Museum Exhibit Tour and Lecture, 7pm Register
Pop Up Thrift Shop Opens, 8am
University Hall Multipurpose Room Flyer
The Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar, 12pm Effects of Environmental Volunteerism on Well-being and Climate Change Efficacy with Professor Lauri Hyers, Psychology Zoom and Sykes 255 A/B Flyer
Spring 2022 Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar
The Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar Series continues this Wednesday, April 20th from 12pm to 12:50pm with a presentation by Professor Lauri Hyers, Psychology, with Shannon Hoffman, Hannah Brown, Alyssa Caporelli, Lindsay Corkery, and Kathernine Nuzhny speaking on Effects of Environmental Volunteerism on Well-being and Climate Change Efficacy. Join us Wednesday at noon on Zoom or in person in Sykes 255A/B.
One recipe contest down, one to go! Last week we announced the winners from the Plant-Based Recipe Contest. This week the Affordable Plant-Based Recipe Contest opens for submissions! For this round, entries must include accessible, affordable, plant-based ingredients and be simple enough to prepare in a campus residence hall. Fueling any ideas? The deadline to enter is April 22nd so pull together your best and submit your recipe through the link below! The top three entrants will receive $50 gift certificates to the WCU bookstore and all eligible entries will be featured in a free digital cookbook available for download to all WCU campus community members. Good luck and bon appetit!
The Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville will be screening the documentary Invisible Hand on Sunday, April 24th at 7pm. Find more information through the link below!
To celebrate Arbor Day, the Sustainability Council's Campus Tree Committee will be hosting a dedication of the new tree nursery on South Campus at 9am on Friday, April 29th, and you're invited! Committee members will take this time to plant the very first tree in the nursery. You'll find the location for the nursery starred on the map below. For those of you familiar with the South Campus Garden, the nursery is located next to it.
Photos by Miranda Davies and Kathryn Krueger
Spotted in the GNA
Love is in the air in the Gordon Natural Area! It may not feel like spring to us, but the Eastern American Toad (Anaxyrus americanus) has taken its cues from mother nature and begun breeding. In the photo on the left you see a female calling out for a partner and on the right the male fertilizing the eggs. Males will squeeze the females behind their front legs, triggering the laying of eggs which you can see above, in a single string. That string, or clutch, contains anywhere from 4,000 to 8,000 eggs. After 3-12 days the eggs will hatch. We're at the peak of their breeding season (late April) so if you want to catch the action, head down to the GNA soon!
The Gordon Natural Area is home to 1,872 known species, with the list growing longer every day. These are just a small sampling of the amazing organisms you can find while visiting the GNA. Find more information, directions, and visitor etiquette on theGordon Natural Area webpage.
Faculty members, if you're interested in incorporating a tour of the GNA into your courses, reach out to GNA Stewardship Manager Dr. Nur Ritter.
Remember, you can find a whole host of images and information about the hundreds of species found in the Gordon Natural Area by accessing the GNA'sBiotapage.
There are a number of exciting student employment opportunities opening up for the 2022-23 Academic Year both in the Office of Sustainability and the Center for Civic Engagement and Social Impact. Click on the links below to see position details and apply through Handshake.
CCESI RamCorps DIRECT positions in Environmental Justice, Health Equity, Food and Housing Security, and Education Equity (work study eligible only) https://app.joinhandshake.com/emp/jobs/5900982
We'd love to help you spread the word! If you would like to have an announcement included in the weekly Office of Sustainability Bulletin, please send the details to sustainability@wcupa.eduby 8am Monday, the week it should go out.
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