Here's the latest in news, events, and announcements from WCU's Office of Sustainability!
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Transportation to Voting Sites Available with the Uptown Loop!
Need a ride to your polling location on November 8th? The Uptown Loop Campus Shuttle is available and FREE to assist you! Click on the flyer to enlarge and find your stop along the shuttle route. Remember, polls are open from 7am to 8pm on Tuesday! Looking to carpool instead? Use the the Share-A-Ride app, which will, after creating a free account using your wcupa.edu email address, allow you to search for a ride or post your own.
Water In Our Town
Do you know how clean your water is?
Join the Office of Sustainability and Chester County Environment Alliance for Water In Our Town, a panel discussion, at 7pm on November 15, 2022 in SECC Room 108. Panelists to include Dr. John Jackson of the Stroud Water Research Center, Byron Riggins of the Delaware Riverkeeper Network, WCU Professor Megan Fork, and WCU students Miranda Davies, Matt Fuchs, and Danielle Scudero. Refreshments and an art exhibit kick off at 6:30 pm, so come early and enjoy! Also featured at the event will be the first annual Philip Jamison Art and Nature Award, recognizing Beth Clark for the portrayal of the natural beauty of Chester County. Artwork will be on display in the hallway outside SECC 108.
In memory of Graham Hudgings (1970 - 2017)
Volunteers Needed for Park Clean-Up
Friends of Everhart Park, a local organization that has worked for the past 30 years to restore and enrich Everhart Park, is looking for volunteers for a fall clean-up event on November 19th from 9am - 12pm. Volunteers will work to remove trash and branches, as well as mulch to prepare the trees for the winter season. Anyone who has their own gloves should bring them, however Friends of Everhart Park will have some extra pairs if needed. Those interested in volunteering and gaining some outside time, community engagement, team bonding, and environmental activism, can email the volunteer coordinator, Herb Schwabe, to be added to the volunteer list.
Everhart Park is just a short walking distance from campus, located at the corner of Miner Street and South Bradford Avenue in West Chester. You can also take the Uptown Loop to stop #14 at Barnard and Brandywine.
Take the WCU Sustainability Census Today!
WCU's Sustainability Census is here and your participation is needed! All students, faculty, staff, and administrators are invited to contribute. Respondents who complete the full survey will be entered into a lottery with the chance to win one of 150+ sustainability-minded gifts! Gift cards available for Gemelli's Gelato and The Couch Tomato in the WC Borough, and a 99% recycled material tote bag.
Thank you to all the students, faculty, and staff who participated in one or both of our Open House events in October. Your thoughtful review and comments on the University's draftClimate and Sustainability Action Plan (CSAP) update has been very helpful as the team of Sustainability Council members working on the plan consider next steps in finalizing the document.
Those Open House events weren’t your only opportunity to contribute, however. Review and comments on the CSAP Update are now moving online! From October 19 to November 7, 2022, you can read the draft document and submit comments via an online survey. For details, navigate to WCU’s Plan for Carbon Neutrality webpage on the Office of Sustainability’s website at wcupa.edu/sustainability.
Fall 2022 Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar
The Fall '22 Sustainability Research and Practice Seminar continues this week with a presentation from JT Singh, Peter Calvert, and Teresa Hudson, WCU Information Services & Technology, speaking on The Role of IT in Campus Sustainability Efforts.
Please join us at 12pm either on Zoom or in Sykes 255 A/B for the live presentation along with cookies and coffee.
WCU staff members, registration is still open for the next Brandywine Project Staff Sustainability Workshop being held this Wednesday, November 9th from 8 am to 12 pm in the Science and Engineering Center Ballroom 101-A! This is a great opportunity to take a half day to meet and network with colleagues, learn about theGreen Office Programand contribute to its success, collaborate on solutions, and invest in your professional growth (not to mention the delicious free food). ;-) We hope you'll join us!
Students for Zero Waste Conference 2022: Registration Open!
The Post-Landfill Action Network's Students for Zero Waste Conference is back, in a hybrid format for 2022!The Office of Sustainability is supporting students interested in participating by covering the cost of registration; just follow the link below to sign up and be sure to use code wcu22 so that you won't be charged. Tune in to their digital conference platform for live-streamed sessions, events, and student panels on November 9th and 10th. Additionally, they will be hosting a small in-person gathering with local campuses in Philadelphia from November 11-13.
For this week's Spotted in the GNA feature, a special message from WCU Professor and moonlighting ladybug, tonya thames-taylor, reminding you to get out and VOTE this Tuesday, November 8th!
The Gordon Natural Area is NOW HOME TO 2,003 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 ManagerDr. 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's Biotapage.
SC Curriculum Committee Meeting The Sustainability Council's Curriculum Committee will meet again this Friday, November 11th at 12pm via Zoom. Anyone wishing to get involved can email Chair, Cheryl Wankofor the link to join this week's meeting.
Sustainability Council Meeting The Sustainability Council meets this Friday, November 11th at 1:30pm in the Philips Memorial Building, Lower-Level Conference Room and on Zoom. Anyone interested in getting involved, whether faculty, staff, or student, is welcome to attend. Please come in person or email Chair, Aliza Richman for the Zoom link to join virtually.
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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