March 2008 Newsletter
In this Issue:
- UF Considers an Integrated Bottom Line
- Greeks Lead the Way to Green
- Walk On the Wild Side
- Healthy Gators Get Active
- Vote For A Green Gator
- Lights Out America
- Announcements
- Showcasing Sustainability
- Sustainability Forum
UF Considers an Integrated Bottom Line
Annual Report features sustainability
In
addition to the audited financial statements for the university, this year's
report incorporates UF's progress toward becoming a more sustainable university.
As President J. Bernard Machen writes:
"This report presents, in monetary terms, the operating progress
of the University of Florida. But as we consider contributions to the bottom
line, it is important to also reflect upon the university’s contributions
to a considerably more compelling account ...the sustainability of our
environment and quality of life."
Greeks Lead the Way to Green
Greeks Going Green growing quickly across country
The months of February and March have been a busy time for Greeks Goings Green. The organization is now incorporated as a non-profit and has sights set on becoming a national network of environmentally conscious sororities and fraternities. With five new chapters nationally, universities all over the country are jumping on the “green-track.” 3G has recently chartered chapters at University of Missouri, Florida State, Kansas State, University of Nebraska, and University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; each university has already stepped up with enthusiasm and is doing its part.
At KSU, 3G has drawn national recognition after being recipient of a $500 grant, while at Florida State the group is now an official registered student organization. The University of Florida chapter of 3G has been making successful progress, including a partnership with Publix for a “Bring Your Own Bag” Program and the implementation of recycling pickups for the Panhellenic houses.
Greeks Going Green’s most recent success was in the “Campus Moments – Powered by Dodge” contest, where the campaign gained national recognition by placing 4th overall among more than 1000 groups nationwide. Through this competition 3G also won one of the grand prizes, $1000, to help jumpstart the national campaign. 3G intends on using the funds to purchase products that promote green behaviors, including canvas grocery totes and Nalgene bottles sporting the 3G brand. Bags and bottles will be distributed to all national chapters, including UF, and will be sold to raise funding for the specific green initiatives at each university, while supporting the 3G campaign.
3G’s upcoming event at UF will be an Earth Day concert in conjunction with the Reitz Union Board and Gatornights, and will commence the year’s green efforts for UF’s Greek community. With all these great initiatives in the works, and overwhelming support for the movement, you can look forward to more updates next month on both the national and local levels.
Contributed by: Catlin Foster, Delta Delta Delta
Walk On the Wild Side
Public invited to explore four new nature trails
On
Saturday, April 19, participants in the Earth
Day celebration at the Cultural Plaza, will be welcomed to
the recently opened self- guided nature trails in UF’s Natural
Area Teaching Laboratory (NATL). The
trails, which include a 500 ft boardwalk, were developed in
2007-08 on the southwest side of campus with a grant from the
student-generated Capital
Improvement Trust Fund. Informational kiosks and trail guides
are available at each trail. The trails are accessible to the
public from the Cultural
Plaza and from Natural Area Park. To access this park, take
Natural Area Drive off Hull Road on the UF
campus.
The public and university community are encouraged to explore the four distinct habitat types that the trails traverse. Three of the trails feature NATL’s upland ecosystems: Upland Pine, Old-Field Succession, and Hammock. The fourth trail features the Stormwater Ecological Enhancement Project (SEEP) and has an elevated boardwalk across this ecologically engineered stormwater retention pond. Each trail is approximately one-quarter of a mile and can be walked in 10-15 minutes — a good lunchtime break. There are picnic tables in Natural Area Park and all trails are easily accessible from the Cultural Plaza with its museums and Camellia Court Café.
A map of the trails and information about NATL: http://natl.ifas.ufl.edu/SGNTpage.htm.
Contributed by Tom Walker and Doug Levey, Natural Areas Advisory Committee
Healthy Gators Get Active
For healthy bodies and a healthy planet
Healthy
Gators 2010 has some great new programs to help you incorporate exercise
into your day. One great way, for those who are able, is to simply skip
the elevator and take the stairs. This burns calories and saves energy!
Also, the new program Walking Gators consists of short, organized walks that occur all over campus 3 times/week throughout the spring semester. Registration is not required. Participate as often as you wish.
http://www.healthygators.hhp.ufl.edu/
Walking
Gators Site
Vote For A Green Gator
National Geographic College Film and PSA Contest finalists announced
A UF student, Melissa Courtney, is a finalist in the National Geographic "Preserve
our Planet" College Film and PSA contest! Visit the National Geographic
website to view her artistic and soundless PSA.
Online
voting determines the winner. Between now and March 28th, you can
vote once per day, so go back every day if you want to support a fellow
Gator.
Lights Out America
Earth Hour-March 29, 8-9pm
Commit to turn off your lights for one hour on Saturday March 29th at
8pm regardless of time zone in the name of fighting global warming! The
video does a great job
of explaining the concept. There is some great footage of Syndey
going dark last year…and
for fun, try to count how many times you see the panda logo!
Announcements
News, events, and opportunities
- April 15: UF Sustainable Products Trade Show will take place in the Reitz Union Grand Ballroom, 10-2. For more information, contact melkarr@ufl.edu
- April 16: Green Your Office course offered through Human Resources. For more information, visit their website at http://www.hr.ufl.edu/training/schedule.asp or contact training@ufl.edu.
- April 19: UF Cultural Plaza Earth Day Celebration, 10am-4pm. For more information, visit their webpage at http:/ /culturalplaza.ufl.edu/earthday.html
- April 22: UF Earth Day Celebration on the Reitz Union North Lawn. For more information, contact Gators for a Sustainable Campus (GSC at sustainablegators@gmail.com)
Showcasing Sustainability
Best Practice Awards Nominations Open
Sustainable
Florida - Collins Center’s signature initiative is its
annual Best Practice Awards. Now in its 10th year, the Council
solicits nominations, recognizes and honors businesses, organizations
and individuals whose work demonstrates that a healthy environment
and a healthy economy are mutually supportive. Awards categories
include Small and Large Business, Leadership, Non-Profit, Government,
Business Partnership, and the Green Building Award. Visit
for a nomination packet.
Sustainability Forum
Send
us your questions about campus sustainability
Q: Recently, the UF Campus Directory hit our mailboxes, and the adjacent recycling bin was filled up with them by lunch time. Since the information in the directory is freely available on-line, isn’t continuing to print large quantities of phone books a waste of trees, energy, and time?
A: The Campus Directory is monitored closely. The quantity is based on specific orders received from each department, so someone in your department requested the number of directories your unit received. If directories are being thrown away, please request that the number ordered for your department be reduced for next year.
Over the past three years, the number of directories that the campus receives has been almost cut in half. Campus directories are provided free to the campus community through advertising revenues. Two goals of the staff who work with the directory contract are to reduce the size of the publication and to eliminate unwanted copies. UF also hopes to offer the 2008-09 Campus Directory on CD.
A Print-to-Electronic conversion initiative is also underway for other publications on campus and already almost 40 publications at UF have been converted to electronic distribution. There still have a long way to go, but we've made a good start.
If you would like to reduce the number of directories your
department receives, please have your department respond to
the electronic Directory Request Form that will be included
in the Campus Directory and Local Telephone Book Distribution
DDD Memo from OIT-Telecommunications in August 2008. For questions
or more information about directory distribution, contact Ray
Warner at rcwarner@ufl.edu or 392-1139.
