April 24, 2018
SIU hosting 2018 Sustainability Celebration on April 27
CARBONDALE, Ill. — Southern Illinois University Carbondale is hosting a Sustainability Celebration this week to recognize people for their commitment to sustainability, award grants to further enhance the “green” campus and encourage everyone to learn more and get involved in making more sustainable daily choices.
Free reception Friday; all are welcome
The celebration will take place from 9:30 to 11 a.m. Friday at Morris Library. There is no cost to attend and the campus community and public are invited.
The festivities begin with an awards presentation and ceremony in the John C. Guyon Auditorium. Afterward, there will be a variety of special activities and displays in the library rotunda along with prizes and refreshments.
Sustainability recognition planned
Chancellor Carlo Montemagno will speak, highlighting SIU’s longstanding commitment to sustainability and green initiatives, to kick things off.
The ceremony will feature the presentation of awards to the campus Environmental Ambassadors. The Chancellor and Sustainability Council present the awards annually to students who have donated at least 30 hours of community service to environmentally related endeavors.
Geory Kurtzhals, SIU’s sustainability coordinator, will recognize the campus Sustainability Collaborators as well. These include campus faculty, staff, organizations and units which contribute to making SIU a more environmentally friendly university.
Green Fund grants will be announced
The tone will switch from recognizing people for what they’ve done in the past year or longer to promoting further campus enhancements when the winners of the 2018 Green Fund grants are announced. Funding for the grants comes from a $10-per-semeter Green Fee, adopted in 2009 as the result of a student-led initiative.
Since that time, the Green Fund Committee, which includes a faculty member, a staff member, and three student members of the Sustainability Council, has awarded more than $2.1 million for 169 diverse sustainability projects. The committee has been carefully reviewing dozens of project proposals and the 2018 winners will claim nearly $90,000 for their proposals.
Experience Sustainability
Students, faculty, staff and community members will then enjoy the opportunity to experience SIU sustainability for themselves through a variety of interactive displays, games and activities.
Visitors can enjoy a showcase highlighting some of the projects that previously received Green Fund monies.
Learn more about:
- The campus compost facility.
- The Sustainable Eco-Recreation project, an initiative to create recreational activities that would also preserve the recently reclaimed Campus Lake.
- The Great Cardboard Boat Regatta, taking place Saturday on Campus Lake.
- “Sustainable” meals.
- Other projects and initiatives.
Check out the environmental studies program’s plastic bag display and find out more about textile waste and SIU’s Sustainability Office. Join the Saluki Green Action Team, comprised of students, faculty and staff who are committed to making the community more sustainable.
A variety of special games and activities, offering the chance to win great prizes, and much more are also on tap. Light refreshments will be served.
The Sustainability Celebration wraps up SIU’s month-long Earth Month.