Green Talk
Sustainability encourages collaboration and open communication. Building community with people from diverse backgrounds and perspectives supports us in learning from each other. Good communication and a sense of community, help us foster the relationships and conversations necessary to bring about change for sustainability.
We hope the Green Team Network will serve as a supportive community for sustainable change at the University of Florida. By actively participating in the meetings, trainings, and gatherings, you will have the opportunity to learn and share experiences with fellow Green Team members.
We also hope that you will consider exploring ways to create camaraderie in your own department or unit. This will help you work collaboratively with your colleagues to find common ground for implementing sustainable practices in your area. By getting to know your fellow Gators, you will begin to find out the shared values that will help you create a new community of accountability.
A few suggestions:
Create a Coffee Clutch
A coffee clutch is simply an informal opportunity for people in your area to socialize, network, and learn from one another. With a supervisor’s permission, simply send out an email to invite fellow staff and/or faculty to join you at a given day and time each week or month for a cup of coffee, lunch, or some other activity.
Start a Book Club
You can choose from the list provided in the Resources section, or pick a book or article you have always wanted to read related to sustainability. Invite your fellow staff and/or faculty to join you in reading it, and getting together to discuss it. You may choose to have this be a one-time event, or this may become a regularly occurring opportunity -- reading and discussing one chapter or a different reading each time. Book clubs typically work best with a fairly small group. If you get a good response, consider breaking up into two or more groups to facilitate better discussion. As with all work-related opportunities, make sure to get your supervisor’s permission if you plan to organize a community building activity during work hours.
