Every semester, we are excited to offer some internship opportunities to UW-Whitewater undergraduates seeking experience in project management, campus engagement, and best practices research across a wide range of focus areas related to campus sustainability. Our internships are designed to run semester to semester, although many of our interns are able to maintain their paid internship positions throughout the course of the academic year. Every fall, our entire slate of active positions are opened for us to consider new applicants.

This year the COVID-19 pandemic will pose some challenges and limits to our ability to host events and campus activities, but all of our positions incorporate some remote work opportunities along with safe, socially distanced, and COVID-aware accommodations to help our students complete their internships successfully and in good health. Please take a look at the brief descriptions below and click the links to see the full job posting on Handshake to consider applying for one or more positions.

Digital Marketing

Digital Marketing The primary responsibility of this internship is to develop and coordinate exciting content for various digital platforms, including Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and this blog! Students will be expected to utilize engaging features to tell the story of environmental initiatives at UW-Whitewater by covering events to generate new and relevant content, and adhere to social media brand guidelines. Applicants should submit a portfolio of previous work. This internship is perfect for a Marketing major and will work with a UW-Whitewater alum with a BBA in Marketing, but various majors have been successful as long as they bring their creativity to the position.

Environmental Outreach

Environmental Outreach – This is a new internship position responsible for managing our citizen science program participation, which includes stream monitoring for the Water Action Volunteers program. There are other citizen science programs being considered for ongoing participation and engagement of the campus community and general public. The projects will also include developing trail signage to help transform the UW-Whitewater Nature Preserve into a more park-like environment for visitors to learn and explore. The position is great for an Environmental Science or related major interested in work as a nature educator or park interpretive guide.

Grounds Management

Grounds Management – This position has grown considerably in scope to encompass opportunities understanding how to better manage the ecosystems found on the UW-Whitewater campus. The primary focus will be developing a management plan for the UW-Whitewater Nature Preserve with coordination from faculty experts in the area. This intern is also involved in aspects of tree care related to our campus arboreta, specifically the Salisbury Idea and 50 Trees for 50 Years of Earth Day campaign. Interested students should either have a strong background or interest in identifying a wide variety of plant life and a responsible self-starter to manage restoration projects according to best practices.

Waste and Recycling

Waste and Recycling – As UW-Whitewater starts a new waste hauling contract with Advanced Disposal and finishes the roll-out of the Waste Bin Reduction program, this position will focus on outreach and education resources related to communicating with campus users how best to recycle various materials. The intern is also typically involved in developing pilot composting programs and gets involved with hands-on work to implement new signage and bin placements. This internship is ideal for a student newer to sustainability as waste/recycling issues are often the best identifiable aspect of campus sustainability in operations.

Garden and Greenhouse Manager

Garden and Greenhouse Manager – This position carries a higher level of responsibility and expectation for independent work as you manage two of our remote locations on campus: Upham Greenhouse and the Campus Garden. Students will start by learning how to properly care for plants in the botanical collection of the greenhouse, propagate houseplants for fundraising sales, learning how to manage an aging facility with plenty of “quirks,” and maintaining a clean and orderly environment for greenhouse users. Spring semester is focused mainly on propagating plants for the spring plant sale and Campus Garden planting for the 2021 season. The position will include full-time hours in Summer 2021 and is not subject to Fall 2021 renewal. Students hired for this position must have a graduation date of December 2021 or later for consideration. Interviews will include participating in a two-hour volunteer session at the Campus Garden with the 2020 Garden and Greenhouse Manager.

Transportation

Transportation – Transportation programs at UW-Whitewater have grown in a wide variety of ways and our intern primarily focuses on methods that are most frequently used by students, including bicycling, walking, and other forms of non-motorized transport to and around campus. Besides promotional activities, the intern will use the Bicycle Friendly University assessment to guide future recommendations. The intern will also assist with promoting ridership in the carpooling service Zimride and the Warhawk Shuttle services. Students with an interest in urban planning might find some of the considerations for transportation planning a good fit for future careers.

Data Analytics

Data Analytics – This internship will focus primarily on improving the overall data collection methodology utilized by the Sustainability Office, including data management for the STARS sustainability assessment to be conducted in 2021. This intern will also utilize the Energy Star Portfolio Manager to curate utility data for the university and explore development of a data visualization platform (either Tableau or Microsoft Power BI). This specialized internship is ideal for a student studying Business Analytics or degree programs in the Computer Science Department.

Receive fresh produce from the Campus Garden throughout the growing season with the UW-Whitewater CSA program. Members will receive weekly shares of produce from the student managed garden which produces over 2,000 pounds of vegetables and fruit each year using practices in line with organic growing methods. This blog post includes information about the Campus Garden CSA, why to consider supporting, how it works, and how to join!

What is a CSA?

CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and allows consumers to purchase produce directly from the farmer. Individuals pay for a “member share” upfront, early in the year in exchange for freshly harvested goods throughout the growing season. There are numerous types of CSA’s that offer a variety of goods. For more information, visit https://www.csacoalition.org.

Why Join the UWW CSA?

Support the UW-Whitewater Campus Garden Program – The Campus Garden provides hands-on learning experiences for the students managing the garden as well as the volunteers that help maintain it. This space allows us to tangibly communicate the importance of locally sourced food while teaching gardening methods in line with organic production. Additionally, excess produce generated from the Campus Garden is provided to local food pantries to support individuals in the community.  Funds raised from the CSA program will help provide materials and labor needed to continue the Campus Garden program. 

Convenient and Fresh Produce That Follows the Season – All produce provided in the weekly shares is grown without the use of synthetic pesticides or fertilizers and harvested within the last 24 hours from the Campus Garden. Produce is stored in refrigerated conditions in the Warhawk Pantry and is easily accessible to nearby parking.  The vegetables you receive will vary week-to-week depending on what is in season and ready to harvest, offering CSA members with new experiences mixed with traditional favorites. Garden production will increase throughout the course of the season and peak in mid-August. 

Weekly Member Mailings – In addition to the produce, members will also receive updates from the gardening team as well as with delicious recipes and proper storage techniques.

How Does the UWW CSA Work?

Harvest – Starting late June or early July, UW-Whitewater Sustainability Office student employees and volunteers will harvest produce every Tuesday and deliver it to the Warhawk Panty. From there, the employees will distribute the produce equally between each of the member’s crates. All member shares will receive the same types of produce with approximately equal amounts. 

Pick up – Members will pick up their produce from the Warhawk Pantry each Wednesday between 3-5 PM. Members will place the items from the crate (labeled with their name) and place them in a tote bag, leaving the crate at the Warhawk Pantry.  Members will be provided with a large reusable tote bag the first week and asked to bring a bag with them each week for picking up their produce. This process will continue for the next 14 weeks (July 1 through mid-October) or until the first killing frost of fall. The final pickup date will be determined by staff and communicated via email based on growing conditions as the season winds down.

Join the UW-Whitewater CSA

1. Sign up for Membership. Click here to submit your member interest form. We are offering ten member shares for the first season of the UW-Whitewater CSA program. Memberships will be assigned in the order that inquiries are received and considered filled once payment is received. Please note, submitting a member interest form does not guarantee you will receive a CSA membership. Once all ten memberships have been offered we will begin a waitlist.
2. Check your Email. An email will be sent to the address listed on your sign up form. This email will state whether you are offered a membership or are on the waitlist along with the corresponding next steps. 
3. Make Payment. If offered a membership, you will need to pay the $300 in full by Monday, June 22. If your payment is not received by this time, your membership offer will be withdrawn and transferred to the next individual on the waitlist. More instructions on how to make a payment will be included in the membership offering email.
4. Pickup Starting 7/1. Keep an eye out for an email from sustainability@uww.edu with detailed instructions for picking up your weekly share each Wednesday from 3-5 PM at the Warhawk Pantry in Drumlin Dining Hall. Each week we’ll send you a reminder email with instructions for pickup and parking along with recipes and storage tips for the produce items received that week. 

Traveling can be fun, but also hectic when figuring out all of the logistics. It can be even more difficult if you are trying to plan sustainably. Here are some tips and tricks to help make vacation planning a little easier for the avid environmentalist.

Flying vs Driving

A plane produces a lot more carbon than a car does, even if you drive for a longer period of time. Try to pick vacation destinations that are within driving distance. Taking a road trip also allows for the opportunity to do more sightseeing along the way! If you chose to go on a road trip, bring friends along! Driving and road tripping are ecologically better if you travel with more than one person.

If you are going somewhere by yourself, try to opt for flying. If you decide to fly, try to book nonstop flights since the most carbon is released from a plane during take off and landing.

Travel to destinations that support sustainability.

Spring break is an economic boom for areas that are popular during travel seasons, like spring break. If you are trying to decide where you would like to travel, consider places where you would like to help the economy, because they put their money towards their environment.

Some sustainable destinations are:

• Costa Rica has been consistently working towards protection and restoration of their natural beauties and ecosystems. They focus on land preservation, which is why 60% of the island is covered in forest, and 30% of these forests are nature reserves. Costa Rica has also planned to become carbon neutral by 2021, which would make it the first country to become carbon neutral.
• The National Park Service has been actively working towards protecting and preserving the parks since Theodore Roosevelt started the National Park Service in 1905. The National Parks continue to strive towards conservation. Some examples of this would be Yellowstone National Park bringing back the wolves, Bird monitoring in Pinnacles National Park, and the reintroduction of wolves at Isle Royale National Park.
• Switzerland is well known as a leader in sustainability due to their impressive recycling rate including 94% of old glass is getting recycled, along with 81% of all PET containers. Along with this, legislation in Switzerland has been actively making sure that 30% of the land of Switzerland is trees. They have been doing this for 125 years now!

When you travel to destinations, you benefit the economy in these areas. Take time to think about where you want to benefit the economy and choose areas that promote for sustainability and conservation when possible.

Packing for Travel

Don’t forget to pack these essentials for traveling sustainably!

1. Reusable water bottles (especially great for tropical destinations).
2. Reusable bags are handy for shopping trips while on vacation.
3. Wooden utensil sets are a great alternative to plastic ware because they are biodegradable, reusable, and easy to throw into a purse, cooler, or backpack.
4. Reusable containers can come in handy for snacks or leftovers throughout your trip. Mason jars are a convenient option and a great alternative to plastic bags. 
5. A good pair of sunglasses and shoes to enjoy the outdoors as much as possible, wherever you go!

Have fun on your spring break trips, but also try to instill daily sustainable practices while on vacation, just as you would in your daily life.

 

Water Conservation on Campus

Wisconsin Energy Initiatives (WEI) is a statewide partnership between private companies and the state government with a focus geared toward conserving energy in various facilities, including universities. The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater’s sustainability efforts has incorporated several water saving techniques throughout the residence halls. This includes dual flush toilets and water saving faucets, shower heads, and washers.

Dual Flush Toilets

These dual flush toilets are also known as Sloan WES Dual Flush Valve and Zurn toilets. They allow for different directions of flushing, push the handle down for solid waste and pull the handle up for liquid waste. These different directions of flushing are useful in conserving water on our campus. Solid waste (or pushing down) uses 1.6 gallons of water per flush, while liquid waste (or pulling up) uses 1.1 gallons of water. We save 0.5 gallons of water every time we flush up for liquids. When compared to that of a regular flushing toilet, our dual flush toilets use about 25 percent less water which is a significant amount when considering the number of toilets and frequency they’re used. Dual flush toilets are located in Tutt, Knilans, and Starin halls, with Fischer and Wellers soon to follow as renovations on campus continue.

Faucets

All of the faucets in the residence halls are low flow and conserve water. In new construction areas and Starin Hall, faucets have flow rates of 0.5 gallons per minute in the bathrooms and 2.0 gallons per minute in the kitchen. The rest of the residence halls have water saving flow rates of 1.5 gallons per minute.

Shower Heads

All shower heads on campus ensure water is being conserved each day while students shower. The new construction areas on campus have shower heads with a flow rate of only 1.75 gallons per minute. While older shower heads on campus have a flow rate of 2.0 gallons per minute, which is well below the federal mandate of 2.5 gallons per minute or less.

Washers

In campus residence halls you will find Maytag White Commercial High-Efficiency Front-Load Washers, which are great at conserving water. These washers sense the amount of clothing inside and dispense only the required amount of water in order to complete the wash cycle. This saves at least 50 percent more water than traditional washers. The high efficiency of these washers, also allow for less detergent to be used by students while washing their clothes.

Overall,  UW-Whitewater has implemented several initiatives to ensure water is conserved throughout the residence halls. First, our dual flush toilets save 0.5 gallons of water every time we flush up for liquids, as well as using 25 percent less water overall than regular flushing toilets. The faucets found in residence halls ensure low flow rates of water, resulting in increased water conservation. Shower heads found in residence halls have flow rates well below the federal mandate of 2.5 gallons per minute. With flow rates of 1.75-2.0 gallons per minute, these are great for saving water. Lastly, our high efficiency washers found in residence halls save at least 50 percent more water than traditional washers, also allowing for less detergent per wash. All of these water savings really add up! With each of these initiatives, UW-Whitewater allows students to be sustainable while living in the residence halls.

 

 

Turn your favorite old shirt into your favorite new bag

Using your own shirt to make an easy-to-use reusable bag is a great way for you and your family and friends to practice reusing a common household item instead of creating waste.  Most shopping trips usually ends with more plastic bags given out with your purchase, which are typically used once and end up in a landfill or polluting our local environment. Reusable bags are an easy way to avoid adding more plastic waste, but are often somewhat cumbersome to carry around.

This fun craft will transform a favorite old shirt into a bag that you can take with you on every shopping trip.  Not only does this help reduce plastic waste from disposable bags, but it also helps reduce resource consumption and generated waste through textile manufacturing.

If you and your family are in need of shirts to transform, visit local thrift stores or donations center.  For those near Whitewater, visit either Goodwill or The Thrift Shoppe.

Follow these steps for your new bag

1.  Gather a marker, scissors, ruler, and your shirt.

2.  Start by measuring 3 inches from the bottom of your shirt and make a small mark. From this mark draw a light line across your shirt.

3.  Next along the bottom of your shirt mark every inch. This will be used to make incisions later.

4.  This step requires you to fold your shirt in half vertically and to cut out the neck and sleeve areas.

5.  Once you’ve removed the neck and sleeve areas unfold your shirt and make cuts from the bottom up to the line you drew earlier.  Each incision should line up with your previously marked points.

6.  Next tie together each strip of clothing sealing the bottom of the bag. Remove any unwanted or excess material.

7.  For extra fun turn your bag inside out and decorate the blank side.

Editorial By Taylor Stevens – Sustainability Assistant

When we think about all the environmental impacts that our consumption and waste habits have on the environment, there is a lot to be talked about. In the new wave of trends and discoveries, people have been experiencing the realization that our consumption of products: plastic, paper, natural, etc. all have an impact on the environment around us. Unfortunately, if we do not pay attention to crucial issues such as human consumption and single use plastics we can miss a lot of details in the makeup of the ecosystem we call our Earth. We need to be aware of the impact that our daily habits have on the environment. We also need to ask ourselves the question of: What will happen to the world around us if we don’t start becoming aware of the impacts that our daily habits have on the Earth around us?

As for single use plastics, the real question we should all be asking ourselves is why have we not talked about this sooner. For decades we have dumped single-use plastic trash into our oceans and shipped them overseas to countries that may not be as developed at the United States. In the process, we are destroying our natural ecosystems, poisoning waterways, and killing off the food that we eat and the animals we call our companions on this Earth. However, why has society recently focused on the use of plastic straws specifically and not the overall use of plastic? Plastic straws are apart of the single use plastic problem contributing to a lot of plastic waste, but what about single use plastic consumption as a whole issue? What happens when the plastic cutlery, plastic product bottles for beauty items and water, plastic food containers, and plastic wrap add to our use of plastic straws and the plastic catastrophe as a whole? Then, instead of the problem just being about one form of single use plastic, we have created a massive monster of single use plastic that is slowly killing our oceans and our Earth. We need to start asking ourselves what can we do about it and how can we change?

For the month of October is it Campus Sustainability Month. Sustainability is embracing the principles of conservation, preservation, justice, and environmental activism to create positive change in the world around you. As a campus, the University of Wisconsin Whitewater Sustainability Office will be having a pledge and petition. We, as a collective campus are fighting to reduce our use of single use plastics! For the week of October 1st, on the 2nd and 3rd (Tuesday and Wednesday) we will be having a banner pledge signing as well as giveaway sessions on the North Mall and in the UC 12:30-2 pm. The banner is a pledge to reduce your use of single use plastic in your personal life in any way possible! Small changes among a collective group of individuals can have a massive impact on the larger community. When you decide to sign the banner and pledge to reduce your use of single use plastics, you will be given a prize from the following variety: reusable tote bag, reusable water bottle, bamboo reusable cutlery, or a stainless steel straw. Please consider taking the pledge to reduce your use of single use plastics and lessen your personal daily impact on the world around you!

Interested in joining a student organization focused on sustainability? Consider joining SAGE (Students Allied for a Green Earth) Wednesdays 6-7:15 pm in UC 275 A! As a campus we can create a brighter sustainable future for both our community and our campus here at Whitewater. Ask yourself the steps you can take to help the environment around you in your daily life- it could be as simple as refusing to use a plastic non-reusable water bottle. You can make a difference! Go out and try to make a change!

More questions or comments? Contact sustainability@uww.edu

This summer, the Sustainability Office has been up to many of our favorite summer activities, including some great student leadership and outreach through our campus garden and a focus on strategic planning for the new school year. We also worked on the second submission to the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) Sustainability Tracking and Rating System (STARS). STARS is a transparent, self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance. STARS is intended to engage and recognize the full spectrum of colleges and universities – from community colleges to research universities – and encompasses long-term sustainability goals for already high-achieving institutions as well as entry points of recognition for institutions that are taking first steps toward sustainability. 912 institutions have registered to use the STARS Reporting Tool. Reported data is also utilized for participation in The Princeton Review’s Guide to Green Colleges and Sierra Magazine’s Cool Schools.

An institution’s score is based on the percentage of points it earns by pursuing relevant credits across four main categories: Academics (AC), Engagement (EN), Operations (OP), and Planning & Administration (PA). In addition, institutions may earn up to four Innovation & Leadership (IN) points for exemplary and path-breaking initiatives that are not covered by other STARS credits or that exceed the highest criterion of a standard credit.

UW-Whitewater submitted our initial report for Stars version 2.0 in April 2015 and received a Silver Rating with a score of 45.35%. In spring 2018, we began the process of data collection, analysis, and reporting for our second submission to STARS version 2.1 and generated our final STARS submission in August 2018. We anticipate we will maintain a Silver Rating, but improved our score from 45.35% to a current provisional score of 55.21%. The report will be available on the STARS website and the UW-Whitewater Sustainability website upon acceptance by Chancellor Kopper and AASHE.

We are very proud of the achievements we’ve been able to make to improve our performance. On the other hand, STARS is a great tool to identify areas of improvement and we hope to take some strides in the upcoming years to reach Gold status by the next time we are required to report to STARS in 2021. We think this achievement is well within our reach and look forward to pursuing this goal with our campus!

Academics

• 2018 estimated performance:  34.30/58.00; 59%
• 2015 STARS score:  21.73/58.00; 37%

Our performance for the integration of sustainability into curriculum and research credits significantly improved from our previous report. This includes new campus learning objectives that embrace “Personal and Civic Responsibility” and mention social issues and environmental concerns. The Environmental Science undergraduate and Environmental Safety and Health graduate programs ensure students at various levels an opportunity to focus their studies on environmental issues. Numerous faculty self-reported integration of sustainability topics into a variety of curriculum and research activities from a diverse range of academic departments. Integration of the campus as a living laboratory was accomplished through faculty collaboration efforts with the UW-Whitewater Sustainability Office serving as a conduit to operational sustainability best practices and related data. Beyond our campus, sustainability-themed immersive experiences offer students a look at sustainable development issues globally.

Engagement

• 2018 estimated performance:  24.57/41.00; 60%
• 2015 STARS score:  22.87/41.00; 56%

A continued strength area for the UW-Whitewater Sustainability Office, our most notable success has been to transition several engagement programs to more direct student oversight as we have added several student staff members since 2015. We have also added marketing-focused staff to enhance the robust variety of outreach methods we employ to educate the campus community through our co-curricular programming, including others that involve students directly in this activity (Eco-Reps and Creative Marketing Unlimited for digital media and event outreach). Student organizations, campus events, and outreach materials provide sustainability information and experiences throughout the year. We also participate in organized national sustainability campaigns such as RecycleMania to engage the campus community and partner with various other campus and community organizations to maximize our impact in this area.

Operations

• 2018 estimated performance:  31.93/72.00; 44%
• 2015 STARS score:  30.63/70.00; 44%

Most operational categories utilize quantitative data to measure performance and in some areas, such as Waste and Water, we had noticeable improvements. Other areas, such as Air & Climate and Energy, saw noticeable improvements since becoming a signatory of the American College and University President’s Climate Commitment in 2007, but progress has stalled since our last report. There is a baseline of established practices that apply to Buildings that account for consistent scoring in these areas, but room for policy improvement still exists. Food & Dining will likely see increased values in future ore revised assessments, but the data needed for STARS reporting was not available in the format requested for assessment. Other areas, such as Purchasing, are restricted somewhat by UW System or state policies, but data collection methods improved from our previous report. Grounds and Transportation have notable successes, but indicate plenty of room for future growth.

Planning and Administration

• 2018 estimated performance:  17.22/32.00; 54%
• 2015 STARS score:  21.12/32.00; 66%)

This area is more difficult to collect data as many of these programs are not coordinated by the Sustainability Office, but the efforts to maintain an inclusive campus are reflected well in the Diversity and Affordability section. Coordination, Planning & Governance also saw strong scores, which reflects the existing efforts to incorporate sustainability in various planning processes already and the strong history of shared governance representation in campus decision-making. There is room for improvement in Health, Well-Being, & Work, but some of these elements are beyond our control, such as compensation, and great strides have been made to improve the living wage on our campus. Investment is a category that we received no points and remains the particular sub-category we could make the most improvements.

Sample of Priorities for FY 2019-21

• Improve data collection of sustainability activity in academics through consistent faculty outreach and annual reporting of curriculum and research activities.
• Re-launch Savanna Project sustainability training workshop to encourage more faculty to infuse sustainability concepts into their existing or new curriculum.
• Develop survey instruments to assess sustainability literacy related to learning outcomes and sustainability culture on campus.
• Reinforce partnership with Housing through the support of the Eco-Reps peer to peer sustainability training program.
• Advocate for more campus sustainability leadership in the state and beyond and increase leadership and involvement with community sustainability efforts.
• Pursue more aggressive energy conservation and renewable energy investment to reduce energy costs and greenhouse gas impact.
• Encourage alternative transportation use and establish a bicycle/pedestrian culture to reduce single-occupancy vehicle use.
• Establish UW-Whitewater Nature Preserve as a protected area through formal policy.
• Increase green cleaning product usage and recycling percentage in paper purchasing.
• Develop data collection methodology with campus dining contractor and formalize reporting process on annual basis.
• Develop waste and recycling signage and bin consistency and pursue more aggressive outreach campaign to improve recycling rates to 50% diversion.
• Recommend development of mandatory cultural competence training and providing support for underrepresented staff members.
• Recommend sustainable investment best practices to University Advancement and Foundation staff for consideration.
• Write campus Sustainability Plan to inform future decisions and priorities with input from Sustainability Council and campus community.
• Implement annual reporting cycle for key components of STARS data to improve data accuracy, reliability, and responsiveness from relevant campus contacts.