The Department of Dining Services, the Office of Environmental Policy, and the Alumni Association sponsored a water bottle that was handed out for free to first year students.

Hydration Stations, also known as water bottle refill stations, are located in many campus buildings thanks to UConn Facility Operations. There are currently about 25 sites on campus, and the university is looking to install about 25 more within the next fiscal year. Many residence halls are retrofitted with these water bottle refill stations, making it easy for students to quickly fill up their reusable bottles on the go. There are also two stations in the Student Union, as well as one in the UConn Recreation Center. With fresh, cold water right at your fingertips, you are more likely to consume a larger amount of water, keeping yourself healthy and alert!

Hydration Stations also have a profound impact on the environment. They are equipped with a digital screen that reads exactly how many times it has been used, signifying how many plastic bottles it has replaced. The process to produce plastic bottles requires the use of finite resources such as water and oil, and gives off tons of greenhouse gases. For every liter of water sold, it takes two liters to produce. It is much more sustainable to reduce consumption, rather than recycle what you have bought.

In case you need more hydration motivation, tap water is under much stricter quality standards than those of bottled water. The UConn drinking water is frequently tested for 15 contaminants in addition to meeting the federal Environmental Protection Agency and CT Department of Public Health requirements. On the other hand, the bottled water restrictions from the Food and Drug Administration are much less stringent and are neither well enforced nor applied to every company. The decision to refill your water bottle every day at the UConn Hydration Stations can be made with true confidence!

Next time you are out and about around campus, keep an eye out for your free, clean, and convenient water. Thirsty for more? Encourage your friends to use these stations instead of spending money and resources on single-use plastic water bottles.

– Adrianna, OEP Sustainability Intern

This past April, the Office of Environmental Policy reported that 75% of our student body and 25.88% of our employees utilize sustainable commuting methods, including walking, bicycling, taking a bus, or carpooling. I believe that we can do better. If you drive to school or work every day in a single occupancy conventional motor vehicle (meaning that you do not carpool), there are strategies you can use to green your commute. The University of Connecticut offers a variety of programs to incentivize environmentally friendly transportation.

For students, the best way to get to class without driving is to live on campus or near enough that you can walk. For off-campus students, consider carpooling with your roommates or with other students who live nearby. If you do carpool, groups of 2 to 4 students can share a single parking permit, which results in major savings for the students involved. Also, each semester the carpooler’s parking pass comes with 2 complimentary day parking passes per student, on days when carpooling may not be convenient.

Even if you are planning to live off campus, the University will help you to find housing nearby through the Off-Campus Housing Service. Living closer to campus will reduce the commute and make options like bicycling to campus more feasible. More information about the Off-Campus Housing Service can be found at the following link: http://www.offcampushousing.uconn.edu/

For employees and students, take advantage of the University’s HR Carpool Tool, which helps connect drivers from similar areas looking to carpool. More information about this program can be found at the following links: http://worklife.uconn.edu/culture_community/commuter.html and http://park.uconn.edu/carpool.html

In addition, I would urge you to take advantage of our campus bike share program. The Adventure Center now has bicycles for rentals through UConn Outdoors, and you can rent them for the week or for an entire semester. They are completely free of charge and come with a bike helmet and a bike lock. If you live near enough to campus, you could bike to and from school instead of driving. UConn has more than 125 bike racks on campus for you to park and lock your bike. For more information, check out our October 13^th blog: https://uconnoep.wordpress.com/2015/10/13/uconn-bicycle-share-rolls-out/

Driving a clean vehicle, like a hybrid car or and electric car, is a great way to reduce your transportation carbon footprint. We currently have electric vehicle charging stations in North and South parking garages, which are free for the first five years after installation in order to incentivize electric vehicle use on campus.

The bus is among the most popular sustainable transportation methods around campus. There are buses that run to Depot Campus, between Willimantic and Storrs, and around the Storrs campus several times per day and completely free of charge (actually, you pay for it as part of your fees). There are several bus routes on campus, labeled by color, including Green, Yellow, Orange, Blue and Purple. The buses can take you to almost any corner of our expansive campus, including Storrs Center, Hilltop, and Horsebarn Hill.

I hope that these options have informed you of something you were not previously aware of, and that this information can help us on our quest to become a greener university. Do your part, and try one of the options listed above!

– Jessica, OEP Sustainability Intern

My name is Matt and I work at the Office of Environmental Policy as a sustainability intern. I was so excited when I heard about UConn Recreation’s new bicycle sharing program, UConn Cycle Share, that I decided to take one of their bikes for a spin!

Although a semester long rental is available, I opted to take advantage of their week long rental that runs from Thursday morning to Wednesday night the following week. Initially, I got off to a rocky start as I missed the 5pm Wednesday online reservation deadline that is handled through UConn’s RecRegistration website. Fortunately, a great feature of the program is that even if you fail to register in time, it’s still possible to rent a bike. In my case, I could see on the website that there were still bikes available, so I decided to stop by the UConn Adventure Center on Thursday afternoon to see if this was true. To my delight, there were still bikes available, and I soon found myself walking out of the Student Union with bike, lock, and helmet in hand, ready to tackle the UConn campus.

I experienced the benefits of a bike immediately. After picking up my bike, I had only half an hour before my next class, and I still hadn’t eaten lunch. Normally, there would be no way for me to walk to a dining hall, eat, and walk all the way to my class in such a short time frame. But with the bike, the situation was different. I had speed on my side. I quickly rode to McMahon dining hall, but painfully discovered that they were closed. I then hopped right back on my bike and headed to South dining hall. I was able to eat and pedal all the way across campus to one of the engineering buildings just in time for the start of my class.

Throughout the week, there were many other advantages of the bike. One day I had to go all the way to Liberty Bank, which is located on Route 195 past Storrs Center. I have had to do this before and it takes me a solid hour just to walk to and from the bank; however, with the bike, I reduced my round trip time to half an hour, and I wasn’t even riding quickly.

Riding a bike is also fun and reduces the stress of a typical college student’s busy day. In between my classes one morning, I decided to get some fresh air by riding to one of my favorite places on campus, the top of Horsebarn Hill. My bike was able to tackle the terrain with minimal effort, and I was able to enjoy the beautiful views of the fall colors. I even had time to tell my cow friend, Lia, about UConn Cycle Share!

Now, what about the bike itself? How did it perform? The bike’s functionality is superb, and it was clearly designed with the busy commuter in mind. The seat has several inches of cushioning, and is leaps and bounds more comfortable than my $1500 mountain bike’s seat. The handlebars offer additional comfort as they slope back towards the rider. This allows the rider to sit upright and prevents them from having to lean forward and hunch over. Additionally, on the rear wheel, this bike has something called an internal hub that allows for super smooth shifting. The final noteworthy feature is a chain guard that gives you great peace of mind. Trust me; a chain guard is essential, especially when you’re wearing pants. I was once riding my mountain bike on campus, and my pants got caught in the chain. The next thing I knew I was walking to class with my pants ripped all the way from the cuff to the middle of my thigh!

Ultimately, my experience was overwhelmingly positive. I thoroughly enjoyed my week with the bike, and I highly recommend this program to anyone. The process of reserving a bike is simple and straightforward, and the bikes perform very well. Furthermore, it’s a great green alternative to riding the bus and is much quicker than walking. If there is enough demand for bikes, this fantastic program may expand, so please share this with your friends and consider taking a bike out for yourself!

More information about UConn Cycle Share can be found here:
https://uconnoep.wordpress.com/2015/10/13/uconn-bicycle-share-rolls-out/

-Matt

It’s officially November, which means that EcoMadness 2015 has come to a close. For the fifth consecutive year, residents of Buckley, East, Northwest, Shippee, Towers, and West competed in a month long energy and water conservation competition to raise awareness of the simple actions we can all take to reduce our electricity and water usage. EcoCaptains volunteered in each residence hall to promote conservation tips and motivate the residents.

The outcome of their efforts was outstanding, as this year represented the greatest percent reductions in both water and energy that we have seen in 5 years. We have also witnessed a downward trend in per capita usage of water and energy over the years.

Congratulations to this year’s winners, who will be awarded Dairy Bar ice cream parties in the upcoming weeks!

Water Use Reduction: Shippee
Lowest Water Use Per Capita: Rogers (Northwest)
Energy Use Reduction: Whitney (East)
Lowest Energy Use Per Capita: Holcomb (East)

Thank you to all of the EcoCaptains and participants for your excellent efforts to conserve water and energy, and raise awareness of this important issue.

On Monday, October 19th, members of the Office of Environmental Policy and Environmental Compliance met with Dr. Gene E. Likens to discuss UConn’s water plan and ongoing campus sustainability initiatives. Dr. Likens, a Distinguished Professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, was named Special Advisor to the UConn President on Environmental Affairs in July 2012. In this position, he serves as an advisor to faculty, staff, and students on topics of environmental policy, with a focus on increasing awareness of, and involvement in, current environmental issues through research and education. Dr. Likens has directed much of his attention to researching the ecology and biochemistry of forest and aquatic ecosystems, as well as the effects of land-use practices, particularly in New Hampshire’s White Mountains. He was among the first scientists to discover acid rain in North America, and received the 2001 National Medal of Science, a testament to his work in the field of ecology. More information about Dr. Likens and his honors, publications, and vitae can be found at http://www.caryinstitute.org/science-program/our-scientists/dr-gene-e-likens

Fantastic news for all of the UConn “cycle-paths” out there (and for those trying to reduce their carbon footprints)!  Tomorrow (October 14^th) marks the start of a new bicycle sharing program for undergraduates and graduate students.  “Cycle Share,” created and administered by the UConn Recreation Facility, will allow members of the student body to rent bike packages (i.e. bike, bike lock, and helmet) for themselves at no-cost.

The program will offer students two convenient rental options for the fall semester:

• Long-Term Cycle Share Reservation: Ideal for those with a consistent thirst for exploration and a crazy schedule, this option is a semester-long rental that begins now and ends the Wednesday before Thanksgiving break. Students interested have until Friday, October 23^rd to register in person at the UConn Adventure Center, located in Student Union Room 228 across from the Information Desk.  Act fast, as rentals are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

• Thursday Cycle Share Reservation: Aren’t sure you’ll need a bike for the entire semester? Try out this week-long rental option. Pick-up your bike on Thursday morning and have it back the following Wednesday by 5pm.  Registration opens up the week prior to each rental period on UConn’s RecRegistration website.

For both sharing programs, bicycle pick-up and drop-off is conveniently located at the UConn Adventure Center in the Student Union.

Can’t wait to cycle?  Visit the RecRegistration website or head to the Adventure Center today!

Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride. ~John F. Kennedy

This past Monday, October 5th, marked the beginning of EcoMadness. For those of you who don’t know, EcoMadness is a month long competition amongst residence halls to promote water and energy conservation. This year, Buckley, East, Northwest, Shippee, Towers, and West will participate for the chance to win a Dairy Bar ice cream party.

Each building is equipped with a meter to measure the gallons of water and kilowatt-hours of energy consumed per student each day. Residence halls will be ranked based on percent reduction and overall per capita use. Students are encouraged to cut back on water and energy use through methods such as taking shorter shows, reporting leaks to “Stop the Drop,” turning off lights when no one is in the room, and unplugging appliances and electronics when not in use.

Those students who are especially motivated are encouraged to step up as EcoCaptains, who educate and encourage their fellow residents to conserve water and energy. If you are interested in becoming a leader, contact Ben Breslau at benjamin.breslau@uconn.edu. Activity ideas for promoting conservation among residents can be found on the OEP’s website.

EcoMadness continues until November 1st, when the final dorm standings will be calculated. Weekly progress updates will be sent out to let residents know how they are doing in terms of water and energy usage. Good luck to all of the participants!

“I would describe the experience as nothing short of eye opening.” – Sara Wegher, volunteer

Last Saturday, September 26th, the collective efforts of the Office of Environmental Policy and students from EcoHusky, EcoHouse, and the Honors Program generated yet another successful Green Game Day. As the UConn Huskies faced off against Navy, our volunteers strived to collect as many recyclables as possible, educated tailgaters about recycling, and discussed with them the various sustainability initiatives at UConn. As stated by one of our volunteers, Caroline Anastasia, “The people who allowed us to educate them were very grateful.” The outcome of the football game may not have been desirable; however, the 1,520 pounds of recyclables collected, and the wealth of knowledge spread, can certainly be considered a victory.

Pictured below are teams of volunteers collecting recyclables, and members of the OEP educating fans about sustainability and recycling. We would like to thank all of the volunteers for their hard work, as well as the students, alumni, and families for being so receptive and appreciative of our goals.

For more photos and updates from the OEP, check out our social media:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/uconnoep?fref=ts
Twitter: https://twitter.com/uconnoep
Instagram: https://instagram.com/uconnoep/
Blog: https://uconnoep.wordpress.com/

Can you name all of the environmental groups at UConn? There are a plethora of groups and organizations on campus that are either directly or indirectly related to the environment. These include, but are not limited to:

• Eagle Scout Association
• EcoHusky
• EcoHouse
• ECOalition
• EcoGarden Club
• Environmental Conservation Club
• Forestry and Wildlife Club
• Geology Club
• Green Building Club
• Honors Council (Environmental Committee)
• Real Slow Food
• Resource Economics Club
• Spring Valley Student Farm
• UConnPIRG
• Wildlife Society

EcoHusky works closely with the Office of Environmental Policy to organize events and projects to promote environmental sustainability on and off campus. Members of EcoHusky promoted recycling at Green Game Day this past Saturday, and will be teaching the public about composting at the Hartford Marathon on Saturday, October 10th. EcoHouse is UConn’s sustainable living and learning community located in Sprague Hall, comprised of students immersing themselves in a more sustainable environment. Spring Valley Farm allows a small group of students to gain first-hand experience working on a farm, and EcoGarden Club grows crops for UConn’s dining halls, an initiative supported by Real Slow Food, a group focused on the production and purchase of ethical, sustainable food. The Environmental Committee of UConn’s Honors Council is dedicated to raising environmental awareness not only to honors students, but to the entire campus, through a variety of events, such as their Alternative Recycling Initiative. ECOalition acts as a liaison between the various environmental groups and leaders on campus, encouraging collaboration and unity amongst them.

Surely, the list does not end here. The vast number of groups is indicative of not only the university’s commitment to the environment, but the students’ commitments as well. Each environmental organization on campus represents and promotes various ideals and goals, all of which are unique yet interrelated. To find out more about these organizations, you can search https://uconntact.uconn.edu/

For those of you who don’t know, UConn’s Hillside Environmental Education Park (HEEP) is actually a remediated landfill. In an effort to diminish the chemical pollution of the landfill, the university implemented Wetland Mitigation and Closure Plans, and later constructed the HEEP to be used for research, education, and recreational purposes. Continued monitoring of the wetlands is essential to protecting the vegetation and wildlife of the park. Today, Chris Mason, UConn’s wetland scientist and contractor of the HEEP project, led an invasive species removal effort in the park. Phragmites and Japanese Stiltgrass have been spreading and expanding throughout the HEEP, likely due to the dry weather and dispersal by deer and other animals, and are known to crowd out native species. The plan was to eliminate visible invasive through the application of herbicide, and to monitor the distribution and trends of these invasive species in order to protect the existing ecosystem.