Weekly Email: Next Meeting Tuesday September 14th!

[Celeste McCoy]

Environs Weekly Email
Next Meeting: Tuesday September 14th, 2010 @5:30pm at the ECM

Recap of Last meeting

1. First Committee Meeting!

Announcements

1. KU Recycling Position
2. 2010 GPRM AAG Meeting: Submissions due September 10th, Registration by September 15th!
3. new! Volunteers needed for bicycle and pedestrian counts Sept. 15th and 18th

Events
1. new! Raingarden Maintenance on Friday (Tomorrow!) @ 3:30pm
2. new! Volunteer for Cans for the Community this Saturday
3. new! Banff Film Festival this weekend
4. new! Lawrence Energy Fair Volunteers needed Saturday
5. Grassland Heritage Foundation volunteering opportunity

***Recap of Last Meeting***

Last week was our very first committee meeting.  We had everyone choose a committee they felt most comfortable with and we talked about possible projects for the semester according to where there was most interest from general members.  If you've missed out, here's what each group talked about in detail:

Environmental Preservation:

(Sara and Lauren)
We plan to continue several past projects, including KU Field Station trail maintenance, composting for the ECM and helping out as needed with both the Potter Lake Project and Kelly Kindscher's medicinal plant garden. We will also continue advocating for the protection of the Wakarusa Wetlands from the proposed South Lawrence Trafficway. Finally, we hope to plan at least one fundraising event (concert, bike race or something else) and organize at least one environmentally-related documentary showing.

Resource Conservation:

(Celeste, Mitch, Nick)
Conservation hopes to offer bike clinics to students, staff and faculty on how to maintain their bikes and how to fix common issues. We'd also like to look into getting bike lanes on campus and add improve bikes lanes in the city of Lawrence. As of last semester, funding was attained to replace streetlights in front of the Kansas Memorial Union to LED lights. Also we'd like to look into system to monitor bus times and locations, GPS was an option brought up.  Conservation will be participating in Cans for the Community every home game and would like to work on reducing the amount of plastic bottles used on campus.

Creative Hands:

(Monica and Trevor)

Show your interest in environmental issues and Environs artistically! Projects will include a possible mural on campus along with marketing Environs events in a creative way.

Outreach and Education:

(Mahleea and Anna)

Last meeting we explained in more detail the projects that we plan on doing this year.  Projects for this semester include Wetland Learners, Alternative Weekend Break, and Meatless Mondays.  Long-term projects are Playing for the Planet (which is a fundraiser for solar panels in the ECM) and the first ever Green Career Fair.  Both of these are going to take a lot of work but they can have an incredible impact on campus.  We also brainstormed other activities that our group could organize.  There was discussion about doing a 'Lights Out Campaign" to remind people not to waste energy.  This is possibly something Environs has done in the past, it would be a great way to remind the student body to try to reduce energy consumption. Education outreach also talked about tabling and promoting Environs as well as spreading word of our events.

Local Food:

(Greg, Kim, Nolan)

Previous projects were discussed including the Food Inc (guest speaker, local business donations, ideas from the movie etc.), promoting Checkers and other grocery stores selling local food items, and various farms in the Kaw Valley Farm Tour.  We also discussed what our goals are for this semester.  There was a  lot of interest in doing another documentary screening for either Botany of Desire or Food and Water Watch and possibly using this event as a fund raiser for the committee.  We also discussed the Student Farm more in depth regarding what will be planted this fall and how students and faculty can acquire rows for planting.  And finally we are planning a trip out to the Student Farm either next week or the week after!

***Announcements***

1. KU Recycling Position

KU Recycling has two Recycling Technician positions open as of right now. Your application must be submitted by September 9th, 2010.

To View The Application:
1. Go to https://jobs.ku.edu/ and click on "SEARCH POSTINGS".
2. Under Department Name select "Environmental Stewardship".
3. Click "SEARCH", then click "View" on the search result.

       Apply for the position if it interests you by logging in, or creating an account if you do not have one already. Please read the job application carefully, specifically the times and days that are required. Rock Chalk Recycle! Good luck!

2. 2010 GPRM AAG Meeting: Submissions due September 10th, Registration by September 15th!

<http://web.ku.edu/~kugso/aag/>

The Great Plains Rocky Mountain Division of the Association of American Geographers will be held  at KU from the 8-9 of October, 2010. This is a great place to collaborate with other students and academic professionals about the wide variety of subjects that fall under the realm of geography.  Students in any discipline who have research may present, submissions are due September 10th. The event is, however, is open to everyone. Register at the above link by September 15th to reserve a spot to attend!

3. new! Volunteers needed for bicycle and pedestrian counts Sept. 15th and 18th

Volunteers are needed to manually count bicycles and pedestrians at several locations across the city this month. The Lawrence-Douglas County Metropolitan Planning Organization and the City of Lawrence will be conducting bicycle and pedestrian counts on Wednesday, Sept. 15th from 10a.m. to 12p.m., 5p.m. to 7p.m. and on Saturday, Sept. 18 from 12p.m. to 2 p.m. A rain date has been scheduled for Tuesday Sept. 16th. Those interested in volunteering for one or all of the scheduled count times are required to attend training session on either Monday, Sept. 13 from 6p.m. to 7 p.m. or Tuesday, Sept. 14 from 11a.m. to 12p.m.  Volunteers will be taught the National Bicycle and Pedestrian Documentation Project method created by Alta Planning a nd Design and the Institute of Transportation Engineers.

Data collected on bicycling and walking will assist city and regional leaders in estimating usage and demand for bicycle and pedestrian facilities.  The counts will also be used to track the region’s progress on increasing the use of non-motorized transportation, strengthen grant applications to leverage additional federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects, evaluate existing projects, and help determine the location of future investments.
 For more information or to volunteer, please contact Jessica Mortinger, transportation planner at (785) 832-3165 or jmort...@ci.lawrence.ks.us.

**Events**

1. new! Raingarden Maintenance on Friday (Tomorrow!) @ 3:30pm

We are hoping to get a last-minute group together to finish weeding at the Raingarden tomorrow, Friday, Sept. 10th from 3:30pm to 6:00pm.  Feel free to come and go as you need.  There is a chance for rain tomorrow but hopefully it won't be too bad.  It's much easier to weed with wet soil.

Please let Callie Statz (lil...@ku.edu) know if you can make it anytime during that time period.  There will be gloves and shovels for everyone.

2.  new! Volunteer For Cans for the Community this Saturday

Saturday, September 11th is another home football game!  Show your school spirit by volunteering with Environs members for Cans For the Community.  We'll be collecting aluminum cans from tailgaters around and at entrances to the stadium from 10am-3pm.  If you can volunteer at all during this time slot, we could use all the help we can get!  Some of us will be there all day, others just and hour.  Proceeds from the recycled aluminum will be donated to a local non profit.

Email Celeste <cmcc...@ku.edu> if you are interested.

3. new! Banff Film Festival this weekend

Doors open at 6:15 p.m. For a fourth consecutive year, a world renowned festival of films will find its way to the plains of Kansas. The Banff Mountain Film Festival, a collection of the best films involving mountain sports, will be shown on Friday, September 9 and Saturday, September 10 at Liberty Hall in Downtown Lawrence. The festival, hosted by Sunflower Outdoor & Bike Shop, will encompass 14 films spread over the two evenings and is a benefit event for the KU Rock Climbing Club and the Kansas City Climbing Club. Tickets are $7.50 for each night. Get your tickets soon, as they sell out quickly!

4. new! Lawrence Energy Fair Volunteers needed Saturday

The City is looking for volunteers for the Lawrence Energy Conservation Fair (http://www.lawrenceks.org/wrr/energyfair) on Saturday, September 11th.  Volunteers are needed for the following two tasks:

• Event Setup: About 10 volunteers are needed to set up tables and chairs, set up recycling bins and help exhibitors carry their displays inside the building.  This shift will start at 7:30 am at the Community Building located 115 W 11th Street and take approximately 1.5 hours.
• Event Breakdown: Another 10 volunteers are needed to help exhibitors carry their displays out to their vehicles and break down tables and chairs.  This shift will start at 4 PM and take about 1 hour.
  

Anyone interested in volunteering should contact Cassandra Ford at cf...@ci.lawrence.ks.us or call 832-3030.

 
5. Grassland Heritage Foundation volunteering opportunity Saturday

Come help GHF and our partners eradicate Purple Loosestrife in Lawrence (or at least get rid of some of it).

Saturday, Sept. 11, from 9:00 AM - 12:00 PM at the intersection of Atchison Ave. and Clinton Pkwy.

We'll be digging and disposing of the purple loosestrife that is growing in the drainage area on the southwest corner of the intersection.  Wear sturdy shoes and bring your shovels, pruning tools, and gloves.  We'll supply everything else.

There is parking available on Atchison Ave. although we strongly recommend that you carpool with others as the parking is in a residential area.  Also, please be sure to use the available sidewalks rather than walking on the neighbors' property.

Purple loosestrife has recently been sold as an ornamental plant, however, it has become a dangerous invasive which overtakes native

plants in wetland areas.  The Kansas Department of Ag. quarantined it in January, 2002.  GHF and others are working to help the city of Lawrence eliminate at least some of the plants that are growing on city property.

If you want to help out, RSVP to Kim Bellemere at grasslan...@gmail.com or call 840-8104.

Thanks everyone, see you on Tuesday!

-Environs

[Nick Benson]

Environs Weekly Email
Next Meeting: Wednesday February 16th, 2011 @ 5:30pm at the ECM


Recap of Last meeting

1. First Committee Meeting!

Announcements

1. [new] Chickadee Checkoff Donations Needed
2. [new] Kaw Valley Seeds Fair Volunteers Needed
3. [new] Take Charge Challenge Submit Your Upgrade To CFLs
   

Events

1. [new] Kaw Valley Seed Fair - Saturday, February 26th, 10am - 3pm

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Recap of Last Meeting

Last week was our very first committee meeting. We had everyone meet with coordinators from each committee to learn about past projects being continued and new projects being started. We then asked everyone to sign up for the committee that most interested them. If you've missed out do not worry it is never too late to join a committee! Here is what each group talked about in detail:

• Environmental Preservation (Sara, Lauren):
  
  
• We are building and continuing relationships with various environmental friends, both new and old i.e. the KU field station with trail maintenance, the ECM with compost upkeep, the Potter Lake Project with pond restoration and cleaning, as well as the Wetlands Preservation Organization. Last semester we held a fundraiser at the Jackpot in support of Haskell's eco-walk project.
  
  
• Resource Conservation (Celeste, Mitch, Nick):
  
  
• Our committee is continuing the project to bring LED street lights to Jayhawk Boulevard, funding has been acquired and we are in the final stages of planning. We are also planning a bike safety awareness week in the spring to promote safe bicycle riding through the Lawrence community and campus. Our campaign for this year is to promote the use of aluminum and discourage plastic on campus. Our first step is to bring a filtered water bottle filling station to the Union which counts the number of water bottles saved while using the machine (just like the ones that already exist in the rec center). We will also be partnering with KU Recycling in helping with student housing move-out to help collect food, clothes, and other reusable items to be given to charity or to raise money.
  
  
• Educational Creative Outreach [ECO] (Monica, Trevor, Mahleea):
  
  
• We are focused on spreading awareness to campus and the local community through projects and events. We are excited to participate in activities such as Wetland Learners, fun and engaging Earth Day adventures, and advertising for and actively engaging in the new student farm. In addition, we will spend time promoting and tabling in hopes of increasing awareness about Environs and environmental events around campus.
  
  
• Local Food (Kim, Nolan):
  
  
• The Local Foods committee has continued working this semester on various projects to educate and promote local foods. We are currently planning the screening of a documentary that will be shown later in the semester to increase awareness about the food industry in general. We also participate in many farm tours and recently attended the Kaw Valley Farm Tour to increase our knowledge of gardening techniques and healthier eating. And finally we are utilizing the University of Kansas Student Farm to learn from and grow our own produce!
  

Announcements

1. Chickadee Checkoff
• Scott Campbell at the Kansas Biological Survey is seeking donations for the Chickadee Checkoff. The Chickadee Checkoff is an opportunity to contribute to the research of threatened and endangered species, such as the Least Tern, who is on the Kansas and federal endangered species list. Please read the attached brochure, and check out the attached picture of the Least Tern. If anyone is interested in donating, they can contact Scott at swc...@ku.edu.
  
  
2. Kaw Valley Seed Fair
• Kirsten Bosnak is seeking volunteers for set up at the fair at (8:30am) and for tear down at (3pm - 4:30pm). In addition she needs help with children's activities, cleaning tables, and picking up trash, etc from (11am - 1pm). It should be a lot of fun! Read more about the Kaw Valley Seeds Project on their Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/kawvalleyseeds.
  
  
3. Take Charge Challenge
• Help Lawrence/KU compete in the Take Charge Challenge! Save energy, save money, and beat Manhattan/K-State!
  
  Lawrence and Manhattan are going head-to-head in the Take Charge Challenge this year, and the town that reduces its energy use the most will win an energy efficiency or renewable energy community project worth up to $100,000!
  
  As a student, YOU can help Lawrence/KU win:
  
  • Make and report your switch to compact fluorescent bulbs.
  • Enroll in Westar's energy efficiency programs like WattSaver to get a FREE, professionally installed programmable thermostat!
  • Attend a Take Charge! Challenge event or create an event by presenting the Take Charge Challenge Presentation to your student group or class.
    

                   To find out more about how you can help, visit: www.lawrenceks.org/takecharge

           For more info or questions contact:
           Margaret Tran, Take Charge Challenge Lawrence Coordinator
           takecharg...@gmail.com

Events

1. Kaw Valley Seed Fair
• The fair will include a seed exchange, exhibits, local producers, speakers throughout the day and a children's activity center. Food from the Lawrence restaurant Local Burger will be available for purchase throughout the day, and tables will be set up near the kitchen. Local Burger will donate 10 percent of its profits at the fair to the Kaw Valley Seeds Project. Thank you, Hilary Brown and Local Burger!
• When: Saturday, February 26th, 10am - 3pm
  
• Where:
  Douglas County Fairgrounds, Building 21
  2110 Harper Street
  Lawrence, KS

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Thanks everyone, see you on Wednesday!

-Environs