UNL's Office of Sustainability presents:

The Sustainability Scoop

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UNL Encourages Community Members to Prioritize Health and Wellness

The Office of Sustainability focused on the theme of Health and Wellness Culture to finish out the 2023 Fall Semester. This theme is a part of UNL’s Environment, Sustainability, and Resilience Master Plan, and includes the aspirational goal to catalyze a culture of health, wellness, and sustainability that employs affordable, practical, effective, acceptable, safe, and equitable interventions to improve peoples' ability to live a life within the limitations of Earth’s resource and environmental systems. Keep reading to learn about the connection between health and wellness and sustainability and ways that UNL community members can prioritize wellness this holiday season.

HealthierU Incorporates the Environmental Dimension of Well-Being

Pie chart showing the ten dimensions of wellness, which are creative, cultural, financial, intellectual, spiritual, social, physical, emotional, environmental, career, and creative.

One key way UNL promotes wellness is through the HealthierU Employee Wellness Program. Currently in its second year, HealthierU offers a variety of services including the Certified HealthierU Department program. Focusing on 10 dimensions of well-being, this program recognizes UNL departments that actively promote resources and practices that help employees improve their health and wellness. Several of the easy and actionable HealthierU wellness activities are focused on the environmental well-being dimension, including activities like reducing waste and energy use, adding plants to office spaces, and engaging in sustainability learning opportunities.

Learn More About Certifying Your Department

Sustainability Bingo Highlights Health and Wellness

Sustainability Bingo promotes wellbeing activities: #10 Take a Sustainabili-Tree Walk: Go for a self-guided tour around campus. #16 Become a Healthier-You: Individually take the Well-Being Assessment or help your department become a Certified HealthierU Department

Multiple activities included in the Office of Sustainability’s Sustainability Bingo program focus on encouraging UNL community members to build healthy and sustainability habits.

Start Your Sustainability Bingo Card Today!

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You Can Make a Difference by Promoting Wellness and Sustainability

It’s easy to think of sustainability as a way to protect the environment and forget all the ways engaging in sustainability activities can help promote individual and community wellness. A balanced approach to sustainability focuses on all three dimensions of sustainability including environmental, social, and economic. Keep reading to learn how common environmental sustainability initiatives also include benefits for your physical, emotional, and financial well-being.

Trees sequester carbon dioxide and provide shade on hot days. Access to green space can also contribute to good health.
Walking and biking can improve your mental and physical health. Using mass transit can help reduce greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution.
Downsize your consumption or purchase second-hand items to save money and reduce waste.

You Can Make a Difference Through Food and Dining Choices

Many holiday celebrations often center around food. During this holiday season, the Office of Sustainability is highlighting ways that you can make a difference in your food and dining choices.

Dining Services prioritizes Nebraska-Based food producers through the Nebraska.Local. program. Reducing food miles (how far food travels to your plate) is a great way to consume food that is as fresh and nutritious as possible.
Use reusable dishware at your upcoming holiday celebrations instead of single-use dishes.
Use an OZZI reusable food container for your next to-go meal from Dining Services.

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Chancellor's Environment, Sustainability, and Resilience Commission Lunch and Learn

Join the Chancellor’s Environment, Sustainability, and Resilience Commission (CESRC) Lunch and Learn on Friday, December 1st, from 12:00 – 1:00 PM, to learn about handling burnout from UNL’s Assistant Director for Employee Wellness, Annalisa Davenport..

The Office of Sustainability often highlights easy ways you can contribute to sustainability in your everyday life, but it is important to also acknowledge the burnout that can come with the extra effort it takes to live sustainably in today’s fast-paced world.

The end of the year can be a stressful time, so the CESRC’s December Lunch and Learn will focus on providing UNL community members with strategies to identify and combat burnout.

View Event Details

Infusion of Sustainability into Curriculum

UNL’s Center for Transformative Teaching, in collaboration with Dave Gosselin, Director of UNL’s Environmental and Sustainability Studies Program, is offering a spring workshop series that will engage 20 instructors in infusing sustainability and resilience concepts into their courses.

Participants will use five monthly, two-hour workshops to create curricular materials that will incorporate sustainability and DEI competencies into a discipline-specific current course plan during the Academic Year 2024-2025. The spring 2024 Workshops will take place on January 19, February 16, March 15, April 19, and May 10.

Learn More & Register

Make a Difference by Supporting Student Wellness Resources

UNL helps to reduce food insecurity through the Husker Pantry

The Lavendar Closet provides gender-affirming clothing to UNL students

Food security is a crucial part of wellness. UNL provides support to students facing food insecurity through the Husker Pantry. The Husker Pantry has two locations--one on City campus and one on East Campus. This resource provides staple foods and essential toiletries to students who need them.

Another wellness resource is the Lavender Closet. Operated by UNL’s Gender and Sexuality Center, the Lavender Closet provides UNL students with free and discreet access to identity affirming clothing items and accessories. Any items not claimed within a certain timeframe are donated to LGBTQIA+ organizations to reduce landfill waste and support sustainability.

UNL community members can get involved by donating to the Husker Pantry or Lavender Closet, volunteering their time, or promoting these resources to UNL students.

In Case You Missed It: October CESRC Lunch and Learn

A recording of the October Lunch and Learn "Trend or Transformation: What’s up With Electric Vehicles?" is available to watch, along with recordings of past Lunch and Learn sessions.

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Food Sovereignty Program combines science, Indigenous cultural practices

The Indigenous Youth Food Sovereignty Program empowers Native American students from Lincoln Public Schools to grow healthy foods for themselves and their communities. The program incorporates visits from experts from UNL’s College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources and Indigenous Elders to provide multiple worldviews for participants.

Read the full Nebraska Today story

Social Media Recap

November 15th was America Recycles Day! While the average recycling rate in the United States is 32%, UNL diverts an average of 50% of waste produced on campus from the landfill. This is accomplished through a variety of recycling and reuse initiatives on campus, including phased implementation of UNL’s All in the Hall recycling program.

Test your recycling knowledge through this
Keep America Beautiful recycling quiz!

The average United States recycling rate is 32%. UNL diverts approximately 50% of waste generated on campus through reuse and recycling initiatives.

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Got a story for us? Contact us at:
sustainability@unl.edu

Our mailing address is:
UNL Office of Sustainability
059 ADMN
Lincoln, NE 68588

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