ORCA Sensors and Student Green Fee

The EvCC ORCA (Ocean Research Academy) program uses a variety of sensors and equipment to monitor ocean temperatures, salinity, dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll, and more. This important data is not only used in the ORCA program, but is also shared with other classes, the scientific community, and the general public. To view live data from the sensors visit this link: http://www.wqdatalive.com/public/609

Mount Baker Terminal Sensor data is represented in this graph.

ORCA recently purchased two new Seabird CTD 16 plus sensors that monitor dissolved oxygen, turbidity, and pH. ORCA was able to purchase these through the Student Green Fee. The Green Fee is an exciting opportunity for students to propose and fund sustainable ideas on campus through college funding. Students can submit proposals but keep in mind that proposals will stop being accepted after January 31st. More information can be found at this link: https://www.everettcc.edu/administration/college-services/facilities/sustainability/evcc-green-fee

A seal next to a sensor

Everett Wind Team

The Everett Wind Team is a combined effort from Washington State University Everett and Everett Community College that’s working on exciting new turbine designs and projects for an upcoming interdisciplinary wind energy competition. They need help from students pursuing a wide variety of majors. This is a great opportunity to learn, network, and add some community service to a resume.

AASHE Presentation by Spring Petta and Team

Everett Community College faculty members Spring Petta (linguistics and natural science), Jeff Fennell (environmental science and biology) and Laura Wild (nutritional science) presented at this year’s AASHE (The Association for the Advancement of Higher Learning) conference. AASHE is dedicated to advancing sustainability in higher education. This video contains their great presentation about social justice in learning outcomes. Spring Petta also introduces how our area is located in one of the most severely threatened indigenous language hotspots in the world (the Northwest Pacific Plateau) and how this impacts the community and cultural fabric of Washington State.

Earth Week 2018: Plant Sale, Recycled Art and More!

Once again, EvCC took Earth Day to a new level, with an entire week of events planned and carried out on campus to bring awareness to issues surrounding the environment, climate change, and resource consumption. After another successful celebration, lets take a look back to see what went down.

Monday, April 16: Electric Vehicles!

Tesla parked in grass. Photo by Matt Henry on Unsplash

Partnering with the Engineering Department, the annual EV display is held the first day of each Earth Week. This event is always a hit with students, as they get the chance to see an in-depth tour of the vehicles and can even try out the drivers seat (without actually driving the vehicle…)

On display you can find EV’s ranging from high-end, expensive Tesla’s, to the more economical Chevrolet Volt, among others.

 

Tuesday, April 17: Plant Swap and Ciscoe Morris

The masterminds behind the Plant Sale, setting up prior to the event

Another favorite of the Earth Week series is the annual Plant Swap and Sale. Here, students, staff and community members can purchase garden starts, seeds, and even take home a vast variety of flowering plants and shrubs for FREE! Perhaps the best part of this event is the presentation given by the eccentric TV personality, Ciscoe Morris!

Top: Kimi Crombie (Administrative Services) posing with Ciscoe. Bottom: Michael Moore and Gwen Bennetts from Purple Cow Gardens

A special thanks this year to Michael Moore and Gwen Bennetts, for providing dozens of veggie starts from their local nursery, Purple Cow Gardens. Estimates of attendance at this event put the number of visitors at nearly 1500 students, employees and neighbors.

 

Wednesday, April 18: Sustainable Vendor Fair

Bagfoot and Sacksquatch pose in front of the Green Fee Initiative banner

The third event in the Earth Week series is the Sustainable Vendor Fair, in which business and community leaders who practice and advocate for sustainability and environmental stewardship are invited to set up booths to sell their products, educate students on their work, and recruit volunteers to help with environmental restoration projects. Some vendors this year were Costco, Everett Transit, and Sno-Isle Co-Op, with many more having been in attendance. Of course, it’s never a truly successful Earth Week without the appearances of Bagfoot and Sacksquatch.

These handmade costumes contain over 500 plastic bags, and are supposed to represent the number of bags an average American uses in a single year. This fun and creative gimmick is a great way to visualize how much plastic we as consumers use without even thinking about it!

 

Thursday, April 19: Electronics Recycling

To wrap up the week-long celebration, we invite 3R Technology to set up shop on campus and give employees and students the chance to recycle their old electronics for free. This year was record breaking, over 4000 lbs. of electronics recycled or safely disposed of!

Earth Art Competition

This years special event was the Earth Art competition. This is a challenge for students and employees to express their creativity and their resourcefulness by creating pieces of art made up of at least 75% recycled, upcycled, or reclaimed materials.

Our winners this year are:

1st Place: Annie Loomis

Annie Loomis won first prize with her piece, titled The Girl with the Newspaper Earring. On her registration form, she notes that most of this piece isn’t what it seems, and that “most of the girls face is actually made out of Mark Zuckerberg’s forehead.” Congrats, Annie!

2nd Place: Karalee Garcia

Karalee took 2nd place with her entry, which she dubbed “Make Tea Not War.” She explains that she is an avid tea drinker and, as such, produces a ton of waste, so this seemed to be a unique opportunity to make something positive with it. Congratulations, Karalee!

3rd Place: Jessica Hall

Jessica’s entry is called “My World,” and is made from a chair that she rescued from the side of the road. She though it would be perfect for this competition, and wanted to give it a new life. “The chair is now the atmosphere, and the center is my world: my family.” Thanks for participating, and congratulations Jessica!

In conclusion…

Thanks to all of you who helped us make Earth Week a success. We couldn’t do it without your generous support and time. Now it’s time to gear up and prepare for next years Earth Week Celebration, and if you’d like to be a part of that, email us at sustainability@everettcc.edu.

Keep on keeping green, everyone!

 

2018 EvCC Sustainability Pledge

We all know that its important to start your New Year off right. So, for January’s monthly Sustainability Outreach event, we decided to help students and staff with their New Years Resolution and encouraged them to pledge to reduce their consumption of disposable water bottles and plastic grocery bags. We even provided a reusable water bottle or reusable bag as an incentive. Thanks to all 47 students and staff who signed the pledge!

Now you may be wondering why this is important. Here are a few facts about the problems associated with the consumption of bottled drinks:

  • In the US, we use enough plastic bottles to circle the globe…twice…each week.
  • More water is wasted during the production process than ends up in the final product. The Pacific Institute estimates that for every liter sold, it represents 3 liters of water.
  • The plastic used for bottling in the US uses about 17 million barrels of crude oil. That’s enough to fuel 1.3 million cars for a full year.
  • The energy used to produce plastic bottles in the US is enough to power almost 200,000 homes.
  • The entire process of bottling and transporting the product produces about 2.5 million tons of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas that contributes to global warming)  annually, as estimated by the Pacific Institute.

We encourage you to do some research of your own and learn more about the dangers of using so much plastic, and maybe even find some great alternatives to purchasing bottled water.

If you are interested in signing this pledge but were not able to attend the event, click on the image below. We appreciate your support for sustainability!

 

EvCC Offers Free Holiday Tree Recycling Jan 2 through Feb 2 2018

Trees can be dropped off between 7:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekdays.  Trees must be free of decorations, tinsel and other non-biodegradable materials. No flocked trees will be accepted.

EvCC is located at 2000 Tower St. in Everett. Drop off trees in the marked area in parking lot F. To see the location of parking lot F, visit EverettCC.edu/Maps and click Campus Map.

EvCC has been recycling holiday trees since 2009. Last year, EvCC collected approximately more than 250 trees that were turned into woodchips on site and used for campus flower beds and mulch.

For more information, call 425-388-9512.

Annual Earth Week Celebration: Earth Art Competition

This year during Earth Week, EvCC Sustainability is partnering with the Art Department to host an Earth Art Competition. This competition is open to any currently enrolled EvCC student, staff or faculty. Prizes are as follows:

1st place: $300.00
2nd place: $200.00
Peoples Choice: $150.00

Competition rules:
1. 
Entries must be at least 75% reclaimed, recycled, upcycled or otherwise reused.
2. Entries must be ready to put on display in the Whitehorse Hall Critique Space by Tuesday, April 17. They will remain on display through Thursday April 19, the day in which the entries will be judged. Judging will take place between 1 pm and 3 pm on April 19.
3. All entries must be removed from the Whitehorse Hall Critique Space by 3:00 pm on Friday, April 20. Any entries left in the Critique Space beyond this time will become EvCC property and disposed of accordingly.

To sign up for this competition, follow this link and submit your entry form today!

Having trouble with the link?  Contact sustainability@everettcc.edu for other entry form options.

 

EvCC Sustainability, College Services Launch New Pilot to Incentivize Alternative Transportation

 

Students boarding a bus at EvCC’s Transit Center

 

New year, new projects. That’s how we look at things here in the EvCC Sustainability program! One of the many new projects underway for this year is a pilot program to incentivize students and employees to use public transportation. Island Transit has reinstated a once discontinued route, the Everett Connector, which runs a single bus from Terrys Corner Park and Ride on Camano Island to the Everett Station, with a stop at Tower and Broadway, right in front of EvCC.

A report put together by EvCC student and Sustainability Staff, Max Tinsley, determined that this route could potentially cut commute time in half for students who live in the North County region, comprised of Stanwood, Camano Island, and the unincorporated areas north of Arlington. The report also outlined that approximately 10% of annual enrollment at EvCC are students living in the North County area.

Similar to the existing ORCA program, students can purchase a buss pass for Island Transit route 412, the Everett Connector, for $45.00 in the Cashiers Office, in Parks Student Union. This is being run as a pilot program for Fall Quarter, with a limited number of passes available to find out the demand for such a program. The passes are valid for the entire quarter, rather than just a month, as they would be if purchased from Island Transit directly.

This project is not only a benefit to the environment, but it can also help to reduce traffic and parking congestion. The outcome of Max Tinsleys effort is also a reminder that one person has the power to bring about significant change and leave a lasting impact on their community, if only they stay engaged and involved in the public process.

EvCC Partners with 3-R Technology to benefit Bangalore Orphanage

“I’m happy to report that our latest shipment of laptops refurbished by 3R Technology just arrived at the Homes of Hope India orphanage in Bangalore. This facility provides housing, meals, and education for over a hundred young women and girls from one of the most disenfranchised and under-served communities in the world. These laptops help ensure much-needed education and training for their academic and employment future.”
Many thanks to you and all our customers for helping us make these donations possible! Your commitment to environmentally sound and ethical electronics recycling makes a tremendous difference…”    

       

 –Glen Giados, the CEO of 3-R Technology,  regarding the more than 5 tons of electronic waste that Everett Community College and local community members have recycled by partnering with 3-R Technology/Recycling  in the past 3 years during EvCC Sustainability recycling events.

 

New Garden at EvCC Represents Indigenous Cultures

Red Columbine, commonly found near streams and mountain meadows

Red Columbine, commonly found near streams and mountain meadows

Over the 2016-17 school year, a group of students have undertaken a project to bring a new sense of indigenous culture to our campus. The 1st Nations Club, co-advised by Brian Ramos from the Workforce Funding Department, has slowly been converting a section of the wooded area in the heart of campus to an Indigenous Garden, putting in native plants such as Red Columbine, Miners Lettuce, and Nootka Rose to name a few.

EvCC has a history of representing indigenous cultures on campus, through the various pieces of art donated to the college by some local tribes. There is a totem pole in the northwest section of campus outside of Olympus Hall, and the Thunderbird Killer Whale sculpture is located on the edge of the site of the new garden.

A student and staff member planting Bleeding Hearts

When asked about the purpose of this project, the students were eager to tell the story. They explained how this garden, to them, represents the success of native people, and how they’ve overcome many challenges to get to where they are today.

“I am this plant, I am of this Earth,” said Erik Sanchez, a student working on the project, “It’s really cool to feel connected.”

The group has finished with the planting, and over time will be adding outdoor furniture to resemble a traditional native gathering area. The project will continue throughout the rest of the school year as well as into the future.

A student adds fertilizer to a planting spot

Erik Sanchez, one of the students working on this garden.