Sustainable Tree Removal and Transplant by EvCC Grounds Dept

EvCC Grounds works hard to manage campus grounds with an eye towards sustainability.  This ethic was demonstrated recently when a tree located west of the Olympus building outgrew it’s location.

Rather than cutting down the tree, campus grounds employees John Syson, Brent Sall and Scotty Smith used campus equipment to relocate the beautiful Liquidambar Styraciflua or Liquid Amber (commonly known as an American Sweetgum).

At 30 inches in diameter and 30 feet tall, the average cost for a commercial move or purchase of a tree this size would have been  $1500.00 – $2000.00!  Grounds transplanted the tree for about $70.00.

The tree was removed from the Lot “A” west flower bed  and planted in Lot “C” on the hillside.

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.

 

Utilities Trends Over the Years

This chart shows the year-to-year comparison of EvCC’s utilities consumption between 2015 and 2017. This chart tracks water, natural gas and electricity usage, as well as trash and recycling output. Lets do a break-down of each type of utility, and what this chart tells us about our usage.

Water

EvCC uses a lot of water. Water is used to irrigate flowerbeds and lawns, heating buildings, and of course, consumed by students and employees. Though there was a slight uptick in water usage between 2015 and 2016, the data for 2017 shows an approximately 30% reduction in water consumption. This is mostly due to a project taken on by Brent Sall from the Ground Crew, in which the valves on our irrigation system were updated in order to install a controller on each valve. This allows us to water our gardens and lawns more efficiently, reducing the amount of water needed.

Natural Gas

Natural gas powers the boilers on campus that provide the heat for all of our buildings. The unit of measurement for natural gas is therms, which is simply just a measurement of heat. It is equivalent to 1.055 × 108 joules. The data shows a steady decline in natural gas usage since 2016, a reduction of approximately 30%. Woo!

Electricity

Our electricity consumption, measured in kilowatt-hours (KWH) experienced a slight decline between 2015 and 2016, but after the opening of two new student housing buildings, our electricity consumption increased by approximately 50%. To address this, EvCC Sustainability plans to coordinate with Student Housing to implement energy savings practices, such as energy challenges for residents to participate in.

Trash and Recycle

Since co-mingled recycling came to campus in 2006, EvCC has managed to recycle the same, if not more, than it sends off to the landfill. During 2015 and 2016, most of EvCC’s solid waste output was recyclable material. But, once again, with the opening of Student Housing, the scales have tipped toward more landfill destined waste than recyclables. This may be due to a lack of education and outreach efforts to ensure our residents understand proper recycling practices. Just as EvCC Sustainability plans to address electricity consumption by working with Student Housing, we intend to work with them on reducing the amount of improperly disposed material as well.

The Takeaway

Sustainability is not a one-and-done project that can be left alone. It’s a continuous process of learning and collaborating to find innovative solutions that will further reduce our impact on the environment. And, we can’t do it alone! If you or your department is interested in finding ways to advance our sustainability mission, contact us at sustainability@everettcc.edu.

 

EvCC Wildlife Garden: 11/6/17 Update

Now that Phase 1 of this project is complete, it’s time to show off the hard work of our Grounds Crew. Take a look:

View of entire project site.
Close-up of the “Columbia Bowls,” basalt dishes that create ideal bird baths.
Flowering Dogwood
Vine Maple and Mountain Hemlocks

Three loads of compost and four loads of topsoil later, the results are better than we imagined! Currently the beds contain a mix of vine maples, one flowering dogwood, one rocky mountain fir tree, and a handful of mountain hemlocks. Phase two will consist of filling in the empty spaces between the trees with smaller shrubs, annuals and perennials.

And, just for fun, here’s John Syson celebrating by fishing out of the newly installed birdbaths.

John Syson, Grounds Crew Lead, fishing in the new bird baths

EvCC Wildlife Habitat Project: 10/18/17 Update

With the first frost upon us, the ground has been broken on the EvCC Wildlife Habitat project. Over the last few weeks, the turf has been killed but the grass and root material have been left in place in order to compost in the newly laid soil. This will provide additional organic matter and nutrients to the trees and shrubs that will soon be planted.

The next step taken was turning over the soil to break up the layer of roots near the surface, and fresh soil was incorporated to make the planting process easier. The next steps will be adding the plants and installing the bird baths, which will be constructed using Columbia Basalt dishes.

Columbia basalt dishes creates an ideal bird bath

Once the rest of the ground has been turned up and new soil laid on top, the rest of the project should be quickly coming to completion. Check back soon for more updates!

EvCC Grounds Crew laying new topsoil. (notice the steam rising in front of the tractor bucket)

UPCOMING EVENT: Energy Efficiency Fair by Snohomish County PUD

Purchase low cost energy efficiency appliances here on campus, on Wednesday October 18 from 11:30 am till 2:00 pm in the second floor hallway of Parks Student Union. The PUD team hosting this event will be selling a Home & Bath Savings Kit which includes 8 LEDs, 2 filament LEDs, a showerhead with smart adapter, and two faucet aerators for just $10.00 plus tax. This normally would cost $75.00 so don’t miss your chance to save up to $250.00 annually on energy costs for a fraction of the retail price. Also offered at this event is an LED flood light pack, that has the savings potential of up to $45.00 per year. Please read this flyer for more details.

 

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.

The totals are in!

As the 2016-2017 school year officially comes to a close, many of us are reminiscing on the phenomenal year here at EvCC. For us in the sustainability business, it is no different. Except, rather than looking back at great memories, we are reviewing data collected on energy consumption and other utility usage, such as water and natural gas. In doing so, we’ve calculated the total amount of renewable energy generated by the Liberty Hall Rooftop Solar Array. Any guesses?

23,607 KWH of clean, green electricity, which is fed back into the grid rather than consumed directly by the campus. Considering an average US household consumes about 10,000 KWH of electricity each year, EvCC can proudly say that it provided a years worth of energy for at least 2 four-bedroom houses! A big thanks to the PUD and Washington State Legislature for the grant funding that put these panels on the roof of Liberty Hall! Hopefully, as the campus grows, the solar project will too, increasing our contribution to building a sustainable community!

DID YOU KNOW… That you can sign up for a tour of the Liberty Hall Rooftop Solar Array and see the green energy production in action? Just email us at sustainability@everettcc.edu with the subject “solar tours.”