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Find your place in environmentalism.
We are a community of students who explore, learn about, and act on contemporary environmental issues on campus and in the Austin area.
Whether you’re looking to take action or learn more about environmental issues, we have countless opportunities to get involved.
Check out one of our five Project Teams! These are student-led initiatives aimed at operating a novel project, program, or service that advances environmental stewardship on the UT-Austin campus. Our teams include Microfarm, Trash to Treasure, Green Greeks, Green Events, and the Environmental Justice Collective. Learn more about our project teams here.
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Happy Earth Month!
In this issue, you'll find:
- Recap
- Microfarm celebrated its 10th birthday!
- Volunteering with Travis Audubon Society
- EJC x Blackshear Neighborhood Garden Day
- Green Events at Holi
- Upcoming Events
- 4/15 - Microfarm x Central Texas Mycological Society workshop
- 4/19 - Superfund Revitalization Campfire
- 4/21 - Earth Day Fair
- 4/22 - Decorate Reusable Totes with T2T
- 4/23 - Volunteer with Austin Creative Reuse
- 4/23 - Volunteer for Barton Creek Time Stream
- 4/29 - Trash to Treasure Sale
- CEC Community
- Learn about the History of Earth Day
- Opportunities in Sustainability
- New UT Climate Leader Program
- Zero Waste Hero Certification Program Launch
- CEC Student Spotlight
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Microfarm Celebrated its 10th Birthday!
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On March 26, the Microfarm celebrated its birthday through a fun picnic party at the farm! Thank you to Trash to Treasure for providing the tote bag workshop, Green Events for keeping it sustainable, and the UT Farmstand for the delicious hibiscus tea!
This year marks 10 years since Architecture student Daniella Lewis established the farm at a one-fifth acre site on Leona St. with funding from the Green Fund, formerly the Green Fee. It wasn't until 2018 that the Microfarm was moved from Leona to the new half acre site at the Whitaker Tennis Courts, which was a transition that required a lot of effort! If you're interested in reading more about how the Microfarm became what it is today, check out the story on the CEC website here.
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Volunteering with the Travis Audubon Society
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Check out the awesome pictures below from the CEC's hike and volunteer event with Travis Audubon Society on April 2! We learned about the migratory patterns of the golden-cheeked warbler and helped clean out and scatter dead dry-brush from hike trails as we heard the mating and territorial calls of the bird. We were also lucky enough to capture a glimpse of a warbler and migratory butterfly through binoculars!
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EJC x Blackshear Neighborhood Garden Day
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EJC volunteered with the Blackshear neighborhood community garden last Saturday on April 9th! After hearing about the history of the garden, volunteers got to work on weeding and cleaning up the pathways and the rain garden. We also got to play with their chickens and bunnies!
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On April 9, Green Events provided composting services for Holi, a Hindu festival hosted by HSA. It is the largest student event on campus! Thanks to all the volunteers that showed up - with your help, we diverted 98.82 lbs of compost from the landfill! Way to go, Green Events!
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Microfarm x Central Texas Mycological Society Workshop
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Microfarm is partnering with the Central Texas Mycological Society this Friday, April 15, to host a mushroom growing workshop! If you want to learn how to grow mushrooms, sign up here.
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Campfire #6: Superfund Revitalization Campfire
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Join us for our sixth and last Campfire of the semester this upcoming Tuesday, April 19 at 6 PM! The CEC will host Midori Campbell, a Superfund Section Project Manager for the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). She will run us through a case study of a Superfund site clean-up, and talk generally about the work of TCEQ. Click here to access the Zoom link!
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Join us for our Earth Day Tabling Fair, taking place April 21 1pm-4pm at the East Mall. Grab some fun treats, meet the many student organizations and staff making a positive impact on our campus, and maybe even snag a cute house plant from Landscape Services!
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Decorate Reusable Tote Bags with T2T
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Trash to Treasure is back with another tote bag decorating picnic, on Earth Day (April 22) from 3-5 PM on the South Lawn. Bring a picnic blanket, and an old tote bag or other item you'd like to redecorate! If you don't have an item, click here to reserve a tote bag (limited number of totes available).
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Volunteer with Austin Creative Reuse
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Join the CEC on April 23 from 1-4 PM as we volunteer with Austin Creative Reuse, a creative reuse center that sells gently used creative materials donated from individuals and businesses at an affordable price. We will be helping them sort donations while learning about their approach to conservation and reuse! Sign up here. Carpool will be provided!
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Volunteer for Barton Creek Time Stream
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Come Earth Day, we will be launching Barton Creek Time Stream, a new interactive website chronicling the 50+ year history of Austin's iconic Barton Creek Greenbelt.
We are seeking volunteers for our kick-off event, featuring
(1) a Barton Creek history-themed scavenger hunt for university students
(2) an open house of our Barton Creek Time Stream exhibit
(3) a live demo of the interactive version.
Where: Beverly S. Sheffield Education Center at Barton Springs
2201 William Barton Dr, Austin, TX 78746
When: April 23rd, 8am-12:30pm (rain date Sunday May 1)
Why: In celebration of Barton Creek for Earth Day 2022Volunteers will sign-in participants, manage stations, and generally help to run the event.
Volunteers will receive a
(1) "Be a Barton Creek Freak" t-shirt
(2) Money to purchase a Barton Springs pool pass
(3) Breakfast courtesy Taco Deli, and lunch.Scan the QR code to register.
Questions?? E-mail livingspringsaustin@gmail.com
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Mark your calendars for the last Trash to Treasure Sale going on April 29 from 9 AM-12 outside the SSB!
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Get excited, Earth Day is coming up in less than two weeks! In honor of this historic day, we would like to share the history behind its beginning from our last #SustainableSunday post. Earth Day has an interesting and inspiring story. Be on the look out for more information about local Earth Day events and ways you can celebrate our planet on our Instagram, @utcec!
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Opportunities in Sustainability
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HIRING - CEC External Relations Director
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The Campus Environmental Center is hiring a new External Relations Director.
Here is a brief description of the position:
The External Relations Director is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with on-and off-campus partners. They are the main point of contact for the CEC and represent the CEC to the broader UT community. They work alongside the Internal Relations Director to lead the CEC in a direction that grows the organization’s positive impact on UT and the surrounding Austin community. Together, they are the executive leaders and “face” of the CEC. You represent the CEC, the Office of Sustainability (OS), and UT in this role.
The External Relations Director works 10 hours a week. Wage is $13 an hour. To apply, submit a resume and cover letter explaining why you are interested in the role and the relevant skills/experiences you bring. Submit materials via Handshake or directly to Brianna.duran@austin.utexas.edu. Students who are Work Study eligible should also submit their Work Study Verification (WSV). Applications due April 17th!
Click here to see the Handshake description.
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HIRING - UT Resource Recovery
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Applications for Resource Recovery internships close THIS FRIDAY! If you're sticking around Austin this summer and want hands-on experience with zero waste on campus, check us out!
Positions are 10 hours/week at $13 an hour, and graduating seniors ARE eligible!
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UT Climate Leaders Program
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Office of Sustainability is very excited to launch the UT Climate Leaders Program this fall! The Climate Leaders Program will offer undergraduates hands-on, practical experience developing a carbon emissions reduction plan for an organization. Students will also earn a Carbon Footprinting Certificate from University of New Hampshire. This year-long, paid internship program is open to ALL majors and we encourage any student interested in a climate-related career to apply. Fall 2022 meetings will be on Mon/Wed from 2-4pm. Applications open this summer - students should sign up now to be notified and to receive more information.
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Now Live: UT's Zero Waste Hero Certification Program Launch
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Zero Waste Hero is a self-paced certification program on Canvas jointly managed by UT Resource Recovery and University Housing and Dining. The program’s goal is for students to learn more about what UT is doing to reduce waste on campus, as well as acquire and implement life-long skillsets to address zero waste.
Enroll in the new and improved course here.
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CEC Student Spotlight:
Co-Director Parker Lynas
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Parker is a junior Government and Sustainability Studies double major. He began working with the Campus Environmental Center through Trash to Treasure and pursuing everyday sustainability. He is excited to work with every project at the CEC and the whole of the UT community. Sustainability is a great passion of his that he pursues through his studies. After graduation he hopes to continue pursuing what he loves to do through environmental law. When not reading about or working on these projects Parker likes to cook, eat donuts, watch his RTF friend’s favorite movies, and tell everyone he has a pet pig!
Earlier this month, Parker volunteered to teach the Sustainability and Environmental studies merit badge to Boy Scouts of America, ages 11-17, as this year's Merit Badge University. Parker says, "I feel it is always important to reach out to the next generation of kids and remind them about all that we're working towards when protecting the environment and other people!"
Thanks, Parker, for all your hard work! Keep it up!
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Thank you for reading this month's newsletter! Stay tuned for more :)
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Follow us on social media to receive updates on the CEC, event reminders, and tips on sustainability!
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Questions? Email Communications Coordinator Kristina Priotto at communications@utenvironment.org
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