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  1. Weekly Update: Refurbished bikes

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Continuing in our lucky streak of donations, we got a few bikes donated last week that we’ve already fixed up and sold. It is really an ideal situation when donations need minimal work like that and then the ideal person shows up the next day to purchase the bike. On the flipside, I counted 16 bikes that we moved out to the racks just to clear enough space for the bike center to be functional.

    Big thanks to Todd who picked up our heaping pile of scrap. I’ll spend some time this week starting a new heaping pile.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 16
    Sales: $1,386.50
    Bikes (refurb): 6 for $905
    Memberships: 6 for $180
    U locks: 4 for $84
    Tire/tubes: 2 for $9

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  2. July 2021 Project Progress Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Air Quality Monitoring Station

    Moazam Hakim provided the following updates regarding the Air Quality Monitoring Station on July 26, 2021:

    • The actual pod was received on Monday, July 26, 2021. This pod was procured from Stratford, UK.
    • The next step is to get this pod installed on a lighting pole, or at another suitable location on campus.
    • Over the course of the past month, the development of public interface and API for the data has been underway. After the installation of the pod, the collected data will be reported via Mobile Network, and the dashboard will be released. This dashboard will report live data, as well as provide past data and information available for download. 
    • The parameters that are being monitored are PM, NO, NO2, O3, CO, CO2, Relative Humidity, and Barometric Pressure.

  3. Request for Update

    Associated Project(s): 
    Fly Ash Phosphorous Filtration

    Avery Maloto reached out to Rabin Bhattarai requesting an update for the "Fly Ash Phosphorous Filtration" project in the iCAP portal. Rabin explained that the project ended in December of 2018, and there are no ongoing activities related to the project. 

  4. iSEE Annual Report and iCAP Portal Updates Request

    Associated Project(s): 
    Environment-Enhancing Energy Paradigm for Food Waste to Biofuel and Biomaterial

    Tony Mancuso, the Communications and Public Affairs Director, has requested updates on the progress of Professor Sinha and Professor Zhang's 2018 Campus as a Living Lab seed-funded projects for the iSEE website and the iSEE annual report.

    Professor Zhang sent updates for this project per Avery Maloto's request to update the iCAP Portal. Pictures were included in the update but there was an issue determining the status of the funding. 

  5. Bike Registration Signs: 7/25 meeting between Sarthak and Shayna

    Associated Project(s): 
    Bicycle Registration

    Below are the 12 locations we can put up the signs. Additionally, after looking at you map, I agree with all the location for the signs.

    1. Snyder Hall
    2. Weston Hall
    3. Hopkins Hall
    4. Nugent Hall
    5. Taft Van Doren
    6. FAR/PAR
    7. Busey/Evans
    8. Allen Hall
    9. LAR
    10. ISR
    11. Illini Union
    12. ARC

    Today we discussed the 10-12 location we are ready to place the bike signs once they are made. Once the work order is submitted soon, the signs will take around two weeks to produce and we are hoping to have everything, including the placement of the signs, done by early September. Currently, the cost of each sign ranges from $60-$75 with an additional $200 for installation of all signs. We hope to complete 12 signs and make more if our budget allows.

  7. Goldenrod Removal at the Florida-Orchard Prairie

    Associated Project(s): 
    Prairie Restoration at Florida & Orchard

    The following email from John Marlin describes how to remove goldenrod at the Florida & Orchard Prairie and some motivation for doing so.

    --------------------------------------------------------------------

    From: John Marlin
    Date: Sun, Jul 25, 2021 at 1:51 PM
    Subject: Perfect time to remove goldenrod at Florida Orchard
    To: Illinois Master Naturalists

     

    The big rain Saturday evening has left the soil in perfect condition for easily pulling tall goldenrod (see photo) at the Florida-Orchard prairie next to the UI president's house.  This is a great time for some independent action to get some hours.  Grasp the stem rather low (or several stems if you wish) and slowly pull straight up.  You may get lucky and also get 3 feet of rhizome.  Pulling the plants now just before they bloom weakens them greatly and prevents seed development.  You will often notice several stems in a circular pattern, get them all.  If you cannot carry plants away, toss them into the prairie individually.  If you cannot pull or bend over, just clip the stem 2 or 3 feet above ground level to weaken the plant and spur competitors.

     

    During he past several years we have pulled many plants along the South and east edges and the first third of the center path, Concentrate on these areas and the first third of the central path.  (WE also worked on the North side -- including putting a drop of herbicide on cut stems).  This has paid off as the species diversity has improved in these areas.  We concentrate on pulling the tall goldenrod near more desirable species like Butterfly milkweed, Bee balm, Culver's root and others.  If you walk down the central path, notice how goldenrod dominates about a third of the way down.

     

    There is parking in the UI lots at the Archives (Hort lab) off Orchard at the top of the Hill and at various times on Orchard street North of Florida.

     

    This site along with others including Meadow Brook, Pollinatarium, Arboretum, Lincoln Ave. Residence, Red Oak rain garden, AND homeowner plantings allow bee and other pollinator populations a chance to expand and exchange genetic material.  Attached are a recent photo of the south side and an historical poster of FLOR in 2013.

     

    MN's can get credit for this as part of the campus native plant projects. 

     

    I sent this BCC to some people who helped in the past and may have some current interest.

     

    John C. Marlin

    Attached Files: 

  8. Scope Change requested: Bike and Ped Counters

    Associated Project(s): 
    Pedestrian and Bicycle Counts
    Student Sustainability Committee (SSC)

    Sarthak Prasad requested a scope change for the Bicycle Registration and RFID Tracking Program project on July 23, 2021. This scope change request includes changes to the following:

    1. Project name change
    2. Primary contact for the project
    3. Change in Project description
    4. Timeline extension
    5. Plan for the remaining fund – purchase and install another Eco-Counter. Overage will be covered by TDM

    Please see attached the scope change document from 2020 as well as 2021.

    Attached Files: 

  11. Weekly Update: Slow week; Bike sales; Employment at CBC; Bike registration

    Associated Project(s): 
    Campus Bike Center

    All, Slow-ish week on the whole. Some rainy weather kept it quiet for a day or two. We’re holding steady with 20 – 25 bikes for sale as we’ve been able to keep up with the pace of sales. We got two donations late on Friday, one of which had nearly nothing wrong with it, and thusly was fixed up and on the sales floor within an hour.

    We had a few visitors express interest in employment at the Bike Center so I will follow up with them this week to help bolster our roster.

    Sarthak came by on Friday and explained a great time-saver for doing on-the-spot 529 bike registrations. This will be a great help in about a month when we’re deluged with incoming students.

    The numbers:

    Visitors: 20
    Sales: $450.50
    Bikes (refurb): 2 for $280
    Tires/tubes: 5 for $21

    Thanks!

    Jacob Benjamin
    Campus Bike Center Coordinator

  13. Archived Info - Previous Project Description

    Associated Project(s): 
    Styrecycle: Expanded polystyrene (EPS) recycling program

    Dart Container at 1505 E. Main St., Urbana, accepts expanded polystyrene (EPS), more commonly known by its brand name Styrofoam, for recycling. Departments are encouraged to take EPS there to recycle this bulky material. By doing so, we can reduce the volume of waste sent from campus to landfills and avoid the harmful environmental impacts of that practice. There is no charge to drop off EPS at Dart for recycling.

    There is currently no central funding source to pay for transportation of EPS to Dart, so departments need to arrange transport independently.

    The drop-off location is in a fenced-in area of the Dart parking lot and may be accessed 24 hours a day. Dart accepts foam packaging (except for packaging peanuts), foam cups, foam egg cartons, foam meat trays, foam ice chests, and other foam products that fall within these guidelines:

    • Make sure foam has the #6 chasing arrows symbol on it.
    • Deposit foam in a clear or translucent bag (large bags are provided at the drop-off site).
    • Rinse or wipe foodservice containers free from food.
    • Remove straws, lids, tape or any other non-foam material.
    • Do not include foam-packaging peanuts.

    From fall 2015 until summer 2017, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) ran the Styrecycle program in partnership with Community Resource Inc. (CRI). Ownership of CRI changed in July 2017, and the new owner was not able to continue the program.

  14. Engagement SWATeam Meeting

    Associated Project(s): 
    Sustainability Engagement and Outreach
    Engagement iCAP Team

    Representatives of the Engagement SWATeam met on July 19 to discuss 2 working recommendations: one related to recycling bin signage (having consistent & effective signage in residential halls and offices) and one related to increasing the visibility of the iCAP on university websites. Meeting minutes are attached.

    Attached Files: 

  20. Archived Info - Previous Project Background

    Associated Project(s): 
    Red Oak Rain Garden

    The Red Oak Rain Garden (RORG) was established in 2006. The current renovation is to improve both aesthetics and functionality. The RORG Team, led by Eliana Brown, Water Quality Specialist with Illinois-Indiana Sea Grant and Illinois Extension, is managing the design and build of the project, which just completed phases I and II as of October 2019. Read our blog for the latest construction updates.

    Back in 2006, Prof. Tony Endress' Restoration Ecology classes designed and installed the rain garden with assistance from Facilities & Services and the City of Urbana and in cooperation with Housing Services.  For additional visual interest, art student Jennifer Astwood designed the “Prairie Fire” sculpures under the guidance of Prof. Alex Fekete.

    The Red Oak Rain Garden is a BLUE Illinois Faculty/StudentProject funded by Facilities & Services in conjunction with the Environmental Council, with additional funding support from University Housing.

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