Hundreds take part in annual Sustainability Month festivities

Published November 7, 2018

This October brought more than just pumpkin spice lattes and fall colors of red, orange and yellow. Green was the theme of the month, with several eco-educational activities organized  for the campus community to enjoy and learn from.

 

Activities and events were hosted throughout the month by numerous sustainability organizations on campus. The Office of Sustainability, ASI Recycling Center, Beach Pride Events, Sustain U, Parking and Transportation Services, Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, the Earl Burns Miller Japanese Garden, and the Student Sustainability Coalition worked in collaboration to put on a variety of events in honor of Campus Sustainability Month.

 

Kicking off Sustainability Month was the Recycling Wars, a month long competition between student organizations to see who can collect the most recyclable items to be donated as the ASI Recycling Center on campus.. This year’s theme was Star Wars: The Landfill Strikes Back with participants competing to be crowned “recycling champion of the galaxy.”

 

The first event of the month brought a distinguished speaker to campus to universities can be on the forefront of the sustainability movement and green jobs economy. . The  October 2 event, titled “The Future of Higher Education’s Role of Saving the Planet,” featured CEO of Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator and former City of LA Chief Sustainability Officer, Matt Petersen, who discussed his own career path as a CSU alum as well as the role higher education institutes can play in preparing students to be a part of creating a healthier, more sustainable future.

 

Image
saving planet

Since the university is primarily a commuter campus, and vehicle emissions are the  biggest part of the campus’ carbon footprint, Parking and Transportation Services held the Green Rides Expo on October 9, to inform the campus community about  how transportation impacts climate and environmental health. Participants were also provided information on ways they can make their commute more sustainable. Some suggestions include riding a bike to campus, taking the bus, or carpooling.

Image
green rides

Another way to be more eco-friendly is to grow plants. On October 16, Sustain U hosted Indoor Herbs 101, an event featuring   workshops on growing and caring for edible herbs, as well as the environmental health benefits of indoor plants.

Image
indoor herbs

The Office of Sustainability and Beach Pride Events held the Green Games event on October 23. Participants took part in interactive activities and obstacle courses, and though the games were meant to be fun, they also taught students about sustainability issues and solutions related to water, waste, climate change, and ocean pollution.

 

Image
green games

Toward the end of the month, students, staff, faculty and community members came together to take part in Climathon on October 26 and 27. Climathon is a 24-hour “hackathon” with the aim of bringing people with different interests and expertise together to come up with solutions to  climate change issues. This year’s Climathon theme was sustainable housing. The event is global, meaning it takes place in various cities around the world at the same time. Participants worked tirelessly to come up with solutions and were provided meals, energizing workshops, midnight and dawn yoga sessions, and a place to nap if they needed to recharge their energy.

 

After signing up for the Climathon, participants were divided into groups. They had the option of either signing up with a specific group, or being assigned to a group upon arrival. Throughout the 24 hour event, a total of 94 people participated and teams ultimately produced a community web portal, a mobile application, and a proposal for creating a sustainable housing community using shipping containers.

 

Image
climathon

Wrapping up Sustainability Month was the Green Art Scene, an art exhibit hosted by Sustain U and held in the USU Art Gallery on October 30. The environmentally-themed art show featured the thought-provoking work of CSULB students, staff and faculty. The work on display were diverse forms of art, ranging from photography to poetry.

Image
green art scene

More than 240 campus community members took part in the Sustainability Month festivities, and although October is over that doesn’t mean the opportunities to get involved with campus sustainability efforts has come to close.  Sustainability Month provides an opportunity for the campus community to learn what they can do to protect the environment, but to make a difference, the campus community must put that knowledge to use all year-round.

 

Want more?

  • Join the Student Sustainability Coalition to help advance sustainability efforts by creating connections on and off campus.
  • Get involved with the  Presidential Commission on Sustainability. To find out more information, email Sustainability Coordinator Holli Fajack at holli.fajack@csulb.edu.
  • Join a sustainability organization/club on campus. There are several organizations available. Find one that suits your interests by clicking here.
  • Join our newsletter to stay up to date with upcoming sustainability events and news.

 

Sustainability Month Committee Sponsors & Partners:

 

 

       
Image
sustainability csulb
           
Image
recycle center
                   

          
Image
SSC
     
Image
Ride