Sustainable Development on Campus

I’m the Sustainable Development intern and there are some very exciting things happening on campus that you should know about!

Sustainable Development Action Group
A multi-stakeholder group meant to foster cooperation between students, staff and administration. In the past we have had many accomplishments including the agreement of students to pay a “green levy” of $2.50/semester. We have many ongoing projects that we are working on this semester and invite the participation of students. Meetings are every other week on Friday at 1:30pm in the Patterson Assembly Room. This week we invite you to an information session on composting in residence which will take place Wednesday 21st at 6:00pm.

Bishop’s University Environmental Club
BUEC is a longstanding student club on campus. So far this year the club has had great success in recruiting volunteers but could always use an extra hand. On September 22, the club participated in Car-Free Day, encouraging alternative uses of transportation such as public buses and biking. They had valet parking for bikes and were also able to raise $200 for the Fire Relief Fund. Upcoming projects that the club is working on include the Community Garden and a campaign to end the sale of bottled water on campus. If you are interested in being involved contact Katrina Kroeze: kkroeze07@ubishops.ca or join the Facebook group.

Bishop’s University Social Ecology Club
A club concerned with environmental issues and how they affect society, this group promotes healthy relationships and activities. They’ve teamed up with Cinema Politica to bring free screenings of documentaries every other Tuesday. Recently screened was “Addicted to Plastic.” If you’d like more information, contact Nick Zoghbi: nzoghbi07@ubishops.ca. BUSEC has also teamed up with Tierra del Fuego, an off campus resource center located at 19 Church Street. Some of their activities include: community suppers and brunches, book club, and free French and Spanish classes. If you would like more information, contact Kathleen Chan: kchan07@ubishops.ca.

Bishop’s University Campus Forest Project
In their own words: “The BUCFP is a student initiative that promotes sustainable relationships with nature at Bishop’s University by facilitating fun and educational activities that aim at enhancing students appreciation of nature’s intrinsic value. The project initiatives work to sustainably develop Bishop’s University’s 470 acres of campus forests in a manner that promotes ecological integrity while maximizing anthropogenic appreciation of the resources in order to position the forests as a centerpiece of the Bishop’s identity and ensuring that future, non-sustainable development of the resources does not occur.” This project was made possible by funds awarded from the green levy. If you would like to know more you can contact Adam Bond: abond06@ubishops.ca or check out the Facebook group.

Green Levy
Every Bishop’s student pays $2.50 per semester among the other fees that are required. This is the green levy and it was supported by students in the spring of 2008 by a referendum. This brings in approximately $4000 per semester to be awarded to student initiatives like the Campus Forest Project. We also awarded money last year to the Community Garden which had a green house built (located behind Paterson). If you have an idea but need the funds to make it happen, please submit your proposal by November 13th. If this is too soon, we have a second deadline which is February 1st. For more information on application guidelines and requirements please contact me: eide06@ubishops.ca.

Carpooling
There are 2 ride share boards on campus: one next to the mailboxes in the SUB and one in the library lobby. Also, there are also online programs such as www.rideshark.com. If you are traveling long distances consider getting a membership to Allo-Stop, found at www.allostop.com and on King Ouest.

What’s Coming Up:
- Webinars by the National Wildlife Federation including topics such as “Students in Action,” “Local Food and Food Security” and “Preparing for a Green Workforce.”
- In late November we will be having a presentation comparing the benefits of Rainforest Alliance Coffee versus Fair Trade Certified coffee.
If you have any questions about any of the above please email me any time: eide06@ubishops.ca.