So I have been so busy lately. Trying to save the world is no easy task. I feel just awful I have not posted in so long but I have some great news about awesome events going on in the Reno area where I live.
First off, on Monday April 20 there is going to be an Environmental Film festival at 5pm in the Joe at the theater. (That is our student union, third floor).
Also there is going to be sustainability workshops the following Tuesday on the 21 of April from 10-12 and 1-3 pm. Also at the Joe Crowley Student Union!
And lastly, the Environmental Action Team's biggest event, our trashion show. This is going to be in the union Tuesday night at 7 p.m. in the ballroom. It is "Trash in the form of high fashion" and is just a fashion show featuring items made from repurposed materials. There is going to be food and a raffle. It is going to be tons of fun. For students it is only $2, and $5 for general admission.
For more information about the trahsion show check out the event on facebook! http://www.facebook.com/home.php#/event.php?eid=44900910892&ref=ts
Well off to class! More to come soon! :)
Friday, April 3, 2009
Saturday, December 6, 2008
I love my University.
I might of already mentioned that i attend the University of Nevada: Reno Where I am an environmental Science major. I love it here in Reno and at the University of Nevada. This is my second year here and this year the university has made some great changes to move forward to reduce there carbon foot print. A lot of the changes can be seen in the area of campus dining. Our cafes now sell a new Eco friendly coffee from Seattle that comes from this company called Thomas Hammer. They sell the coffee in lovely Eco-friendly cups. Also they no longer give out plastic bags. They provided all residents living in the res Halls with reusable bags for when shopping in the DC store, which is like a small convenience store, and if you need a plastic bag it costs $1. Another great change they have made is now the mixed lettuce in our cafeteria is grows on campus! Here is a great article that talks about it! Enjoy!
The students started planting seeds in late May and hope to have crops planted on the land by mid-July. Photo by Jean Dixon.
By Guia Del Prado
Every Wednesday, a group of students and their advisors meet at the University’s new greenhouses southeast of campus. In the humid air, they plant seeds in pots, talking and laughing as they go. Once finished, they place the pots on a table alongside fledgling sprouts.
Short for Environmental Action Team, EnAcT is an undergraduate student group that established an organic farm at the University. With the help of family, friends and University faculty, ENACT is cultivating a community of learning and conservation through its crops.
Erin Hansen, 19, project coordinator for the organic farm, spearheaded the idea for the farm with Mattie Melrose in their introductory course in environmental studies. The idea for the organic farm stemmed from the duo’s environmental citizenship class project.
Hansen and Melrose conducted their research on local food sources and how far food travels to reach people’s plates.
“Produce travels an average of 2,000 miles,” Hansen said. “If you consider the carbon food print, that’s a huge distance to travel.”
Through their research, Hansen and Melrose began to develop an idea and a growing interest in agricultural practices and the health, environmental and communal benefits of starting their own produce. They created EnAcT in March to start the student organic farm, with the Jen Huntleysmith, associate director of academics and outreach at the University’s Academy for the Environment, as faculty advisor.
EnAcT also enlisted the help of Leslie Allen, a horticulturalist from University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, and Kevin Piper, assistant director of the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station and CABNR.
UNCE’s Master Gardeners program provided the students with seeds, plants and greenhouse space for the students to get a head start on planting crops. The College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources offered them a plot of land on the Valley Road farms.
Allen meets with the student group once a week, assisting and consulting them with her expertise.
“I advise them in incorporating sustainable elements in farming to help them create a functioning ecology in their farm,” Allen said.
The students started planting seeds in late May and hope to have crops planted on the land by mid-July. They also hope to sell produce at the Environmental Education Eco-Night at the downtown West Street Market on August 13 and at a campus fall festival, currently being planned for October, Hansen said. Until July, the students are building a compost pile and growing what they can in the greenhouse in hopes of growing enough crops before the August and October markets and before September.
“We already have a short growing season in the region as is,” Allen said of the tight schedule. “The students are cutting that time almost in half.”
Because of their short growing time, the students are growing short-season crops such as leafy greens, squashes, flowers, corn and herbs, Allen said.
The students chose to grow heritage or heirloom plants, which are types of plants that have not been hybridized or genetically altered. Many of these heirloom plants are endangered and are generally harder to grow.
“They’re starting to be lost because the hybrids are tougher and they grow faster,” Huntleysmith said. “I think it’s cool the students here decided to take this a step further. Growing heritage plants is a little bit more complex and requires more work, nurturing and attention.”
In rallying supporters with common concerns around their idea, the students of EnAcT have fulfilled one of their goals in the project: creating a sense of community. Hansen also said that in growing the crops, she hopes to reestablish the link people have with their food.
“We have lost our connection to food: we don’t know where our food comes from and we don’t really eat meals together,” Hansen said. “In this project, we grow food together. It’s an important social activity.”
Huntleysmith also recognizes the importance of the human relationship with food.
“I love the fact that we’re doing something that’s really basic,” Huntleysmith said. “It really gets down to the basic human relationship with the environment which is we need food and we need to obtain that food that’s going to be consistent over time.”
A member of EnAcT, Jasmine Jia, 19, is partaking in the project to learn about growing healthy food. Jia also understands the danger of depending on commercial food sources in the event of large outbreaks of food contamination or natural disasters.
“In the case of natural disasters and if you need to grow your own food, it’s important to know how,” the second year health ecology major said.
For Jia, the resulting crops are not the most important outcome of the project. She said she believes what she learns in the greenhouse and on the farm is more important than the physical rewards of her hard work.
“I’m not even looking for a result but for the knowledge we gain and the experience is really valuable,” Jia said. “Not a lot of people know that you can put different plants together and have it work with nature and the natural tendency of the plants instead of fighting against it.”
As a horticulturist working with young people, Allen is amazed by the spark of interest the students have in sustainable agriculture and plant sciences.
“I think it’s exciting that there is a demand from student for sustainable agricultural practices,” Allen said.
The students started planting seeds in late May and hope to have crops planted on the land by mid-July. Photo by Jean Dixon.
By Guia Del Prado
Every Wednesday, a group of students and their advisors meet at the University’s new greenhouses southeast of campus. In the humid air, they plant seeds in pots, talking and laughing as they go. Once finished, they place the pots on a table alongside fledgling sprouts.
Short for Environmental Action Team, EnAcT is an undergraduate student group that established an organic farm at the University. With the help of family, friends and University faculty, ENACT is cultivating a community of learning and conservation through its crops.
Erin Hansen, 19, project coordinator for the organic farm, spearheaded the idea for the farm with Mattie Melrose in their introductory course in environmental studies. The idea for the organic farm stemmed from the duo’s environmental citizenship class project.
Hansen and Melrose conducted their research on local food sources and how far food travels to reach people’s plates.
“Produce travels an average of 2,000 miles,” Hansen said. “If you consider the carbon food print, that’s a huge distance to travel.”
Through their research, Hansen and Melrose began to develop an idea and a growing interest in agricultural practices and the health, environmental and communal benefits of starting their own produce. They created EnAcT in March to start the student organic farm, with the Jen Huntleysmith, associate director of academics and outreach at the University’s Academy for the Environment, as faculty advisor.
EnAcT also enlisted the help of Leslie Allen, a horticulturalist from University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, and Kevin Piper, assistant director of the Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station and CABNR.
UNCE’s Master Gardeners program provided the students with seeds, plants and greenhouse space for the students to get a head start on planting crops. The College of Agriculture, Biotechnology and Natural Resources offered them a plot of land on the Valley Road farms.
Allen meets with the student group once a week, assisting and consulting them with her expertise.
“I advise them in incorporating sustainable elements in farming to help them create a functioning ecology in their farm,” Allen said.
The students started planting seeds in late May and hope to have crops planted on the land by mid-July. They also hope to sell produce at the Environmental Education Eco-Night at the downtown West Street Market on August 13 and at a campus fall festival, currently being planned for October, Hansen said. Until July, the students are building a compost pile and growing what they can in the greenhouse in hopes of growing enough crops before the August and October markets and before September.
“We already have a short growing season in the region as is,” Allen said of the tight schedule. “The students are cutting that time almost in half.”
Because of their short growing time, the students are growing short-season crops such as leafy greens, squashes, flowers, corn and herbs, Allen said.
The students chose to grow heritage or heirloom plants, which are types of plants that have not been hybridized or genetically altered. Many of these heirloom plants are endangered and are generally harder to grow.
“They’re starting to be lost because the hybrids are tougher and they grow faster,” Huntleysmith said. “I think it’s cool the students here decided to take this a step further. Growing heritage plants is a little bit more complex and requires more work, nurturing and attention.”
In rallying supporters with common concerns around their idea, the students of EnAcT have fulfilled one of their goals in the project: creating a sense of community. Hansen also said that in growing the crops, she hopes to reestablish the link people have with their food.
“We have lost our connection to food: we don’t know where our food comes from and we don’t really eat meals together,” Hansen said. “In this project, we grow food together. It’s an important social activity.”
Huntleysmith also recognizes the importance of the human relationship with food.
“I love the fact that we’re doing something that’s really basic,” Huntleysmith said. “It really gets down to the basic human relationship with the environment which is we need food and we need to obtain that food that’s going to be consistent over time.”
A member of EnAcT, Jasmine Jia, 19, is partaking in the project to learn about growing healthy food. Jia also understands the danger of depending on commercial food sources in the event of large outbreaks of food contamination or natural disasters.
“In the case of natural disasters and if you need to grow your own food, it’s important to know how,” the second year health ecology major said.
For Jia, the resulting crops are not the most important outcome of the project. She said she believes what she learns in the greenhouse and on the farm is more important than the physical rewards of her hard work.
“I’m not even looking for a result but for the knowledge we gain and the experience is really valuable,” Jia said. “Not a lot of people know that you can put different plants together and have it work with nature and the natural tendency of the plants instead of fighting against it.”
As a horticulturist working with young people, Allen is amazed by the spark of interest the students have in sustainable agriculture and plant sciences.
“I think it’s exciting that there is a demand from student for sustainable agricultural practices,” Allen said.
Thursday, November 13, 2008
Slacking
Sorry I have been slacking on this here blog. I feel like i have been slacking in life as well, classes, driving to much.
Since i brought my car up here in the beginning of August i have been really good with not driving unless i need to. I plan times when i can run all my errands in one trip instead of going out multiple times a week. I even try to see when others have to go so we can all just make one trip. But i feel really bad because this past weekend i drove a lot. :(
This summer i was hoping to go to Costa Rico and help with the sea turtle conservation, i applied and got excepted and everything, but i didn't have the money.
So i have to find new ways to help.
One thing i am proud about myself is that i haven't used a plastic bag in i dont know how long! Woot Woot!
Sorry so short but i have a test to study for.
More Later.
Since i brought my car up here in the beginning of August i have been really good with not driving unless i need to. I plan times when i can run all my errands in one trip instead of going out multiple times a week. I even try to see when others have to go so we can all just make one trip. But i feel really bad because this past weekend i drove a lot. :(
This summer i was hoping to go to Costa Rico and help with the sea turtle conservation, i applied and got excepted and everything, but i didn't have the money.
So i have to find new ways to help.
One thing i am proud about myself is that i haven't used a plastic bag in i dont know how long! Woot Woot!
Sorry so short but i have a test to study for.
More Later.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
Monday, July 28, 2008
Green Books
You I added this You tube Video player here on the side and it is suppose to show videos related to what i right about in this blog here but i do not think that is what it is doing... I will try to fix that later on. But anyways... I would like to blog about this book that i am reading right now. It is called Go Green, Live Rich: 50 Simple Ways to Save the Earth and Get Rich Trying and it is by David Bach. So far it seems to have just a lot of common tips like turning off the lights and driving less... but what I found really neat is that Bach suggests in the begining of the book you go to this website and calculate your eco-footprint. So I did that and it was fun, mine inst as low and i want it to be but i am working on it... It is much lower than the average Nevadans which i live with. And lower than the average American.
So As I continue to read the book i will try to write more of what i learn, but i wanna leave with a list of other books i wanna read that you should read too and the suggestion of finding a website like http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=myfootprint to calculate your foot print. This is not the website the book suggests but i thought this one was fun and broke it down in a more understandable way.
And thats all for now. I would love to hear from others about their footprints so please leave comments.And have a great day!
~Rachel
P.S Check this out!
http://www.newdream.org/
So As I continue to read the book i will try to write more of what i learn, but i wanna leave with a list of other books i wanna read that you should read too and the suggestion of finding a website like http://www.footprintnetwork.org/gfn_sub.php?content=myfootprint to calculate your foot print. This is not the website the book suggests but i thought this one was fun and broke it down in a more understandable way.
And thats all for now. I would love to hear from others about their footprints so please leave comments.And have a great day!
~Rachel
P.S Check this out!
http://www.newdream.org/
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Slurpees!
So I love Slurpees. They are one of my biggest vices. It used to be that i would have a slurpees just about everyday. Can you imagine how many plastic slurpee cups and straws that adds up too? Alot!
So i have been doing this for a little while and i wanted to share this and encourage others to do the same for either their slurpees, sodas, or starbucks coffees, and this use a re-usable cup. Most places sell these... I have a few 7-11 cups i use for my slurpees and i know starbucks sells re-usable cups..
Also .. try not to use lids and straws when you get drinks... again less plastic!
New Favorite Show on Planet Green: Worlds Greenest Homes.... or something like that! It is awesome! I recommend checking it out! :)
So i have been doing this for a little while and i wanted to share this and encourage others to do the same for either their slurpees, sodas, or starbucks coffees, and this use a re-usable cup. Most places sell these... I have a few 7-11 cups i use for my slurpees and i know starbucks sells re-usable cups..
Also .. try not to use lids and straws when you get drinks... again less plastic!
New Favorite Show on Planet Green: Worlds Greenest Homes.... or something like that! It is awesome! I recommend checking it out! :)
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Tree for Me!
So the other day was my 19th birthday, and i recently just got my drivers license, so that morning of my birthday I needed to buy car insurance. I ended up going with Progressive because they gave me the best deal. While buying my insurance i had to call the company to get everything finalized and official and that is when i was very glad that i had picked progressive, They offered me the option to go paperless... where everything and all the documents where signed and kept online, and I excitedly agreed. So i can happily say with all the paperwork i had to read... none of it was paper! Not only did i save paper but know I can always find my insurance documents because they are saved on two computers, plus the company lets me access them though their website! And lastly, by choosing to go paper-less the company planted a tree for me in my name. It was a great birthday present. But that was not the only way i went paperless on my birthday.
Every year for my birthday I have friends and family over for cake and a fun backyard party and thanks to modern technology and word of mouth no paper invitations where sent out. I used Myspace to contact most of my friends, and phoned the rest. I have even decided to use no decorations ( balloons and streamers) this year, they usually just get ripped down and ruined anyway...
Well that is about it for now. I have been out on vacation in Iowa and i have lots of videos and cool things to post about how Iowa has become more energy efficient so i will be getting on that soon...but for now good bye!!
Every year for my birthday I have friends and family over for cake and a fun backyard party and thanks to modern technology and word of mouth no paper invitations where sent out. I used Myspace to contact most of my friends, and phoned the rest. I have even decided to use no decorations ( balloons and streamers) this year, they usually just get ripped down and ruined anyway...
Well that is about it for now. I have been out on vacation in Iowa and i have lots of videos and cool things to post about how Iowa has become more energy efficient so i will be getting on that soon...but for now good bye!!
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