With spring in the air, Wartburg College and the League of American Bicyclists, the national organization of bicyclists, announce that May is National Bike Month, May 16th to 20th is Bike to Work Week and Friday, May 20th is Bike to Work Day. Wartburg Wellness and Health Promotion and Wartburg Sustainability Office urge everyone to bike to work or class or try cycling for fun, fitness or transportation. Riding your bike will help reduce pollution, improve health and save you money on gas.
Participating cyclists should register below/by clicking here to enter a drawing for a new bike helmet. You get an entry for every day you ride in May so ride often.
Bike to Work Week Events:
Bike to Work/Class Week
May 16-20
Bicycle Tune Up
May 17, 1-3pm
In front of the W a tent will be available where staff from Bike Tech, a local bicycle shop, will look over your bicycle and help you get it ready for riding. On site they will tighten and lubricate as needed. If more work is necessary you can talk to staff about how to get the repairs done. Bring your helmet with you for a fitting check to ensure your helmet is properly sized and adjusted.
Bikers Breakfast
May 20, 7:30-9:00am
Riders are invited to enjoy some light refreshments on their way into work or class on Friday May 20th. A table will be set up in front of Old Main from 7:30am to 9pm with coffee, juice, bagels, donuts and fruit, all free for bicycle commuters.
To view a video from the National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration about preparing your bicycle for riding and safety techniques visit YouTube.
If you have more questions about driving your bicycle on roads, as recommended, some great tips about the rights and duties of cyclists are available through this YouTube video.
Ride with traffic and obey the same laws as motorists.
Use the rightmost lane that heads in the direction that you are traveling.
Obey all traffic control devices, such as stop signs, lights, and lane markings.
Always look back and use hand and arm signals to indicate your intention to stop, merge or turn.
Be Visible
Ride where drivers can see you.
Wear brightly colored clothing at all times.
At night, use a white front light and red rear light or reflector. Wear reflective tape or clothing.
Be Predictable
Ride in a straight line and don’t swerve between parked cars.
Make eye contact with motorists to let them know you are there.
Do not ride on the sidewalk.
Anticipate Conflicts
Be aware of traffic around you and be prepared to take evasive action.
Learn braking and turning techniques to avoid crashes.
Be extra alert at intersections.
Wear a Helmet
Make sure that the helmet fits on top of your head, not tipped back or forward.
After a crash or any impact that affects your helmet, visible or not, replace it immediately.
Replace your helmet every five years, no matter the visible condition.
On May 5, 2011 Green Iowa AmeriCorps will be coming to campus for a Weatherization Workshop demonstration. This is a service opportunity or a learning opportunity, depending on how much you want to get involved and have time for.
What Is Happening
Training Sessions
The Green Iowa AmeriCorps staff will be holding “classroom” sessions to teach about the basics of weatherization, the benefits and techniques. These will be held in McCoy West from 10am to 11am and 2pm to 3pm. The information will be the same so you only need to attend one if interested.
Hands-On Demonstration
From 9am to 5pm the Green Iowa AmeriCorps crew will be completing a weatherization at 709 3rd Ave NW (Brown house south of Löhe Hall). Anyone can stop in to see techniques in practice and help with the work. You can volunteer to help in the house any amount of time throughout the day.
Who Should Attend
Anyone who pays a utility bill can benefit from this educational opportunity. Even newer houses have room to improve and Green Iowa AmeriCorps will show you how. For students still living in the dorms, now is a good time to start learning how you can save money on your utility bills once you have your own place.
Join us for the 2nd Annual Go Green Fair!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
1-4 pm in the W
Wartburg College
100 Wartburg Blvd
Waverly, IA 50677
Last year, over 200 people came to the fair to learn more about ways they can become “greener” in their everyday lifestyles, their purchases, as well as the way they update or build onto their homes. After an overwhelmingly positive response by community members and college students alike, the fair has been brought back for a second year!
This year, 16 vendors are coming together to bring you information, products, and networking opportunities to help you do everything you want to do to become more sustainable in 2010. Additionally, two films will be shown over the course of the fair. The “Age of Stupid”, a powerful hypothetical documentary, is set in the future looking back on the current time, asking the question of “Why didn’t they do something then when they knew that they could?” The second film is “King Corn”, a documentary filmed in Greene, Iowa about, well , corn! The documentary is filmed by two recent college graduates from the East Coast who wanted to know where their food came from and where else it went. To do so, they purchased an acre of land to grow the corn, learned how to drive combines, and researched corn to the point that even you might reconsider what you put on your plate after watching the film.
This year’s vendors include:
The Bremer County Conservation Board: This booth will have a Recycling Jeopardy game. Answer easy to difficult questions for prizes and learn how you can reduce your waste output.
Great American Outdoors: They will be bringing their 2 electric vehicles back again this year.
The Waverly-Shell Rock High School Environmental Club: Information about this year’s Tree Sale will be available, as well as information about their club.
The Tall Grass Prairie Center: This booth will have a display that highlights Tall Grass Prairie Center’s 3 main programs (Roadsides, Ecotype, and the Prairie Institute), brochures outlining what they do, information on upcoming events, seed production manuals, fire videos, and America's Lost Landscape video's for sale as well
The Genuine Faux Farm: Genuine Faux Farm is a family-run business and has been in operation since the summer of 2004. The farm is certified organic, raising vegetables, herbs, turkeys, ducks and chickens. Seedling heirloom tomato, pepper, eggplant and other vegetables plants are available from the farm in the Spring. All products from the farm are distributed locally through a CSA, farmers' market and direct sales. The Genuine Faux Farm also is active in educating others about local foods and sustainable actions.
The Iowa Conservation Education Coalition: ICEC prepares and empowers Iowa's formal and informal educators to promote environmental literacy. ICEC also facilitate networking between diverse partners.
Go Solar: This booth will have a display of various solar technologies and will have a laptop with photos.
Jr Solar Sprint: Come build a solar powered car! Free to build and yours to purchase if you choose, this booth has something for everyone. They will also have a mini wind turbine that lights up an LED when you blow on it.
Northern Iowa Food and Farm Partnership: Learn more about local food options. This booth will have Buy Fresh, Buy Local directories/hand outs and some informative materials on NIFFP’s different programs and projects (winter farmers markets, farm to school, etc.).
Midwest Energy Savers: We sell Radiant Guard along with solar paint, laundry pure, solar and wind attic fan and garage door insulator. Stop by our booth to see how our product reflect heat in summer and reflect heat back in the house in the winter. The average saving is 30 percent.
Hansen’s Dairy: The Hansen family produces and processes their own milk on the farm southwest of Hudson. From the herd 150 registered purebred Holsteins comes fresh milk, cream, butter, cheese curds, ice cream, ground beef, stew meat, and smoked dried beef. There will be samples of cheese curds and butter. The Hansen's support the "Buy Fresh, Buy Local" program and encourage consumers to do the same, keeping the food dollars in our communities and keeping the family farms on the map.
Interfaith Power and Light: Our display includes a lightboard of a variety of compact fluorescent lightbulbs, educational resources on practical steps toward reducing an individual's carbon footprint, an introduction to our Cool Congregations program (an ecumenical program focused on calculating and reducing the household energy use of congregation members), and other resources geared towards energy efficiency.
Waverly Trees Forever: Trees Forever began in 1991 as an effort by Waverly Light and Power to promote trees for energy efficiency. Waverly Light and Power provides annual financial support to Waverly Trees Forever. Waverly Trees Forever in cooperation with Waverly Parks and Recreation Department and Waverly Shell Rock School Science Club, pursues grants and accepts donations and memorials.
Wartburg College’s Students for Peace and Justice (SPJ): SPJ is an active organization on campus that seeks to address injustices everywhere and work for a lasting peace. Over the last year, SPJ has been involved in the environmental movement, recognizing the connections between the environment and poverty and injustice.
Wartburg College’s EARTH organization: EARTH will have information regarding upcoming events for the rest of the year as well as a recap on 350 week and other ways in which EARTH is involved on campus.
Wartburg College’s Energy and Environmental Sustainability Initiative (EESI): EESI will have a table at this year’s Go Green Fair to talk about ways that the college is continuing its efforts to become more environmentally friendly.
We hope to see you at the 2nd Annual Go Green Fair!
NWF Grant
As a part of Professor Tim Ewest’s Non-Profit Management course, a group of students came together to apply for the National Wildlife Federation’s Campus Ecology Fellows grant in order to pursue a more sustainable campus to cap off the course’s objectives.
The purpose of the grant program is to confront global warming on applicants’ campuses and “help to educate and engage the campus community on global warming impacts and solutions.” With awards up to $2000, support, and training all a part of the grant award, it seemed only reasonable to apply as the group was focused on assisting Wartburg’s sustainability committee, EESI.
In November, the group applied for the grant and, in January, found that they had been awarded the full amount.
Details about the grant will be coming soon.
Wartburg-Luther Energy Challenge
A student-led initiative with faculty and staff support, the Wartburg-Luther Energy Challenge really gave new life to the sustainability movement on campus. With both schools tracking and trying to reduce their consumption habits, the challenge saw a huge student response and incredible results on Wartburg’s Campus:
3.62% reduction in campus-wide electric usage
11% campus-wide reduction in water usage (12% in the Student Center alone!)
Though there was also a 1% increase in natural gas usage, the overall impact was substantial and brought much-welcomed savings to the college in February, hopefully serving as incentive for future, concrete changes.
Here’s what a couple of students involved in the challenge had to say about the month.
“The competition with Luther did fuel a good part of the promotion for the challenge. The decreases in energy use are great! I am very impressed with how everyone came together on this. Hopefully it will help us get more support for next year—student support in particular.” - Jenny Kordick, ‘09
“Probably one of the coolest things that I noticed throughout this whole campaign was the excitement and extra effort to be sustainable the Energy Challenge evoked. For instance, multiple classes were held in the dark, many people were walking around shutting off lights and lowering thermostats, and people were being more conscious about the amount of waste that they were generating. Overall, what excited me most the amount of conversation that I heard…about problem areas and issues regarding Wartburg and sustainability.” - Jen Wendland, ‘09
With the next school year beginning, preparations are already underway to make this year another successful year.
To get involved in the coordination of the 2010 Wartburg-Luther Energy Challenge or elect to become a volunteer, email sustainability@wartburg.edu with Energy Challenge in the subject line.
Environmental Service Trips
Over the past decade, seven service trips have been focused on the environment with four happening in the last year alone. The rips are listed below by year with a brief description of what the trips entailed. For more information on Service Trips at Wartburg College, please click here.
2009
Title: Mendocino Land Trust Location: Mendocino, CA Student Leaders: Eric Golder (’09), Stephanie Evans (’10) Advisor: Kip Ladage Service Description: An environmental service trip, the core of our work will be done in the redwoods of Northern California. Main jobs will include but are not limited to: invasive plant removal, surveying plants and trees, and erosion control. We will spend many hours outdoors with mild to heavy physical activity in damp and cool conditions. Environmentally minded students from all areas of academic study are encouraged to apply. Our goal is to help retain and improve the health of the forest and impact our lives with a heightened sense of duty to Mother Nature.
Title: Plateau Restoration Location: Moab, UT Student Leaders: Cara Rada (’10), Anna Fagre (’10), Jane Ohde (’10) Advisor: Dr. Dennis Drolet Service Description: On this environmentally-focused trip, we will be helping to protect and restore the native habitats of the Colorado Plateau in Moab, Utah. Work may include but is not limited to trail delineation and elimination of social trails, fence-building to protect re-vegetation sites, erosion control, planting native vegetation in impacted sites and exotic species removal. On our day off, we will be rafting down the Colorado River. Come share with us in this magical Utahpion experience!
Title: Outer Banks Location: North Carolina Student Leaders: Mike Mertz (’09), Kyle Huegel (’09) Advisor: Alek Wipperman Service Description: This environmental trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina will feature marsh restoration work as well as construction of a handicap-accessible hiking trail.
Title: Cumberland Trail Location: Soddy Daisy, TN Student Leaders: Erika Nelson (’10), Shelby Colwell (’09) Advisor: Dr. Samantha Larimer Service Description: This is a service trip to a section of the Appalachian mountain range, in Crossville, Tennessee. We will be camping in a remote location to best provide a complete outdoor experience. The physical work could include trail maintenance, trail construction, bridge work, and conservation. This trip is for anyone willing to get their hands dirty in order to better the environment.
2007
Title: Big River Stewards Location: Mendoncino, CA Student Leaders: Katie Friedline (’09), Rachel Shellabarger (’07), Sarah Vox (’07) Advisor: Dr. John Melville Service Description: This environmental service trip is to aid a local environmental organization located near old-growth Redwood forests and a contaminated watershed. We will be collecting data on water quality, endangered species, and plant life, which will contribute to conservation efforts. Other activities may include trail maintenance and visiting local sites of interest. Participants will be camping in tents in the Russian Gulch State Park for the duration of the trip.
Dining Services Energy Challenge
February 1, 2009
#1. By purchasing and using front load washers in 48 days we have saved 14,976 gallons of water. We are doing fewer loads of laundry in a day.
#2. We are turning off lights in storage and washroom and coolers areas when we are no using them, soon to get motion lights in all of them.
#3. We are turning off all Knights ballroom lights for the Breakfast serve Mon.-Fri. and Sat. and Sunday when possible.
#4. We are turning off 8 of the lights in the seating area during the Noon and Evening serves in the Mensa and Knights. Turning off all of the lights when we are done with cleanup in the afternoon and then not turning them on again until the evening meal starts.
#5. We do not run the 2 large toasters in the Mensa after the breakfast meal is over and only use the single toasters for individual use.
#6. We do not turn on any of the hot wells in the eatery area until 30 minutes prior to serve time.
#7. We do not turn on the Pizza oven until 30 minutes prior to use.
#8. We do not turn on the Char-broiler, Flat-top grills or deep fat fryers until 30 minutes prior to use.
#9. We do not turn on the water lines to the ice-cream dip stations until employees get to the work station to open it up for the serve.
#10. We stack up the dirty dishes in the dish room until we have to run the dish machine.
#11. We do not turn on the tray stacker until we open for serve times or the gray conveyer belt to the loader until we need to use.
#12. We have gone to a new oil in the deep-fat fryer so we do not have to change the oil as often and then have to clean it less often using less electricity.
#13. We are going to shut off half of the T-V’s in the Mensa seating area per meal.
#14. Fruits in the center of the Mensa will be taken out each night and stored in the cooler so we can turn off the center unit.
#15. We are composting more food items so we do not have to use the disposals as much.
#16. We are now recycling our plastic bags off of the buns and off of all bakery items.
#17. Loading dock area we are posting signs to make sure that all doors are shut when not in use.
#18. We do not turn on the water line to the disposal in the dish room until we have to use it and then turn it off during the slow times during the meal periods.
#19. We have laminated all of the signage that we post on a weekly basis some 50 copies so we do not have to regenerate them.
20. We do not change garbage liners until the garbage can is full or is need to be changed because of what is in it this is some 20 cans.
21. In the office we do not copy off messages onto hard copy but keep our calendars up to date.
22. We turn off our computers after each shift when we go home.
2005
Title: Latreia Location: Lewis, DE Student Leaders: Amber Regan, Damen Heitmann Advisor: Melissa James Service Description: Worked with Latreia, an organization that sets up service trips, to organize the trip. They then spent time doing environmental service work and one day of urban service work in Georgetown.
1999
Title: Gila National Forest Location: Truth or Consequences, NM Student Leaders: Brendan Saunders, Chris Thomas Advisor: Dr. Dennis Drolet Service Description: This trip worked with the rangers of the Gila National Forest to do trail maintenance, building and park clean up.
Go Green Fair