September 2023 Happenings from the ASCP!

September Happenings at the ASCP!

We have volunteer opportunities and exciting events to share with you. Keep scrolling to learn about upcoming ASCP events and happenings on campus.

MEET OUR NEW COMPOST TEAM!

Left: Meet Levi Brower (he/him)!

Levi is a student at the University of Colorado at Denver, studying political science with a focus on urban issues. He believes that sustainable practices on campus are a starting point for better environmental practices across the entire city. In his free time, Levi likes to ride bikes, backpack, and track down cool insects to learn about. He thinks composting is really cool and is happy to be part of the compost operations team at the ASCP.

Learn more about Levi:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/levi-brower-74b026155/

Right: Meet Mya Blanks (she/her)!

Mya is an undergraduate student at the University of Colorado at Denver, obtaining a B.A. in Environmental Science and a B.A. in Communications. She is a Student Associate at the ASCP on the Compost Operations team. Mya has always been infatuated by the Earth and its functions, even as a child. She also enjoys sewing, doing pottery, and playing the trumpet.

Learn more about Mya:

www.linkedin.com/in/mya-blanks-ba244428a

This is a great question! Composting requires specific, ideal conditions for the proper breakdown of organic materials. To have successful composting, it is important to control for feedstock and nutrient balance, particle size, temperature, oxygen flow, and moisture.

Feedstock and nutrient balance refers to the balance of “green” and “brown” organic materials. Green organic materials input nitrogen, while brown organic materials will input carbon. These two are required to set the chemistry of composting. The size of the compost materials will impact the aeration of the pile. Particle size effects the uniformity of the mixture, which plays a crucial role in the insulation of the compost. This is important when controlling for temperature. Temperature is important to consider for the optimal activity of microorganisms. More activity will raise the temperature of the compost, destroying pathogens and weed seeds. Without proper activity, anaerobic rotting will occur. Compost is typically aerobic which requires oxygen flow. The oxygen will feed the microorganisms and avoid non-ideal anaerobic conditions. It also speeds up the rate of decomposition. Moisture provides water to microorganisms within the compost. Water will carry microorganisms throughout the materials and key nutrients to the microorganisms.

Source: Environmental Protection Agency

The ASCP Free Store is back! We have clothing, appliances, shelving, and household items for free! Stop by our office and shop through our collection:

When: Every Monday - Thursday, from 10am to 3pm

Where: Tivoli 346

See you there!

Are you ready to get your hands dirty with your next volunteering event? Then join us for our first waste audit of the semester! This is a monthly event where we measure the impacts of your student fees by measuring the amount of contaminants in our recycling, compost, and landfill bins. We will learn about problem items, discuss proper ways to sort waste on campus, and have fun!

When: Monday Sep 25th @ 12:30pm-1:30pm

Where: Meet at the ASCP office (Tivoli 346)

Things to bring: Comfy shoes, grungy clothes (it's gonna get messy!), gloves if you have them, otherwise gloves will be provided.

If you have any questions, please email Veronica at MinsterV@AHEC.edu

Do you cringe when watching someone toss their recyclables into a landfill bin? Are you diligent about sorting your waste into the proper compost/recycling/and landfill containers? If so, we’ve got the task for you! Come join us as a binside goalie for our Hard to Recycle program. Help us engage fellow students and educate them on how to properly dispose of their waste. Together, we can improve our diversion rate!

When: Thursday, Sep. 28th 2023 @ 2:30pm-3:30pm

Where: meet at the ASCP office (Tivoli 346) at 2:15pm.

We will walk to the goalie area together after a quick debrief If you have any questions, please email Veronica at MinsterV@ahec.edu

The ASCP Faculty/Staff Coalition has organized the Fall 2023 Environmental Justice Book Club. Meetings are every other Monday on Zoom from 6:30-7:45pm. The book this semester is Refusing Death: Immigrant Women and the Fight for Environmental Justice in LA by Nadia Kim. Anyone is welcome to join
us! Email Christina Foust at cfoust2@msudenver.edu with questions, and please complete this brief form to join us.

Come help clean up Cherry Creek with us on Thursday, September 21st! We are committed to keeping the campus and its surrounding areas clean and litter free and would love for you to join us in our efforts! We will meet at Cherry Creek at the underpass of Speer Blvd and Lawrence spend a few hours cleaning up a designated section. Waders, gloves, trash grabbers, and trash bags will all be provided. Please bring appropriate clothing, water, snacks, sunblock, and a smile.

When: Thursday September 21st, from 4pm to 6pm
Where: Meet at Cherry Creek at the underpass at Speer Blvd and Lawrence St

Things to bring: weather-appropriate clothes, mask, water bottle, snacks, sunscreen

This event may be canceled if the weather is not permitting.

If you have any questions, please email Piper Malczewski (piper.malczewski@ahec.edu)

Sign up for the September Creek Cleanup here.

The ASCP's Fall Sustainability Workshop Series begins this month!

Sustainability 101 Workshop:

How do sustainability efforts affect our campus? What can you do as a CU Denver student? Participants will be exposed to (1) each of the resources we work to conserve (energy, water, waste, and food), (2) learn why it matters, and (3) how future workshops in this leadership certificate program will build your knowledge on the social/economic reasons to engage in sustainability work personally and professionally in your current and future workplace.

Water: Planning for the Future Workshop:

Explores water conservation through the lens of the Auraria Sustainable Campus Program's water action planning efforts. Beginning with a high-level overview of global water concerns, students will take a close look at how the Auraria Campus uses water, how we can be better water stewards, and the steps we have prioritized to attempt a 10% reduction in water consumption by 2022.

Sustainability and Business Workshop:

This workshop will cover the financial return on investment for a variety of real-world sustainability example. This will demonstrate how decisions are made and why certain projects are pursued over others as well as how to communicate this to constituents. We’ll also go beyond just the fiscal bottom line and learn more about the human and environmental considerations when determining the best projects to pursue. Finally, we will also focus on how the ASCP addresses these issues via our 7 pillars and how that translates to projects on the Auraria Campus.

Food Waste

Approximately one third (or 1.3 billion tons) of the world food supply is lost or wasted—enough to feed 2 billion people each year. Students will look at the issue of food waste on a global, national, and local (campus) scale, applying both a social and environmental lens. We will discuss the factors contributing to food waste, the EPA’s food recovery hierarchy, and local organizations and efforts working to address the issue.

Come one, come all—events are in full swing! We're excited to announce upcoming volunteer activities, educational workshops and opportunities to connect with our greater campus community. Help the ASCP and our partner organizations support things like the campus' zero waste vision, transition to alternative transportation and student sustainability interests. Register for events by clicking the links below or contacting scp_contact@ahec.edu.

The Faculty Staff Coalition

Next meeting: Sept. 9 @ 9 am

Physical Location: Tivoli 346

Zoom: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/2820779484

The One World One Water Center

Submission deadline is September 30th.

ASCP Spooktacular

Oct. 30th @ 2pm to 5pm

Location: Tivoli 346

Are you interested in sustainability and want to get involved on campus? Come meet like minded individuals and make a difference through our student volunteer organization: EcoReps! Keep an eye out for out next orientation and informational meeting on the EcoReps page through our website. Sign up and get more information at this link to our EcoRep Program webpage or contact Lauren at Lauren.Hart@AHEC.edu.

Compost Is Back, Auraria!

Changes to the composting rules in Colorado forced us to temporarily stop our on-campus services, but we now have the ability to sort and haul compost internally. This is huge news for our waste diversion goals, greenhouse gas emissions reduction, and for our soils. Let’s all do our part and get food waste into the compost bin where our team will make sure it gets put to use! Compost receptacles will be located at the Tivoli, the Library, the Administration Building, and the Science Building. For any questions, please contact our Waste Diversion Specialist Rylee McCone at rylee.mccone@ahec.edu

Auraria Campus Sustainability Survey

Thank you for choosing to complete our bi-annual survey about environmental sustainability on the Auraria Campus! Your responses are greatly appreciated.

The purpose of this study is to gain information on how students at the Auraria Campus understand sustainability and what sustainability-related initiatives are most important to you. The information gathered by this survey will inform how sustainability efforts are implemented here at Auraria.

Click here to be directed to the survey.

Encuesta sobre sostenilidad del campus de Auraria 2023 aqui.

All current and past students, staff, and faculty from the Community College of Denver, Metropolitan State University of Denver, and the University of Colorado Denver are invited to participate. E-mails are only collected to prevent duplicate submissions.

Again, thank you for your participation. If you have any questions, please reach out at scp_contact@AHEC.edu.

Join us in our fight against hunger and food waste on campus by using the Share Meals app! Sign up to see which events around campus have food that will be available to community members. You can find free food nearby through Share Meals; see how much is available and how long it’s up for grabs. The app also has a list of centers across campus where students can find free food, personal care items, and other helpful resources. Sign up today by downloading the app on your phone or by using the web version! Click here or the image above to be navigated to our webpage for more information and to get started.