04/05/2016
Red is Green at SUNY Cortland, especially during the month of April.
That’s when Green Days, the College’s yearlong celebration of sustainability and environmental awareness, reaches its peak with four weeks of earth-friendly lectures, events and activities.
Formerly known as Sustainability Month, Green Days explores the many diverse ways SUNY Cortland plays a leading role in reducing carbon emissions, improving how resources are used, researching new environmental practices and educating students and the community about climate change.
April’s 2016 Green Day events include:
What Porter Ranch Can Teach Us About Seneca Lake
April 7, 7 pm, Jacobus Lounge
With a talk by Joe Heath and music from Colleen Kattau, this event will focus attention on the local politics of fracking and the fight against natural gas storage under Seneca Lake. Sponsored by the Cultural and Intellectual Climate Committee.
Planning Communities as if People Eat
April 11, 4:30 pm, Sperry 104
Dr. Samina Raja of the University of Buffalo will introduce her research program, which focuses on understanding the role of planning and policy in building sustainable food systems and healthy communities. She is the Principal Investigator of the Food Systems Planning and Healthy Communities Lab (the “Food Lab”). In partnership with collaborators nationwide, Raja is currently directing Growing Food Connections, a comprehensive five-year initiative funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture to build capacity of local governments to strengthen food systems. Sponsored by the Cultural and Intellectual Climate Committee.
Sun Run: An Earth Day Celebration
April 13, 5:00 PM, Student Life Center
Join NYPIRG at SUNY Cortland as they host a demonstration to show New York that students support renewable energy NOW! The group will start at the Student Life Center at 5 p.m. with guest speaker Mecke Nagel. Then they will march, run and RACE towards the solar panels on campus! Special guests will include representatives from Solarize Central New York, and from SUNY Cortland's Sustainability Energy Systems Program. To register for the run/walk/march go to: http://goo.gl/forms/Ng4LiFGyQx.
Living Zero Waste on a College Campus
April 14, 12:00-1:00 pm, Jacobus Lounge
What is a zero-waste lifestyle and how can you accomplish it on a college campus? Inspired by bloggers Lauren Singer and Bea Johnson, SUNY Cortland Residence Hall Director Amy Garside decided to try a zero-waste lifestyle and chronicle her journey for one month. Starting March1, Garside challenged herself give up trash cans. All garbage that she produced she kept and carried with her for one month. The catch was that she had to live a zero-waste lifestyle while residing on a college campus and traveling to a national conference. In this presentation the audience will receive an introduction to living a zero waste lifestyle and learn where our trash goes when it’s taken away. You can also follow Garside’s challenge at https://31daysofzerowaste.wordpress.com/.
"Sustainable" Habitats for Humanity
April 18, 6:00 pm, Caleion Room, Corey Union
The goal of the Habitat for Humanity Club’s program is to teach ways for students to create sustainable and environmentally friendly living spaces for themselves now and in the future. The group will share statistics about how much energy and waste a household emits per year. Then they will break the audience into four groups. Each group will go to a station where they will learn a specific aspect of living in an environmentally friendly home with a hands-on activity.
Caterpillar Gardening: The Plants That Butterflies & Moths Need to Complete Their Life Cycles
April 19, 7-8:30 pm, Sperry 204
Gardening for butterflies and moths is more than planting nectar sources for adults. Native plant expert Colleen Wolpert will show how people can assist them in all stages of their lifecycle as well as distinguish them from pests.
Plant Fair
April 20,11:00 AM, In front of Memorial Library (rain Location Cornish Hall Lobby)
Student Affairs Sustainability Committee and Campus Garden Committee
Join us for the annual plant fair!
JOYFUL: Celebrating our Earth - A family event
April 30, 10:00 AM - 12:30 PM Memorial Library, Teaching Materials Center
JOYFUL is an acronym for Joining Our Youth, Families, and University for Learning. Come join the group on Saturday, April 30 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Teaching Materials Center of Memorial Library for a fun family event celebrating our Earth. Art projects, books, poems and songs for children age 2-8 and their families.