sustainability

sustainability

America Recycles

America Recycles

, , outreach
An initiative of Keep America Beautiful, we celebrate America Recycles Day on November 15, 2023.  Reducing and reusing materials are useful options to reduce waste, but not always possible. While many people care about recycling, it can be confusing about how to recycle properly. According to Keep America Beautiful, in the past year, Americans have recycled 1.8 million pounds of single-stream recycling, 157 thousand pounds of clothing/textiles, and 2.3 million pounds of mixed paper. Benefits of recycling include reducing landfill waste and greenhouse gases and helping to preserve natural resources. Tips for effective recycling: How to recycle    Items put in the recycling bin should be empty, clean, and dry. Don’t just throw materials into a recycling bin. It is … Continued
Alternatives to ‘No Mow May’

Alternatives to ‘No Mow May’

, outreach
Spring is in full swing, and many insects, animals, and plants are now active and roaming or growing in your yard. You may also have heard of the “No Mow May” movement from the news, social media, or eco focused organizations. Not mowing for a full month sounds like a nice idea, but it can also lead to a few problems (Damiano, 2023). Abstaining from mowing for only one month out of the mowing season can create confusion for insects and essential pollinators by providing food and shelter for a month, but then taking that shelter and food source away once mowing commences again in June. Insects may have short lifespans, but many have long memories and colony insects communicate … Continued
Earth Hour

Earth Hour

, , Contests, Library Resources
March 25th is Earth Hour, a global program sponsored by World Wildlife Fund for Nature to help the environment.  The challenge is simple – give one hour of your time for the planet.  You can spend the sixty minutes doing anything positive for the environment – pick up trash, plant a tree, or turn off all your lights and electric devices.  It is a good time to be thoughtful and intentional about ecological problems and their solutions.  Earth Hour offers a number of teaching and learning tools on their website, as well. This year, Assistant Professor of Management Jaynne Rivas’ Business and Society’s class will host a recycling competition, “Race to Recycle” with funding support from a community grant.  Teams … Continued
World Bee Day

World Bee Day

, , , Library Resources, Research
One of the most important aspects of getting food from the farm to the table is the necessity of bees to pollinate many of our crops. “Almost 90% of wild plants and 75% of leading crops depend on animal pollinations,” and bees are one of our most important pollinators (WWF-UK). In the US, bees pollinate approximately 130 different agricultural crops, including fruits, vegetables, and nuts, and add nearly 15 billion dollars in improved crop quality and yield. However, many bees are facing significant threats and extinction due to climate change, habitat loss, invasive plants, chemical pesticides, and disease and parasites. The U.S. honeybee population has declined by 60% since 1947 and the rusty patched bumblebee was the first bee to … Continued
Celebrating Spring with a Nature Inspired Scavenger Hunt

Celebrating Spring with a Nature Inspired Scavenger Hunt

, , , , outreach, Programs
In partnership with the Office of Sustainability, the Campus Library created a virtual scavenger hunt in support of Indiana Humanities’ One State/One Story: World of Wonders Community Read program. The Campus Library, along with 31 other non-profits around Indiana, was awarded funding and free copies of the book World of Wonders: In Praise of Fireflies, Whale Sharks, Other Astonishments by Aimee Nezhukumatathil.  World of Wonders is a beautiful collection of essays, some somber, some humorous, that reflects on our relationship with the natural world and how we can find inspiration and appreciation in our environment. In each chapter, Nezhukumatathil focuses on a particular animal or plant, whose properties and habits remind her of various aspects of her life. She reflects … Continued