Written by: Genesisgalilea Herrera, Campus Sustainability Fund Committee member, photos by Tawni Eakman, Office of Sustainability.
Welcome back to another Fall semester Wildcats! We are so excited to get things started here at the Office of Sustainability. With the start of this new semester comes a ton of awesome sustainable opportunities for students to get involved in!
Compost Cats
The Compost Cats are eager to get the semester started with their continued work on diverting food waste through the help of the campus and Tucson community. This semester, there will no longer be monthly service fees for the Compost Cat’s Bucket Program! If you are interested in joining Bucket Program and diverting your food waste, you are welcome to stop by at any of the bucket drop off times and talk with a fellow Compost Cat to get you started! Make sure to visit the Compost Cats website and fill out the Bucket Program Interest Form to start diverting your food waste today!
Although there are no more monthly charges, there will still be a one-time onboarding fee that you pay upon signing up. The fee depends on the size you choose for your compost bucket.
2 Gallon bucket: $20
5 Gallon bucket: $30
Personal Container: $20
If you are unsure what size bucket to get, one of the Compost Cats will be happy to help you!
Diverting waste is a wonderful opportunity to have an active part in sustainability on campus.
Campus Sustainability Fund
Another great opportunity to look forward to is the Campus Sustainability Fund’s (CSF) Annual and Mini grants. This semester, Mini grants are open from September 9 to October 6. Annual grants will open November 18 and close on January 26. These grant opportunities are a meaningful way for students, staff, or faculty to become involved in improving campus’ sustainability. By becoming a Project Manager for a sustainable project idea, you can gain experience in leadership, facilitation, organization, and communication. Not only is it a great addition to a resume, but Project Managers get to collaborate with various groups and communities on campus to learn a broader sustainability perspective. CSF projects are a resourceful way to bring an idea to life and have a chance to take an active role in improving sustainability. Check out the CSF Grant Application Information website to take the next steps of applying for a grant!
CSF Grant Updates
This Fall, the CSF committee has lots of upcoming project events and workshops that you can attend.
Rooted Remedios
The CSF’s newly funded project, Rooted Remedios, The Rooted Remedios project is a resource provided by the Guerrero Student Center (GSC) and the Women and Gender Resource Center (WGRC) by creating and sustaining botanica stations within the WGRC and GSC for everyone to access. The botanica stations will act as focal points for dispensing medicines, accompanied by relevant information and directions of use. As their project kicks off to a start, they are hosting a Botanica Open House on September 18 from 10:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Each center will be hosting a different event throughout the times. Check out their Instagram post for further information.
Camp Cooper
This year, CSF also awarded funding to Camp Cooper in the Environmental Learning Experiences for Undergraduates project. This project seeks to re-establish two student worker positions where they will have the opportunity to work closely with Cooper Center’s full-time educators to learn field trip programs and engage with children from Southern Arizona schools. Camp Cooper will be hosting their 60th anniversary event on November 16 from 3-7:00 p.m.
Sprouts House Rainwater Harvesting Living Laboratory
Sprouts House Rainwater Harvesting Living Laboratory will be a training center that will host a garden and sustainable living laboratory for the University of Arizona School Garden workshop course, Mansfeld Middle School, and will be a professional development training site for K-12 teachers. Through the funding from CSF, Sprouts House will install rainwater harvesting systems on top of the training center homes. In mid-October, they will be hosting a groundbreaking ceremony to celebrate the beginning of the construction of the Sprouts Houses. Keep an eye on our Instagram for updates and check out the School Garden workshop course to become further involved.
Students for Sustainability
Another great way to get involved as a student is to join the Students for Sustainability (SFS) club! SFS focuses on empowering students to pursue institutionalized sustainability within campus and the Tucson community. They provide various volunteer, leadership, and participation opportunities that help to advance each member’s understanding of sustainability. To join, you do not need to be an environmental science related major which provides an open environment for students of all majors to get involved in sustainable events. Check out the SFS Instagram and fill out their application form if you are interested in joining and meeting with them every Wednesday from 6-7 pm.
From composting to project management, there are ways for everyone to contribute to our campus’ sustainability legacy. Get involved today! Make sure to regularly check out our website and Instagram for more Sustainable updates! We look forward to making more advancements to campus’ sustainability this upcoming semester and seeing you be a part of it.