October 2023 Happenings from the ASCP!

October 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.

This is one of our favorite topics! According to our Greenhouse Gas Inventory, the Auraria Campus has reduced emissions by over 20% since 2008. This accounts for over 6,000 Metric Tons of CO2e. As of October 2022, the United Nations has determined that we are far behind in our reduction commitments globally. All of us need to do more. Our future depends on our actions today and we can be at the forefront of this fight. Our current Climate Action Plan is committed to reduce emissions in half by 2030 and achieve climate neutrality by 2050.

Some of the high impact action steps we've taken so far include:

- Improved energy efficiency in our existing buildings.

- Deriving more of our campus energy from renewable sources.

- Increased accessibility and infrastructure for alternative transportation.

- Improved diversion rate of campus waste through the expansion of bin infrastructure.

- Increased programming, education, and awareness for sustainability.

Read more about our Climate Action Plan!

Come celebrate the spooky season with us at the ASCP Spooktacular! Learn about sustainable holiday practices, waste sorting, and more while playing games and winning prizes. The Free Store will be open during this time to practice sustainable costume thrifting. We will also be showing some of our favorite spooky classics on a projector! Academic and professional costumes welcome.

When: Monday, October 30th @ 4pm - 6pm

Where: ASCP office (Tivoli 346)

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: Monday, October 23rd @ 12:00pm - 1:00pm

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

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

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: Thursday, October 26th @ 2:30pm - 3:30pm

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

Lighting the way to energy efficiency! Are you interested in helping the Auraria Campus reduce our energy usage and greenhouse gas emissions? Join us in the first opportunities for volunteers to assist in the Tivoli Lighting Upgrade! The lighting upgrade is a chance to get involved in energy efficiency initiatives on campus. By replacing the fluorescent bulbs in the Tivoli building with LEDs, we are reducing energy consumption, saving money, and getting much closer to reaching our greenhouse gas reduction goals! This is also an opportunity to earn 10 points as an EcoRep Student Volunteer.

When: Thursday, October 26th @ 2pm

Where: Meet at the ASCP office (Tivoli 346) 10 minutes before 2pm

PPE and safety training will be provided for you! Sign up to volunteer here

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

MSU and CCD students register for workshops here.

CU students can register to earn a Leadership in Sustainability Certificate here.

State of Waste

Explores the status of recycling and composting in the United States, Colorado, and on the Auraria Campus. Students will look at the costs and benefits of expanding these programs and clarify misconceptions. As part of this workshop, students will participate in creating a behavior change campaign to experience applying critical thinking skills concerning messaging, intended outcomes, etc.

GHG+CAP

Come learn about Auraria's greenhouse gas emissions footprint and how we're hoping to address campus emissions through our current climate action planning effort! The Auraria campus, like many universities and cities, conducts greenhouse gas inventories so that we can take action to address emissions sources (spoiler alert: building energy and transportation!). In this workshop you will learn about the process of GHG accounting, the results of Auraria's annual GHG inventory, the current landscape for state, local and university climate policy and how the ASCP's Climate Action Plan is being compiled...and how you can get involved with it!

Sustainability & Business

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.

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.

Fall 2023 Environmental Justice Book Club

Oct. 23rd and Nov. 6th @ 5:45pm to 7pm

Location: On Zoom! Please complete this brief form to join us.

Pumpkin Compost Collection

Oct. 30 thru Nov. 11 from 9:00am to 4pm

Location: Tivoli 346

Auraria Hunger and Homelessness Awareness Week

Nov. 13, 14, and 16th @ 10am to 2pm

Location: Nov. 13 and 14th in Tivoli 320; Nov. 16th in the Ballroom

Sustainability and Business Workshop

Nov. 2nd @ 3:30pm to 4:45pm

Location: Tivoli 346 and Zoom

Binside Buddies

Nov. 6th @ 12pm to 1pm

Location: Tivoli 346

Tivoli Lighting Upgrade

Nov. 3rd and 10th @ 2pm to 6pm

Location: Tivoli 346

Waste Audit

November 9th @ 2:30pm to 3:30pm

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.

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!

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.

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

Learn More Here!