Events

Jennifer Pharr-Davis the 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year

Geosciences/ENDY Colloquium will host Jennifer Pharr-Davis, the 2012 National Geographic Adventurer of the Year, on Monday, November 17th. There will be three opportunities throughout the day to hear her speak.

12:00 -1:00, Jennifer Pharr Davis presentation in front of UA climbing wall in the HPER.  Lunch will be provided (pizza and Pepsi products). The topic of this presentation is preparation and perseverance.  Title of talk is  “Becoming Odyssa,” a coming-of-age tale that includes lightning strikes, snow storms and stalkers. This engaging talk offers themes of perseverance, self-worth and simplicity.

4:10 – 5:00, GEOS/ENDY Colloquium: The title of this lecture is “The Emotional Conservationist.” It is hard for people to value what they have not experienced. Hear about Jennifer’s journey in sustainability and learn how you can protect the environment by exposing other people to the outdoors. This lecture will take place on a different time, place and day of the week than our normal colloquium! The Lecture will be held in BELL 2282 from 4:10 to 5:00pm. There will be several other functions during the day where students and faculty will be able to meet with the speaker.

6:00- 7:00 Chill with Jen at Fayettechill, 205 W. Dickson St, Fayetteville, AR 72701. The topic of this final presentation is stories from the Appalachian Trail titled “Called again,” a mingle session to hear Jennifer recount stories from her 46 Day Record on the Appalachian Trail.

UA Science Café – Food For Thought

Join the UA Chapter of Sigma Xi research society and the Arkansas Biosciences Institute for a panel discussion on “Our Carbon Footprints” at the Powerhouse Restaurant in Fayetteville. The panel members will be Carlos Ochoa, Director of the Office for Sustainability, and Dr. Michael Douglas, 21st Century Chair in Global Change Biology, Department of Biological Sciences. Food and drinks will be available for purchase during the discussion.

Tuesday, November 18th, 6:30 – 8:00 PM
Powerhouse Resuarant, back room
112 N. University Ave, Fayetteville, AR 72701

Clinton Global Initiative University

President Clinton and Chelsea Clinton will host the eighth annual CGI U meeting from March 6-8, 2015 at the University of Miami in Coral Gables, Florida. The meeting will bring together more than 1,000 student innovators and entrepreneurs to make Commitments to Action that address some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Funding will be available to select students to help them turn their ideas into action. 60 colleges and universities have already joined the CGI University Network, pledging to provide over $750,000 total to student attendees from member universities.

Students must be 18 years of age or older and enrolled in an institution of higher education at the time of the CGI U meeting in order to apply. To be considered for admission, all applicants are required to make a Commitment to Action in one of CGI U’s five focus areas: Education, Environment and Climate Change, Peace and Human Rights, Poverty Alleviation, and Public Health. The final application deadline is December 1, 2014.
Apply Now

Upcoming Volunteer Opportunities

Zero Waste Recycling Survey

The University of Arkansas and the Chancellor have a goal to be Zero Waste by 2021. Help the U of A reach this goal by volunteering for the Office for Sustainability in the Walton College Zero Waste Pilot Project.

Volunteers will:
Collect data about recycling bins in the Business Building
Survey building occupants on opinions and thoughts about Zero Waste
Enter the collected data in an Excel spreadsheet

A short 15-minute training session will be required for all volunteers. Hours will be flexible and based on the volunteer’s schedule from 8 to 5 during the week day. Volunteers will have the opportunity to work as many hours as they need. All help is welcome! Volunteer hours do not need to be consecutive.

Sign Up to Volunteer for the Recycling Survey

November 17th – 28th

Game Day Recycling Challenge

Last year nearly 83% of all game day waste at Razorback Stadium was diverted from landfills. The University of Arkansas placed 8th in the nation and first in the SEC during the Environmental Protection Agency’s Game Day Challenge. The friendly competition is a great way to advance sustainability measures that directly affect our campus. Help us become the first college in the SEC to reach zero waste by volunteering on game day.

All volunteers will:

Educate for 1.5 hours before kickoff
Sort during the game
Sort for 1 hour after the game

Estimated volunteer time is 5-6 hours total

Volunteer for the Game Day Challenge

Saturday, November 22nd, 9:30 AM – 11:00 PM

Internship Opportunities

Boston Mountain Solid Waste District Internship

The Boston Mountain Solid Waste District is currently accepting applications for their 2015 Spring Collegiate Internship program. The Boston Mountain Solid Waste District is the state sub-agency tasked with managing waste and waste reduction throughout Washington and Madison Counties. This internship will be under the Environmental Education department and will focus on managing recycling infrastructure within the District with a specific focus on the University of Arkansas athletic department’s waste stream and community events. Interns will be given exposure to the complexities of managing a diverse waste stream and will have access to all sides of the industry from public engagement to movement and marketing of materials. They will be given a leadership role in the University of Arkansas’ athletic department’s recycling program and will be a partner in District education for public schools.

Applications are due November 21st.  For more information download the application below or contact Rob Moore at rmoore@bmswd.com.

Click here for more information

Ongoing Volunteer Opportunities

Habitat for Humanity ReStore Assistant

The ReStore is a discount home improvement center open to the public that accepts donations of new and gently used building materials, furniture, and appliances and sells them at greatly reduced prices. Customer service is the primary focus for our ReStore Volunteers. Our ReStore staff will assign jobs as needed.

Sign Up to Volunteer at the ReStore

1421 E. 15th St.
Fayetteville, AR 72701

Fayetteville Public Library

They Fayetteville Public Library is inviting UA sustainability students to get involved by volunteering at the library. Volunteers can set their own hours and choose from a variety of programs and departments.

Volunteer Application

Margaret Burdette, Manager of Volunteer Services
Fayetteville Public Library
401 W. Mountain St., Fayetteville, AR  72701
direct phone – 479.856.7104 | library phone – 479.856.7000
www.faylib.org   

TriCycle Farms

Tri Cycle Farms, located at the corner of Sycamore and Garland Avenue, is a centrally located urban farm on the blue and red bus routes (free parking is also available at the Trinity United Methodist Church). The mission of Tri Cycle Farms is to “build community through soil,” and the nonprofit (via fiscal partnership with the OMNI Center for Peace, Justice and Ecology) is working broadly with other like-minded organizations in the region to strengthen food security. Tri Cycle Farms has ongoing “Farm to Table” programs, gardening classes, volunteer opportunities, chicken husbandry, herb walks, a composting system, and new plans to develop a farmer’s market with the Trinity United Methodist Church, which is directly across the street from Tri Cycle.

Contact Don Bennett at fayettevilletricyclefarms@gmail.com or 479-966-0572, or Joanna Pollock at JPollock@walton.uark.edu or 708-828-5695 for more information about how to get involved or tour Tri Cycle. You can also find Tri Cycle Farms on Facebook.


The content of this post does not constitute an official endorsement by the University of Arkansas or the Office for Sustainability. All announcements are for informational purposes only.