On Thursday, April 22, UNO hosted it's own Earth Day Celebration in the Pep Bowl. 20 different sustainability leaders from around town displayed their work and discussed how they were making a difference in the community and how students and staff could get involved too. Christine Bywater of OPPD's Sustainable Energy Division spoke at Earth Day, and her address was followed by a performance by the band Skypiper. Also present was a biodiesel fueled rickshaw that is currently on display at the Criss Library through May 2. Check out our lovely pictures here. Thanks to all who made this event a wonderful success!

On Thursday, April 22, Sustainability Coordinator Patrick Wheeler presented the UNO Childcare center with its very own worm composter. Kelly Smith of Black Sheep Farms was present, and gave a vermiposting (composting with worms) presentation to UNO's most precious students. The composter is compact, odor free, and can produce three pounds of soil a week! Pictures can be found here.

ITS is proud to announce that they have just released a document that specifies new "green" technology polices at UNO. They do this with the full support of the UNO community. "I ask the entire UNO community to support energy reduction of our campus computers and equipment," said Chancellor John Christensen. "Simple one-time adjustments to energy settings and adopting a few minor changes in our daily routine and behavior can help our campus make a significant difference in our total energy use and impact on the environment." To read the new guidelines, click here.

Student, faculty and staff efforts to recycle on campus continue to work. As of November, UNO has recycled more than 371,900 pounds of materials since the program kicked off last year. Blue containers are located across campus and in offices to collect a wide variety of materials: All types of paper products (office paper, envelopes, copy paper, colored paper, newspaper, magazines, catalogs and phone books); All types of cardboards; Water bottles and pop cans with plastic lids; All types of plastic; and Metal containers. Trash should be discarded in the black containers on campus. Trash includes all food, liquids, Styrofoam, tissues, paper towels, construction materials, plastic bags and glass.

A GreenUNO Facebook Group was created to promote sustainability events on campus. Not on Facebook? A mailing list has been created to notify interested parties in green events taking place at UNO and in the Metro area. If you would like to be added to the mailing list, please fill out the form on the Contact Us page.

Several brightly painted bicycles arrived on campus Sept. 8, as part of the new Bike Share program for UNO. Boys Town donated a total of eight bikes, one of which is a tandem, to UNO. The bikes can be ridden anywhere on campus and dropped off at a bike rack for use by other riders. Dr. Corbin (pictured), a professor at HYPER, said the program is an effort to encourage physical activity, to protect the environment and to provide an easier way to get around campus.
-Tim Fitzgerald