Hey Cyclones!
The beginning of this semester has been very exciting for us as the new Live Green! Campus and Community Engagement Interns! As we work to plan the events that will take place this year, we have been greatly inspired by the excitement towards sustainability initiatives around campus and in the Ames community. We are so incredibly excited to share with you what has taken place this semester already, as well as what we have in store for the rest of the year!
We would like to first introduce ourselves as the new Campus and Community Engagement team for the 2022-2023 school year:
Left: My name is Haylie Moore, and I’m a first-year student double majoring in Global Resource Systems and Ag Business. I was most interested in Live Green! because I saw just how impactful the initiative was on nearly all aspects of Iowa State University. Being a member of the CCE team has given me a wonderful opportunity to spread awareness of sustainability and interact with so many people from the community. Seeing everyone come together toward a common goal is definitely the highlight of my internship so far, and I’m looking forward to strengthening this commitment to sustainability in the future!
Right: My name is Haley Wegener, and I am a junior studying Political Science and Environmental Studies. I joined the Live Green! team because I wanted to get more involved in sustainability on campus, and I saw how much it was making a difference in the community. Promoting sustainable practices is very important to me, so I wanted to join a team where I could do just that! Being on this team has encouraged me because I have learned how much of a difference just a few people can make. I can’t wait to plan more events throughout the rest of this year!
Every October, Iowa State University, along with other colleges and universities around the world, celebrate campus sustainability as a part of the greater Campus Sustainability Month (CSM), sponsored by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). CSM celebrates, promotes and educates students about sustainability both on their campuses and in their communities. Visit the AASHE website to learn more about this international campaign and AASHE’s many initiatives supporting sustainability.
This year, the Live Green! Team and Office of Sustainability hosted the 12th annual Campus Sustainability Month Celebration on October 25, 2022 on the South Library Lawn. Campus and community organizations united together to promote a sustainable future for ISU. More than 350 students and staff attended the Campus Sustainability Month Celebration and were able to talk with a diversity of social, economic and environmental organizations about their initiatives, upcoming events, volunteer opportunities and how they were making a contribution to building a sustainable future.
Attendees each had the opportunity to win sustainability-minded prizes by completing a bingo card, which could be filled out by interacting with organizations and by completing sustainable activities. Participants were especially excited about the opportunity to win infuser water bottles, compostable sponges, mini sewing kits and reusable snack bags. Warm apple cider and hot tea was catered by ISU Catering and available to those who brought a reusable mug. In addition, 88.5 KURE, Iowa State’s student-run radio station, was present to provide lively tunes for the event. The Campus Sustainability Month Celebration was further supported by a generous donation from Ames Crumbl Cookies, furthering both engagement and excitement about campus sustainability. Finally, ISU Recreation Services offered their time to provide free bike tune-ups to students.
Our event theme, “The Urgency is NOW” served to remind students, faculty and staff that now is the time to take sustainable actions to ensure a sustainable, just and healthy future for all. It was so exciting to see the many people who were interested in learning about the sustainability practices that are taking place across campus and the Ames community. It was also very impressive to see how many groups both on-campus and throughout the community were adopting sustainability goals and implementing sustainable projects and initiatives. We all had an opportunity to come together, learn from each other and make a difference.
The 2022 Campus Sustainability Month Celebration could not have been made possible without the many student organizations and businesses who dedicated their time to share their efforts with the Iowa State campus community. If you would like to learn more about these organizations, please visit their website at the following links:
- Ames Campus Lions Club
- Ames Repair Cafe
- City of Ames
- City of Ames Walk Bike Roll – Bicycle and Pedestrian Master Plan
- Climate Reality Campus Corps
- Culinary Science Club
- Engineers for a Sustainable World
- Environmental Science Club
- Hindu Yuva
- ISU Recycling Services
- Iowa Wildlife Center
- MFA Program in Creative Writing and Environment
- Story County Conservation
- Student Government Sustainability Committee
- Sustainable Agriculture Student Association
- The EcoTheatre Lab
- The Green Umbrella
Additionally, we would like to extend our appreciation to our wonderful planning committee, the many volunteers who assisted at the event, 88.5 KURE for providing music, Crumbl Cookies for their support through a generous cookie donation and the many campus and community partners who helped with logistics, materials and promotions:
Central Stores, Copyworks, Iowa State University College of Design, Iowa State University College of Engineering, Iowa State University College of Human Sciences, Iowa State University College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, Iowa State University Event Management Office, Iowa State University Facilities Planning and Management, Iowa State University Ivy College of Business, and Iowa State University Parking Division.
With our first event of the semester completed, we are already looking forward to Sustainapalooza February 21, 5-8 p.m., in the Memorial Union Great Hall. Save the Date! Campus and community sustainability-related organizations will have the opportunity to showcase their work and connect with students, faculty and staff in a multi-faceted way. As well as sustainability networking, participants will be able to take part in a variety of Green-It-Yourself centers, enjoy local ingredient/locally sourced refreshments and engage in a clothing swap. If you are interested in being on the Planning Committee or volunteering at the event, please reach out to us – Haylie Moore hxmoore@iastate.edu or Haley Wegener at hwegener@iastate.edu. We cannot wait to host this fabulous event!
Live Green! 