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Hiring EcoCaptain Interns! On and Off Campus

EcoCaptain Interns (EIs) serve as paid sustainability champions and ambassadors for the Office of Sustainability. In collaboration with ResLife, this programs allows for EcoCaptains to lead sustainability related programming and educational activities in their residence halls. Keep an eye out for communications from your Residence Hall’s EcoCaptain Intern for more ways to get involved and learn about UConn’s sustainability initiatives! Below are some of responsibilities of an EcoCaptain Intern (EI):

Must be a UConn student living in an on campus residential hall. NEW! For Fall 2024/Spring 2025 we are also hiring at: The Oaks, Celeron and Carriage House

Work 5 hours per week ($15.69/hr to start)
Attend monthly EI meetings
Provide weekly updates to OS Staff and Interns
Participate in EI training and group activities
Participate and encourage student participation in Office of Sustainability led events and programming such as EcoMadness, RecycleThon, Green Game Days, and Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP) trail events
Distribute Recycling Bags and Sustainability Activity books to residents
Lead sustainability education and engagement activities in residence halls beyond those initiated by the OS, examples include:
Weekly recycling audits and scoring
Monthly hall meetings about different topics related to sustainability
Environmental film screenings or movie nights, discussion forums, guest speakers
EI “office hours” where people can ask questions about sustainability or give suggestions
Educational flyers, social media, etc.
Weekly tips for living more sustainably
Volunteer clean-up events
Week-long or one-day events or activities, such as a “power-down” day or other fun competitions
Apply online via UConn JobX! Applications for the 2024-2025 academic year are reviewed on a rolling basis. Hiring decisions will begin August 1.

Contact sustainability@uconn.edu for more information.

Letter from the Director: World Vegan Day

Dear UConn Campus Community, 

Today, November 1st, is World Vegan Day, a day to recognize and celebrate the benefits of a vegan lifestyle. Word Vegan Day also helps raise awareness of the ethical and environmental implications of animal agriculture. 

For several years I worked with some of California’s largest dairies to advance energy and water conservation efforts. My time on these farms was enough to convince me to stop eating dairy products and drastically cut my meat intake. Many of the operations that I encountered housed 5,000-10,000 dairy cows. These large scale confined animal feeding operations (CAFO’s) are drastically different from the many small farms here in CT but they supply some of the biggest food distributors and restaurant chains in the world with an unsustainable and unethical product.  I urge you to shop local and think about the impacts of these CAFO’s before visiting your local chain for a burger. Here is why. 

Family farms vs industrial-scale dairy and meat production 

There is a significant difference between family farms and industrial-scale dairy and meat production. Family farms are typically smaller, more diversified, and more sustainable. They often raise animals on pasture and use fewer antibiotics and hormones. Industrial-scale dairy and meat production, on the other hand, is characterized by large-scale CAFOs, where animals are too-frequently raised in crowded and unsanitary conditions. CAFOs have a very large environmental impact, sucking up precious ground water (especially in the case of Central CA) and are a major source of air and water pollution. Additionally, these industrial facilities contribute to climate change and antibiotic resistance. 

Social impacts of industrial-scale dairy and meat production 

There are also significant social impacts of meat and dairy production. For instance, workers in the meat and dairy industry often face poor working conditions and low wages. They are at increased risk of exposure to hazardous chemicals and diseases. Communities near CAFOs often suffer from air and water pollution, and they may also experience decreased property values. Sadly, many farm workers are food insecure and live in food deserts. 

Environmental impacts of industrial-scale dairy and meat production 

Industrial-scale dairy and meat production is a major contributor to climate change, water pollution, and biodiversity loss. It is also a major consumer of land and resources. 

So….. What can we do? 

There are a number of things we can do to reduce the negative social and environmental impacts of dairy and meat production. One is to choose to buy meat and dairy products from family farms whenever possible. We can also reduce our overall consumption of meat and dairy products. And we can support policies that promote sustainable and ethical agriculture. 

I encourage you to learn more about the social and environmental impacts of dairy and meat production, and to make choices that support a more sustainable and ethical food system.  To start, you can check out: 

https://sustainablefood.uconn.edu/ 

https://portal.ct.gov/DOAG/Marketing/Marketing/Organic-Farms-Listing  

https://ctgrown.org/ 

Sincerely, 

Joe Fullerton 

Director of the Office of Sustainability  

University of Connecticut 

Letter from the Director: Indigenous Peoples’ Day

Dear UConn Campus Community, 

On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, I write to you to honor and celebrate the rich history, culture, and contributions of Indigenous peoples across our nation and around the world. I see Indigenous Peoples’ day is an opportunity for reflection, mindfulness and unity, to acknowledge and support Indigenous communities.

Before I go on, however, please take a moment to acknowledge the land on which our university stands. The University of Connecticut is located on the traditional lands of the Mohegan, Mashantucket Pequot, Eastern Pequot, Schaghticoke, Golden Hill Paugussett, Nipmuc, and Lenape peoples. Especially as an Office dedicated to cultivating a healthy relationship between humans and the environment, we honor and respect the enduring relationship that exists between these Indigenous nations and their ancestral lands.

In the spirit Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Office of Sustainability encourages all members of our community to learn about Indigenous history, culture, and contemporary issues. On campus, one of the best resources for this is the Native American Cultural Program: https://nacp.uconn.edu/.

In the coming months and years, we will engage deeply with the critical issue of environmental justice and will be sharing resources that provide opportunities for education, dialogue, and celebration of the many vibrant cultures and valuable perspectives of our community, including that of indigenous peoples.

I’d like to take a moment to encourage everyone to support Indigenous communities through acts of solidarity and allyship. One simple act is to understand the historical lands upon which you, your loved ones now stand: https://native-land.ca/

Also, I encourage participating in local events, supporting Indigenous-owned businesses, and advocating for Indigenous rights and environmental stewardship. A good place to start is here: https://career.uconn.edu/blog/2020/11/24/native-american-owned-small-businesses/

Indigenous Peoples’ Day reminds us to reflect and take action for an equitable, just and sustainable world. Let us use this day to honor the resilience and wisdom of Indigenous peoples while also acknowledging the challenges they continue to face.

Thank you for joining us in recognizing Indigenous Peoples’ Day, and for your ongoing support in our shared commitment to sustainability and inclusivity at the University of Connecticut.

Sincerely, 

Joe Fullerton 

Director of the Office of Sustainability  

University of Connecticut 

Letter from the Director: Suicide Prevention Month

Dear UConn Community, 

As many of you know, September is Suicide Prevention Month.  

Along with our colleagues throughout the UConn community, the Office of Sustainability is committed to raising awareness about the importance of mental health and suicide prevention. 

In 2020, suicide was the 12th leading cause of death in the United States, and it is the second leading cause of death for people ages 25-34. It is a serious issue that affects people of all ages, backgrounds, and experiences.  Each of us has a role to play in preventing suicide and having the following information handy could save a life: 

  • If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental health crisis, call or text988 immediately. 
  • If you are uncomfortable talking on the phone, you can chat the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline at 988lifeline.org.  
  • You can also text NAMI to 741-741 to be connected to a free, trained crisis counselor on the Crisis Text Line. 

 

Of course, many factors can contribute to suicide, including mental health conditions, substance abuse, and difficult life circumstances. That’s why, as part of our work to support mental health here at UConn (and beyond) we use trauma informed principles: 

CDC Trauma Informed Principles include safety, trustworthiness and transparency, peer support, collaboration and mutuality, empowerment, voice and choice and lastly cultural, historical and gender issues

Here at the OS, we aren’t clinicians, and we don’t offer therapeutic services, but we do see it as our responsibility to be informed about, and supportive of, our mental health service teams and capabilities.  

Here on campus, the best place to learn more about mental health services and get the care you need is through Student Health and Wellness: https://studenthealth.uconn.edu/  

In addition to reaching out for help, there are also things that we can do as a community to prevent suicide. We can: 

  • Talk about mental health openly and without judgment. 
  • Challenge the stigma around suicide. 
  • Be supportive of our friends, family, and colleagues. 
  • Create a culture of caring and compassion. 

Please join us as we work together to create a campus community where everyone feels safe and supported. 

Thank you for your time. 

Sincerely, 

Joe Fullerton 

Director of the Office of Sustainability  

University of Connecticut 

Faculty/Staff Interested in Attending COP28 in Dubai?

The steering committee for the UConn@COP Fellowship Program is pleased to extend a call for expressions of interest by UConn faculty and staff members who are interested in joining the UConn@COP28 contingent as it travels to Dubai, UAE from November 30th – December 7th, 2023 to attend the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP28) climate change conference.

Critically, participation in the formal Fellowship Program and travel with the group require all travel expenses, including flight and hotel fees be self-funded.  The UConn contingent will be staying at the Aloft Me’Aisam in Dubai.

Due to space limitations, only two faculty and staff members will be able to stay with the group as part of the official delegation. Nonetheless, anyone already planning to attend the conference is more than welcome to meet with the UConn delegation in Dubai.

Please note, conference passes are scarce and not guaranteed. Priority for passes will be given to students before faculty or staff members. We encourage applicants to seek alternative sources for obtaining an official UN conference badge.

Opportunities to contribute to the program include:

  • Leading topic-specific “breakfast club” conversations in the mornings at the conference with the UConn@COP fellows
  • Participating in group cultural immersion excursions
  • Leading or participating in pre-travel educational meetings
  • Participating in the COP@UConn Symposium (formerly called Climate Change Café) after returning to campus

To submit your expression of interest, please email the UConn@COP steering committee at sustainability@uconn.edu by July 24th.  Please be sure to address the following questions in your email:

  1. What contributions to the UConn@COP Fellowship Program might you offer the students?
  2. What will you gain professionally by joining the UConn delegation attending COP28?

Please feel free to email the UConn@COP Fellowship Program steering committee with any questions, at:  sustainability@uconn.edu

Letter from the Director: Stonewall Uprising

Dear UConn community,

As a proud ally of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, and Asexual community, I am writing today to mark the significance of the Stonewall Uprising and to highlight a few personal experiences that define the value and importance of human rights and equity.

Pride Month commemorates the Stonewall Uprising of June 28, 1969. Stonewall helped galvanize and catalyze a global movement for LGBTQIA+ rights and liberation. For my family and I, Pride is a celebration of personal freedom and expression and of the unique capacity and value that every human possesses. It is also a recognition that the work must continue and that it is our collective responsibility to stand up for justice and equity.

I am personally influenced by the many LGBTQIA+ people who are striving to make the world a more just and equitable place in their own way. I am particularly inspired by my sister-in-law, who as a chef has overcome bigotry, misogyny and the all-to-frequent toxic masculinity of the food service industry to become one of the world’s leading plant-based culinary experts. She has done all this with deep authenticity and commitment to her core values.  She shares her enthusiasm for food and its abilities to bring people together freely and is an especially magnetic personality to my 7-year-old son. I know he loves her for their shared cooking adventures but her influence on him to ‘always be yourself’ is obvious and critical. It does more than any father could enumerate in words. He knows, through her extraordinary example, how to embrace and celebrate differences.

It is these types of relationships – full of love, kindness and acceptance – that are to be gained when, as allies, we celebrate the accomplishments, contributions and uniquely valuable perspectives of people from all walks of life.  For my young son and his peers, I want our world to be a joyful, verdant and peaceful place.

That is exactly what my family and I experienced in my own small town’s first Pride parade earlier this month.  Hundreds of people come together to celebrate diversity and the genuine feeling of belonging was palpable. My son was so excited to take part in the parade and to be welcomed by so many different people and families. Through this experience he learned a lot about what it means to be proud of who you are…. and I know he was not the only young person who felt empowered and inspired.

Here at UConn, I am also inspired and energized by the many activities, organizations, and groups that strive for justice, equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging. The Vergnano Institute for Inclusion and the Rainbow Center are just a few that are committed to creating a campus where all people feel safe and welcome, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity.

Here at the Office of Sustainability we are committed to helping build and maintain a healthy, inclusive community as well; A community that is as talented and authentic as my sister, as joyous and inclusive as a small-town Pride parade and as influential and impactful as the Queer Science Conference.

Specifically, this Office is committed to supporting LGBTQIA+ people by:

  • Using inclusive language and pronouns.
  • Being an ally in the workplace and in the classroom.
  • Challenging discrimination and harassment.
  • Participating in LGBTQIA+ events and activities.
  • Supporting LGBTQIA+ organizations.

I know that by working together, we will create a more welcoming, vibrant and empowering environment for all! Happy Pride!

Sincerely,

Joe Fullerton

Director of the Office of Sustainability

joseph.fullerton@uconn.edu 

Now Hiring EcoCaptain Interns for Fall ’23!

Applications for EcoCaptain Interns for the Fall ’23/Spring ’24 semesters are now open.

EcoCaptain Interns serve as paid sustainability champions and ambassadors for the Office of Sustainability. In collaboration with ResLife, this program allows for EcoCaptains to lead sustainability related programming and educational activities in their Storrs residence halls. Below are some of responsibilities of an EcoCaptain:

  • Work 5 hours per week @ $15.00/hr
  • Collaborate with Hall Directors and Resident Assistants to lead sustainability related programming and educational activities in residence halls
  • Attend monthly EcoCaptain Intern meetings
  • Provide weekly updates to OS staff and intern leads
  • Participate in EcoCaptain Intern trainings and team building
  • Participate and encourage student participation in Office of Sustainability led events and programming such as EcoMadness, RecycleThon, Green Game Days, Earth Day Spring Fling, and Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP) trail maintenance events.
  • Distribute Recycling Bags and Sustainability Activity books to residents
  • Lead sustainability education and engagement activities in residence halls like the following:
    • Weekly recycling audits and scoring
    • Monthly hall meetings about different topics related to sustainability
    • Environmental film screenings or movie nights, discussion forums, guest speakers
    • EcoCaptain “office hours” where people can ask questions about sustainability or give suggestions
    • Educational flyers, social media, etc.
    • Weekly tips for living more sustainably
    • Volunteer clean-up events
    • Week-long or one-day events or activities, such as a “power-down” day or other fun competitions

Apply HERE.

Letter from the Director: Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Dear UConn community,

As we observe Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, the UConn Office of Sustainability would like to recognize and celebrate the important contributions of the AAPI community in advancing sustainability and environmental justice.

The AAPI community is a rich tapestry of cultures, languages, and traditions, many of which have a deep connection to the natural world and a respect for the environment. From the indigenous communities of the Pacific Islands to ancient practices of sustainable agriculture in China, AAPI cultures have long recognized the interdependence of human health and well-being with the health of our planet.

Currently, AAPI activists and leaders are at the forefront of the fight for environmental justice, advocating for policies that prioritize the health and safety of marginalized communities and working to build a more just and sustainable world for all. Examples of these efforts include the work of organizations like the Asian Pacific Environmental Network, which has been fighting for environmental justice in AAPI communities for over two decades, and the Youth Climate Strike movement, which was founded by AAPI youth activists and has played a key role in raising awareness about the urgent need for climate action.

At UConn, we are committed to supporting and uplifting the voices of all communities in our efforts to build a more sustainable and just future. As we reflect on the significant contributions of the Asian and Pacific Islander community during this heritage month, we recommit ourselves to advancing sustainability and environmental justice for all.

Sincerely,

Joe Fullerton

Director of the Office of Sustainability

joseph.fullerton@uconn.edu 

Apply to UConn@COP by May 7

You can be part of UConn’s flagship experiential learning program, UConn@COP! Attend the United Nations’ global climate negotiations – the Conference of the Parties (COP) in Dubai this November 30 – December 7. The event brings together diplomats, business executives, heads of government, university leaders, environmental activists, NGO’s and other delegates to discuss progress in dealing with climate change. Through this program, UConn students have participated on panels at international press conferences, networked with global NGO’s, environmentally-minded businesses & renewable energy companies, engaged in immersive art exhibitions, attended film screenings put on by the directors themselves, interacted with international delegates & core members of environmental justice movements, and connected with like-minded, passionate students at other colleges & universities in the U.S. and around the world.

The UConn@COP program funds nearly all travel and registration costs thanks to generous donors. Fellows are responsible for $250, but can request a waiver in the event of hardship.

If you have an interest in climate action, apply! Details on the program and application information can be found HERE.

Applications and references are due by May 7, 2023.

 

Earth Day Spring Fling 2023! 04.19.2023

edsf logo 2023

What: Earth Day Spring Fling is an annual celebration of sustainability co-sponsored by UConn's Office of Sustainability and the Department of Dining Services. Established in 2008, the festival features vendors of sustainable and hand-crafted goods, organic and local foods, environmental organizations, and student groups that come together to produce the greatest day of environmental awareness all year! Coinciding with the event is UConn's annual Arbor Day celebration and ceremonial "class tree" planting.

 

When: Wednesday, April 19th, 2023 from 11am to 2pm

The rain date is set for April 27th

 

Event Schedule:

edsf schedule 2023

Where: Fairfield Way!

The BBQ, vendors, bike tour, and art show will all be located along Fairfield Way. Outdoor yoga will take place on the Founders Green and the class tree planting will be between the Benton Museum and the Wilbur Cross building.

 

Who: There will be many unique, sustainability-minded vendors attending EDSF! The event is open to everyone – we encourage you to come out and celebrate the Earth with the OS and Dining Services! Some of the highlights include:

  • Local conservation non-profits
  • Local farms
  • Hydrogen technologies
  • UConn’s environmental clubs
  • Organic treat vendors
  • Seed planting station
  • And more!

 

Why: Our Earth does so much for us - Earth Day Spring Fling is our way of celebrating the beauty and wonders of our planet, while honoring our commitment to protect our environment. We're also celebrating the 20th anniversary of the Office of Sustainability!

 

Sign Up!

Environmental Art Show Submissions (due 4.12)

Yoga Waiver