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Project Updates for collection: Student Sustainability Committee Funded Projects

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  1. Monarchs Need Milkweed Oct Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Increase Pollinator-Friendly Areas

    Below is an update from Brent Lewis on Oct 17th about the Monarchs need Milkweed recommendation:

     

    FYI, I’m close to getting a $2.5k bag of milkweed seeds delivered to me.  😊  We are getting this in the portal and ordered so Grounds can get this spread out this fall. 

     

    I’m hoping we can still get pots in the ground this fall too.  I see plenty of plants available at Midwest Groundcovers nursery in St. Charles, IL.  Deb is working on that.

     

    Additionally updates from the Land & Water Clerk which were provided at the Campus Sustainability Celebration:

     

    Milkweed Seeds for Monarch Butterflies

    •Received a grant for planting milkweed across campus to support monarch butterfly populations which are important pollinators

    •Seeds and plants will be planted around campus in late fall in low and no mow areas

    •Working to clarify no mow and low mow  zones on campus to support the growth of native plants, also making it easier for the planting of milkweed

     

     

     

  2. Weekly digest

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    The Bike Center received a few more donations and started processing the abandoned bike pile which they'll continue to tackle throughout the week. There was a mention in E-Week for their Kids Bike Giveaway and already have donations lined up. 

    Visitors: 66
    Sales: $575.10
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $140
    Memberships: 8 for $240
    Tires/tubes: 9 for $69

  3. Weekly digest

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    They finalized the date and times for our Kids Bike Giveaway event: 12/14/24 from 2 – 4p at Urbana IMC building, so they submit work orders for signage/posters/social media posts. Thus far, we’ve gotten zero donations of kids’ bikes, but between both shops we have ~15 to start working through. 

    They'll also have their first instructional class on how to fix a flat tomorrow.

     

    Visitors: 69

    Sales: $1,153.50

    Bikes (refurb): 2 for $395

    Memberships: 20 for $600

    Tires/tubes: 22 for $163

  4. Weekly update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    The Bike Center hired 2 new staff members and got a new inventory of kids' bikes that are already in the works of getting fixed up. Posters are printed and hung at CBC for donations to the Kids’ Bike Giveaway. Posters and flyers were also given to Urbana staff for them to display in their space. 

     

    Visitors: 110

    Sales: $1,153.50

    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $200

    Memberships: 20 for $600

    Tires/tubes: 22 for $163

  5. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Manageable levels of busyness last week. I think our visit numbers have declined slightly, which makes sense for the time of year. Highlights of the week: Received a couple worthwhile direct donations. Fixed up a couple kids’ bikes. Had a student staff interview. Got a few B-a-Bs out the door. The law professor who’s into bikes has become a regular Friday volunteer.

    The TBP Monthly Member meeting is tonight, which I will attend. This week is also the deadline for abandoned bike retrieval, so I will do a rough inventory of keep/scrap. We also may table at the Green Quad Day, if I have available staff since it overlaps with our open hours. Have a lot of loose wheels that are of questionable quality that we need to deal with, too.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 82
    Sales: 865.51
    Bikes (B-a-B): 3 for $160
    Memberships: 8 for $240
    Tires/tubes: 11 for $112

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  6. Weekly Update: Bike week, busy week

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    C-U Bike to Work Day
    Light the Night

    All, Another busy week with the fun addition of Bike To Work Day and Light The Night. Haven’t seen the numbers yet but both events went well,  I believe. Friday was surprisingly slow here, which was great since I had staff out sick. We had a BTWD participant follow up and volunteer with us on Friday, which was great.

    With the previously mentioned events out of the way, it’s on to prep for the abandoned bikes being released to us soon. Space is at a premium, so we’ll have to get creative and/or judicial in the bikes we utilize. Hope to get a few more bikes on the sales floor. We also already have one bike ready to go for our Kids Bike Giveaway.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 103
    Sales: $1,230
    Bikes (B-a-B): 3 for $150
    Memberships: 19 for $570
    Tires/tubes: 25 for $187

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  7. Weekly Update: Bike Week

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    C-U Bike to Work Day
    Light the Night

    All, It’s Bike Week! Bike To Work Day and Light The Night are this week, so we’re prepping for that. Still busy here, too, during our open hours. We’re moving more build-a-bikes and have 3 bikes in the queue for the sales floor. After this week we’re on to the abandoned bikes from the last round up. Always fun around here!

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 122
    Sales: $1,801.50
    Bikes (refurb): 2 for $340
    Bikes (B-a-B): 3 for $210
    Memberships: 25 for $750
    Tires/tubes: 30 for $237

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center
     

  8. Weekly Update: Bike to Work Day, Light the Night, B-a-B

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Another busy week, although slightly less so since we’re out of refurbished bikes. We’ll have a trickle of one or two available as I’m able to fix them but we’re far too slammed during open hours to build any.

    Bike To Work Day and Light the Night are next week, so I’ll be rallying staff for that and handling other prep as needed. Getting a few more B-a-Bs prepped and a bike or two on the sales floor, too.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 122
    Sales: $1,387.75
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $200
    Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $60
    Memberships: 24 for $720
    Tires/tubes: 19 for $116

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  9. Weekly Update: Build-a-Bike

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Busy as can be last week. We’re sold out of refurbished bikes and have only a handful of Build-a-Bikes available. We have 3 new hires in the pipeline, which’ll help. Meanwhile, this week is absolutely perfect riding weather—hope folks are getting out there!

    Our newer B-a-B model of handling some of the harder repairs has really helped accessibility to the program. With 3 this week alone, that’s more than we sometimes get completed in 6 months. Lowering barriers of entry is always a good thing!

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 187
    Sales: $2,027
    Memberships:  27(!) for $810
    Bikes (refurb): 2 for $345
    Bikes (B-a-B): 3 for $153
    Tires/tubes: 34 for $256

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  10. YMCA Dump & Run Numbers

    Associated Project(s): 
    Dump and Run

    During the Aug. 5 - Aug. 17 collections we had roughly 280 donation drop offs (increased over last year by about 30)

    • We conducted 39 furniture pickups on the two Saturdays
    • 118 volunteers worked 980 hours over the three weeks between collecting, sorting, pricing, the Big Sale and cleanup (7 more volunteers and 170 more hours than last year)
    • 12 staff members, including myself, contributed 267 hours at the Stock Pavilion
    • Roughly 3,700 people attended the Big Sale over the weekend, including at least 1,000 students (probably much more), compared to an estimated 2,500 total last year
    • The Big Sale grossed a little over $29,000, well past our budget goals, and an increase over last year (just under 23k)
    • What little that was left, which wasn't much, was mostly either recycled or donated to Salt & Light for additional reuse.

    Overall it was an excellent and incredibly smooth year!

  11. Weekly Update: Students are back, Build-a-Bike

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, I know students are back when bikes start selling without a test ride. You can only lead a horse to water…

    We’ll likely sell out of bikes this week. So, we’ll scramble to get a few more on the sales floor. And of course, always mention our Build-a-Bike program!

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 19
    Sales: $1,178.25
    Bikes (refurb): 4 for $785
    Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $66
    Memberships: 3 for $90
    Tires/tubes: 10 for $59

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center
     

  12. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Slow week. Not a lot of visitors, not a lot of bikes sold. Should be able to get a couple more bikes on the sales floor today, as we’re down to 10 or so bikes available.

    I’ll be out the rest of the week after today, but my staff will cover.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 13
    Sales: $465.50
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $190
    Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $50
    Memberships: 3 for $90
    Tires/tubes: 10 for $74

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  13. Weekly Update: Slow week

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Slow week, except for the full family that brought in 4 bikes over 2 days so everyone could get riding. One of the kids was extra inquisitive on what bikes parts were and their function. Genuine interest is always appreciated!

    Worked through most of our donations of the last few weeks and now have to parse out the build-a-bikes from the for-sale builds to hopefully make the process easier for my staff.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 12
    Sales: $424.50

    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $175
    Memberships: 6 for $180
    Tires/tubes: 3 for $20

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  14. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Had a visit from someone who works at the Idea Store in Urbana. We were able to donate an old junky wheel to them for an art project—always happy to repurpose bike parts we can’t use! Even more so to an organization that helps recycle as many things as they do.

    This week we’ll still be working through the donations we’ve accrued in the last few weeks.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 17
    Sales: $514.25
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $180
    Membership: 4 for $120
    Tires/tubes: 11 for $88

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  15. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Uneventful week to report on. Real Feel temp all week was hovering near or above triple digits. Not a lot of folks out riding in that weather. We were closed on Wednesday for Juneteenth and had shorted hours on Monday due to a conference I was attending.

    Tonight is the Bike Project member’s meeting, which I’ll attend.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 6
    Sales: $308.50
    Memberships: 6 for $180
    Tires/tubes: 5 for $38

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  17. Weekly Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center
    Collection and Donation of Abandoned Bicycles

    All, Apologies for the delay. Pretty uneventful week. I was out at a conference on Thursday and Friday. My staff handled shop hours on Friday without issue. Made some more headway in the abandoned bike pile but also got half dozen or so direct donations as well. So, we’ve got our work cut out for us this week in processing all those.

    I spent some time last week turning bars/pulling pedals on the bikes we do have here in an effort to maximize space. We’ll spend staff time this week checking over those bikes, so they can be earmarked for the Build-a-Bike program and be much easier to identify by staff and the untrained eye.

    We will be closed tomorrow for Juneteenth and reopen on Friday.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 6
    Sales: $366.50
    Memberships: 1 for $30
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $90
    Bikes (B-a-B): 1 for $50
    Tires/tubes: 17 for $125

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  18. Weekly Update: Youth Bike Summit

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Normal week to report on. Over the weekend made some good headway on the last of the abandoned bikes, with the help of the Bike Project and Habitat for Humanity. One of our student staff members is headed to a conference in Italy for the entire month of June, so we’ll miss his insight as a Dutch bike enthusiast. Although,  maybe that is redundant of me to say.

    I will be attending the Youth Bike Summit in Pennsylvania from Thursday – Sunday this week. Should be a good opportunity to dive deep into bike programming of all sorts!

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 19
    Sales: $431
    Bikes (refurb): 1 for $135
    Memberships: 6 for $180
    Tires/tubes: 5 for $24.50

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Coordinator -- Campus Bike Center

  20. Aquaponics Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bevier Café’s - Aquaponics System Demonstration Unit
    Illini Urban Farmers Hydroponics System

    Below is an update from Carter Phillips:

     

    The aquaponics system is still running strong and providing product to be served by our students at the Bevier Café.  In the last year we have been working on the Illini Urban Farmer RSO taking over production and maintenance of the system. This allows for a unique learning experience for any student interested in aquaponics and urban farming.

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