Annual Report, Fiscal Year 2017 - University of Mississippi Office of Sustainability

2016-17 ANNUAL REPORT

at t h e u n i v e r s i t y

of mississippi

SUSTAINABILITY

TABLE OF CONTENTS Letter from the Assistant Director........................................2 Definition of Sustainability....................................................3 About the Office......................................................................4 Sustainability Quick Facts......................................................5 Energy.......................................................................................6 Waste Reduction......................................................................9 Food........................................................................................12 Transportation.......................................................................16 Green Week............................................................................18 Data Collection......................................................................22 Student Engagement.............................................................24 Education................................................................................28 Green Fund............................................................................30 Community Connections.....................................................33 About the Staff.......................................................................36

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Dear Reader, This annual report reflects the closing of a chapter. The academic year 2016-17 has come to an end, and it is important to look back on our year — the highlights, the challenges, the successes. As we prepare for a new year, one in which we will keep growing, keep pushing toward progress, we must pause to reflect, learn, celebrate, breathe and then get back to work.

I am looking back not just over the past year, but over the past nine years at the university.

My family and I are preparing for a move to the Mississippi Gulf Coast this summer. As I look back over my time with the Office of Sustainability, I am filled with emotion and pride to realize how far we have come. Two of our inaugural programs — game-day recycling and the Green Student Intern Program — have matured into strong, vibrant programs reaching beyond their original scope and purpose. Though we started with a few topical areas, we are now engaged in many different topics such as energy, leadership development and change agency, active transportation and sustainable food systems.

We continue to expand and deepen our involvement and impact. This journey to becoming a more sustainable campus is a long-term one. True, lasting change does not happen overnight.

I have learned so much from this job and this community and have grown in many unexpected ways. I have learned that process is important; people and relationships are important. How you do something can be as important as what you do. I hope that we come to be known for doing things thoughtfully, purposefully and with great enthusiasm.

We are all in this journey together. As we learned from our Earth Day keynote speaker David George Haskell, life is the network — the whole community, not just the individual. That concept resonated strongly with me because if there is one thing I have learned is that there is nothing that I do alone; there is nothing we, as the Office of Sustainability, do alone. We help others and others help us; it’s the philosophy of collaboration and the language of “We.” This report celebrates the work our whole community of partners has accomplished. I hope you enjoy reading about the work we have accomplished and take a moment to pause to notice the significant and fun things we have done. Let’s celebrate. Then, let’s get back to work because we have only just begun.

By the next release of an annual report, we will have welcomed a new associate director. I look forward to reading about the next chapters with great enthusiasm.

Sincerely,

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SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability is a multidisciplinary, problem-solving approach to creating a social system that meets the needs of the present generation without compromising the needs of future generations or the needs of the ecological systems in which humans exist.

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ABOUT THE OFFICE

The University of Mississippi’s Office of Sustainability was created in 2008 to advance sustainable practices at the university. The office’s mission is to be a catalyst for environmentally positive change by educating, connecting and empowering the members of our community for the well-being of people and our ecological systems.

To support its mission, the Office of Sustainability has constructed the following goals by which to measure its programming:

FOSTER

change at the institutional level

INFLUENCE

individual behavior and create a shared sustainability language

UNDERSTAND

and communicate sustainability indicators

SUPPORT

leadership capacity and create co-curricular learning opportunities

EFFECT

direct change and innovation

DIFFUSE

sustainability into academic curriculum

EXPAND

partnerships in the community

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SUSTAINABILITY QUICK FACTS

14

18

GREEN STUDENT INTERNS

NEW HYDRATION STATIONS

14,110 POUNDS

of game-day recycling

3,835

RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTIFICATES

purchased to offset 3 percent of electricity use

600+

VOLUNTEERS engaged in sustainability projects

45 TONS of food waste composted since 2013

$217,000 &

2.7 MILLION KILOWATT HOURS saved annually through energy efficiency projects

OFFICE BRIEFS NEW & NOTEWORTHY NEW ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR

OUTSTANDING STAFF MEMBER

CLIMATE LEADERSHIP SUMMIT

Lindsey Abernathy was named the Office of Sustainability’s new associate director in August 2017. Abernathy, who previously served as project manager, replaced former assistant director Anne McCauley, who relocated to the Mississippi Gulf Coast with her family.

In recognition of her dedication to the university and its sustainability efforts, assistant director Anne McCauley received UM’s Overall Outstanding Staff Member award in May.

Sustainability director Ian Banner and assistant director Anne McCauley attended Second Nature’s 2017 Presidential Climate Leadership Summit in Arizona this year. In October, McCauley and sustainability fellow Kendall McDonald traveled to Baltimore for the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education’s annual conference.

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1

ENERGY

section

Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter delivers opening remarks during the university’s Energy Efficiency Celebration in April.

The Office of Sustainability works to advance energy efficiency at the university both within campus operations and through educational outreach programs focused on student engagement. Notable contributions to UM’s energy-efficiency efforts include the office’s work with the UM Energy Committee and its key role in the development of the UM Energy Plan as well as campuswide energy projects. Highlights from fiscal year 2017 included:

COMPLETION OF TVA MISSISSIPPI ENERGY EFFICIENCY GRANT

UM ENERGY COMMITTEE

In April, the university celebrated the culmination of a three-year grant program with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA). Through the grant program, the university created the UM Energy Committee that then developed the UM Energy Plan — two outcomes that will continue to benefit the university well beyond the close of the grant. The university invested $441,000 in energy-saving projects and received $100,000 from TVA. Projects included installing LED lighting across campus and making other energy-efficient upgrades, and the installation of an upcoming energy dashboard that will illustrate real-time energy consumption in buildings on campus to help foster an understanding of energy use among students, faculty, staff and visitors.

The UM Energy Committee continues to explore strategies for increasing energy productivity on campus and decreasing the university’s carbon footprint. The committee convened around a series of topics this year from behavior change and department involvement to renewable energy certificates and recent campus data and energy trends. Committee members also heard from energy and sustainability professionals at the University of Missouri about the efforts underway on their campus, including, and most notably, their cogeneration plant powered by biofuels. Although in the early stages, the university is moving forward with developing a utility master plan to guide the long-term plan and development of utilities on campus.

Through the implementation of these projects, the university will save $217,000 and 2.7 million kilowatt hours annually — savings equivalent to the total energy consumed by 200 homes for one year based on the installation of these projects. To commemorate the completion of the grant, the university hosted an Energy Efficiency Celebration with remarks from UM Chancellor Jeffrey Vitter, Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Larry Sparks, North East Mississippi Electric Power Association general manager Keith Hayward and TVA’s Mississippi energy utilization and marketing manager David Sparks.

The Energy Committee welcomed two new members this year: John Adrian, business manager for academic affairs, representing the Provost’s Office, and Darien Dye, superintendent of Student Housing Maintenance Services, representing Student Housing. With the addition of these two members, the committee comprises 10 individuals across the spectrum of university departments from sustainability, planning, facilities and academics.

2016-17 members: Ian Banner (committee chair), Facilities Planning and Office of Sustainability; John Adrian, Provost’s Office; Darien Dye, Student Housing; Del Hawley, School of Business Administration; Ron Huckaby, Facilities Management; Robert Martin, energy coordinator; Anne McCauley, Office of Sustainability; Cris Surbeck, School of Engineering; Joe Swingle, Athletics; Lonnie Weaver, Facilities Management

The energy savings that will result from UM’s TVA Energy Efficiency Grant-funded projects are equivalent to:

15 acres of U.S. forests preserved from conversion to cropland for one year

2.7 million kilowatt hours saved annually

2,092-ton reduction in greenhouse gas emissions

Total energy consumption of 200 homes

$217,000 saved annually

401 passenger cars off the roads for one year

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POWER GRID Renewable energy mixes with electricity from all sources

RENEWABLE ENERGY Energy generated by renewable sources, such as wind

HOW RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTIFICATES WORK

OLE MISS

The university purchased 3,835 RECs. The funds used to purchase the RECs are reinvested into renewable energy sources.

RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTIFICATE

1 REC is produced for each megawatt of renewable energy, essentially acting as a “receipt” for renewable energy.

RENEWABLE ENERGY CERTIFICATE

REBEL ENERGY CHALLENGE

In spring 2017, UM purchased 3,835 renewable energy certificates, offsetting 3 percent of institution-wide electricity use from fiscal year 2016. The purchase, which came about as a recommendation of the UM Energy Committee, allows the university to lower its carbon footprint, support the development of renewable energy technologies and practice resource stewardship, a tenet of the UM Creed. It is estimated that UM’s purchase has an environmental impact similar to growing 69,848 trees per year for 10 years or not using 6,240 barrels of oil.

The Rebel Energy Challenge is a competition led by the Eco Rep Leader program among residence halls to reduce their energy consumption. For the 2017 Rebel Energy Challenge, six halls participated: Residence Halls 1 and 2, Crosby Hall, Residential College South, Luckyday Residential College and Minor Hall. The participants in the Rebel Energy Challenge signed pledges to lower their energy consumption and swapped their incandescent bulbs for energy-efficient compact fluorescent light bulbs. Luckyday Residential College received an Insomnia Cookie party as the winner of this year’s challenge.

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WASTE REDUCTION

Student volunteers sort gameday recycling as part of the Green Grove program.

The Office of Sustainability works to reduce waste generated by campus operations both directly, through the UM Compost Program and Green Grove Gameday Recycling Program, and in a collaborative role with campus entities such as Facilities Management, RebelWell and the Department of Student Housing. The office engages hundreds of students annually who learn about recycling in Oxford and about the process of composting. / 2017-page 9 /

UM COMPOST PROGRAM The Office of Sustainability’s compost program diverted 21,816 pounds of pre-consumer campus food waste from landfills during the 2016-17 academic year. Since its establishment in 2013, the program has converted 45 tons of food scraps into humus, a nutrient-rich soil amendment. The program is operated daily by students in the Green Student Intern Program (GSIP).

This year, the program expanded to compost food waste collected from the Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management’s student-run restaurant, Lenoir Dining. Additionally, the UM Compost Program composts waste from Rebel Market, the Marketplace at the Residential Colleges, the Grill at 1810, Ole Miss Catering, Freshii and pre-prepared food served in P.O.D. locations across campus. Interns also work with the UM Food Bank to compost expired food items and recycle the packaging. Finished compost is distributed to the UM Garden, where the UM Garden Club grows fresh produce for the Food Bank. Compost is also sold to community members.

Education & Outreach — The UM Compost Program continues to provide an educational experience for UM and K-12 students. The fall 2016 expansion to Lenoir Dining engages all degree-seeking undergraduate students and all graduate students who are required to work in the restaurant as part of their mandatory course work. Students attended an educational lecture

by Office of Sustainability staff about the program and environmental benefits of composting, and gained hands-on experience collecting the food waste.

During the 2016-17 academic year, the Office of Sustainability hosted three volunteer events to sift compost, including “Sifts-Giving,” which was held the week before Thanksgiving break and included trivia questions and prizes. More than 50 volunteers helped sift compost throughout the year. At the end of April, GSIP interns gave a tour of the UM compost site to Mississippi State University students interested in establishing their own program. Groups of K-12 students also received a tour of the site.

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GREEN GROVE GAMEDAY RECYCLING The Green Grove Gameday Recycling Program is one of the office’s most popular and well-known initiatives among the student community. Program growth and increased student involvement led to a total of 451 student volunteers participating in Green Grove during fall 2016, up by nearly 100 volunteers from the previous season.

By educating tailgaters on game day and sorting postgame recycling, student volunteers and Office of Sustainability interns were able to collect and divert 14,110 pounds of recyclable materials away from the landfill, a diversion rate of 2.83 percent. However, total waste generated in the Grove and stadium totaled 485,000 pounds, indicating a continued need for every fan and visitor to take responsibility and participate in the recycling program.

Through the Green Grove program, the Office of Sustainability seeks to provide a meaningful volunteer experience and increase volunteers’ knowledge of recycling. The office uses volunteer survey data to gauge the level of recycling knowledge students have after working with the program. Green Grove also works to incorporate recycling and resource consciousness into the gameday experience.

HYDRATION STATIONS

GREEN GROVE GAMEDAY RECYCLING

BY THE NUMBERS

451 volunteers 14,110 pounds

of materials recycled

2.83 %

diversion rate*

485,000 pounds

of Grove & stadium waste generated during the 2016 football season *Diversion rate — The percentage of waste materials diverted from traditional disposal such as landfilling or incineration to be recycled, composted or reused.

The Office of Sustainability partnered with RebelWell to install more of the popular hydration stations across campus through RebelWell’s Blue Cross Blue Shield of Mississippi grant. More than 25 faculty, staff and students submitted applications for a variety of campus locations, and at least 18 locations will receive a station.

The hydration stations make it easy to refill bottles with filtered water, promoting the use of reusable bottles.

An estimated 1.7 million bottles have been refilled by hydration stations across campus.

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FOOD

The Office of Sustainability develops programming throughout the year to raise awareness of the importance of sustainable food systems on human wellness, the environment and the economy, as well as issues such as Mississippi’s high food insecurity rate and the environmental implications of food waste. In addition to food-centered events, the office convened two focus groups with students to discuss barriers to shopping at local farmers markets. The office also developed a guide to eating local in Oxford that provides a map to community markets and gardens as well as an educational display about the impact of an individual’s food dollar.

CLOSING THE LOOP Through the Office of Sustainability’s involvement, students working with the UM Food Bank, UM Garden Club and UM Compost Program have collaborated to provide fresh food to students, reduce food waste and support the campus garden’s efforts to employ organic methods — such as the use of compost instead of chemical fertilizer — to grow produce.

FOOD BANK

provides shelf-stable foods & UM Garden produce to students

COMPOST PROGRAM

composts Food Bank’s expired food and recycles packaging

GARDEN CLUB

Grows fresh produce for Food Bank using compost produced

by UM Compost Program

NEIGHBORHOOD TABLE: A COMMUNITY MEAL In April, the Office of Sustainability and Oxford Community Market (OXCM) hosted “Neighborhood Table: A Community Meal” at Burns-Belfry Multicultural Center. The event was designed to facilitate dialogue about food insecurity in the Lafayette-Oxford-University community. The event hosted 17 guests, including mayor-elect Robyn Tannehill, subject-Oxford area experts and individuals working in fields related to food access.

During dinner, participants took part in guided table discussions focused on early interactions with food, underly-

ing reasons for food insecurity in the area and actions community members can take to address this issue. Each table included guests, a note taker and a trained facilitator. Surveys administered before and after the event indicated that awareness increased in many instances about food insecurity, knowledge of farmers market locations, identification of the benefits of supporting local food markets, and knowledge of the gap between communities and their access to healthy food.

The meal itself highlighted local, seasonal farmers market ingredients. In

addition to the Office of Sustainability and OXCM, Neighborhood Table was a collaboration among the North Mississippi VISTA Project, McLean Institute, Sustainable Oxford, Center for Population Studies, Good Food for Oxford Schools and the United Way. A report about this event is forthcoming.

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FOOD DAY The Office of Sustainability hosted the university’s seventh annual Food Day celebration in October, as part of the nationwide event. Food Day is intended to illustrate changes that Americans can make in their diets and food policy to support a sustainable and equitable food system. Events organized by the Office of Sustainability throughout the month of October included:

FOOD DAY OF SERVICE Twenty-four volunteers joined the Office of Sustainability at the Boys and Girls Club of North Mississippi to learn about food sustainability while also giving back to the community. After a welcome and kickoff lecture

by Daniel Doyle, executive director of the Mississippi Sustainable Agriculture Network, the participants got their hands dirty by rebuilding raised beds, removing ant piles and performing other garden maintenance. The Boys and Girls Club uses the space to educate members of its garden club about gardening and nutrition.

POP-UP FARMERS MARKET As part of Food Day, the Office of Sustainability hosted a pop-up farmers market in the Oxford Intermediate School parking lot. Students from the Boys and Girls Club of North Mississippi, Leap Frog and local community members from nearby neighborhoods participated in an interactive and educational scavenger hunt to learn more about the process of local food production. Questions in the scavenger hunt included information about familiar and unfamiliar produce, as well as healthy tips about herbs and local produce.

Students engaged with the farmers and asked them questions about their experience, as well as tips on how to cook the fruits and vegetables. Members of the Boys and Girls Club Garden and Food Club received vouchers to use during the market, and purchased zucchini, squash, sweet potatoes, shrimp and other goods. Local food-related organizations such as RebelWell and Good Food for Oxford Schools also participated in the event.

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FOOD DAY FESTIVAL The annual festival on the Union Plaza featured a farmers market and interactive displays from campus and community organizations, including the Ole Miss Ambassadors for Southern Hospitality (OMASH), the UM Garden Club and Sustainable Oxford. The festival is a celebration of sustainable food resources in the university and Oxford community. The goal of this event is primarily to expose students to the ways in which they can support the local economy and eat fresh, local foods in Oxford.

FOOD CHAINS FILM SCREENING

COMMUNITY-INITIATED FOOD DAY EVENTS

“Food Chains” is a compelling documentary by filmmaker Sanjay Rawal that follows a hunger strike at Publix headquarters to protest low farm workers’ wages and living conditions. The film was screened at Shelter on Van Buren. Afterwards, Catarina Passidomo, who works closely with the Southern Foodways Alliance and is a UM assistant professor of Southern studies and anthropology, led a discussion on agricultural labor conditions in the United States and the hidden costs of our food.

Food Day also included a performance of “VANG” at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center, sponsored in part by the environmental studies minor. “VANG” is a dynamic documentary play written by Iowa Poet Laureate Mary Swander that follows the stories of recent immigrant farmers, disassembling stereotypes and opening discussion around agriculture, cultural identity and the American dream. Additionally, Sustainable Oxford hosted a composting workshop for community members at the Powerhouse as part of Food Day. / 2017-page 15 /

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TRANSPORTATION The Office of Sustainability works to promote and enhance sustainable transportation on campus in collaboration with the Department of Parking and Transportation, the Active Transportation Committee, Facilities Planning and Facilities Management. The university has been a designated Bike Friendly University by the League of American Bicyclists since 2014.

ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION ADVISORY COMMITTEE The Active Transportation Advisory Committee meets regularly to advise on bicycle plans and initiatives at the university with the goal of creating a culture of biking through five overarching areas: engineering, encouragement, education, enforcement and evaluation.

The committee plays a key role in maintaining and advancing the university’s Bicycle Friendly University designation from the League of American Bicyclists.

2016-17 members: Levi Bevis, Associated Student Body; Denny Buchannon, Facilities Management; Kate Kellum, Institutional Research, Effectiveness and Planning; Anne McCauley, Office of Sustainability; Mike Mossing, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Arlene O’Hara, UM Bike Shop; Hal Robinson, Parking and Transportation; Will Schenck, Croft Institute for International Studies; Will Tribble, Ole Miss Cycling Club

NEW CAMPUS BIKE LANES In June, the Office of Sustainability and Active Transportation Advisory Committee worked with the Department of Parking and Transportation, Facilities Management and Facilities Planning to advise on the installation of several new bike lanes on campus, spanning a portion of Rebel Drive, Sorority Row and Northgate Drive. The Office of Sustainability played an integral role in this project, with staff measuring all affected roads and making recommendations and drawings for road treatments as well as supervising the road crew.

GERTRUDE FORD BOULEVARD POP-UP PROJECT During spring semester, the Active Transportation Advisory Committee received funding through the Green Fund to install a temporary demonstration project on a quarter-mile stretch of Gertrude Ford Boulevard.

The project, set to take place in early Fall 2017, will transform the street into a safer space for people on bikes, foot and in cars, using nonpermanent modifications to the bike lane and crosswalks. This portion of road was selected because of vehicle speeds that well exceed the posted speed limit of 30 miles per hour, as well as high foot and bike traffic volume.

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GREEN WEEK In April, the university and Oxford community celebrated Green Week, an annual event facilitated by the Office of Sustainability that engages hundreds of students, faculty, staff and community members each year. The ninth annual Green Week included a variety of programming designed to expand awareness of local and global environmental issues, increase participation in sustainable behaviors and promote appreciation of natural resources.

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Earth Day keynote speaker David George Haskell speaks on The Songs of Trees: Stories from Nature’s Great Connectors.

2017

EARTH DAY KEYNOTE ADDRESS

The Songs of Trees:

Stories from Nature’s Great Connectors

Renowned biologist and Pulitzer Prize-nominated author David George Haskell delivered the 2017 Earth Day keynote address in a packed 225-seat auditorium during Green Week. Haskell’s keynote drew heavily from his new book, The Songs of Trees: Stories from Nature’s Great Connectors, which was released in April.

Haskell is also the author of The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature, which explores the local diversity in one square meter of the forest floor in Shakerag Hollow, atop the Cumberland Plateau in Sewanee, Tennessee, over a calendar year. He is known for his attention to detail and unique blending of science and literature.

During his time on campus, Haskell spoke to honors and biology students and also attended the “UM Master Plan for the Oxford Campus” Lunch and Learn. The Earth Day keynote was sponsored by the environmental studies minor and the Office of Sustainability. / 2017-page 19 /

2017

2016

2017 GREEN WEEK EXHIBIT The 2017 Green Week exhibit “A Littered Landscape” was designed and created by UM alumna Anna Brigance (BA 16).

The exhibit encouraged viewers to imagine the journey of their trash beyond the trash can. As Brigance wrote in her artist’s statement, “[our] trash infiltrates even the most remote places, sometimes never seen by human eyes. And while the earth is able to decompose some trash, it takes her hundreds and thousands of years to decompose most and undo the damage that we have thoughtlessly created.”

Brigance developed the exhibit idea while studying art and English at UM. “A Littered Landscape” featured an original photograph Brigance took in Yellowstone National Park.

2015

2014

Throughout the week, Brigance affixed real campus litter to the photograph, slowly covering the beautiful image. The exhibit was accompanied by signage featuring facts about how long it takes materials such as plastic and nylon fabric to decompose, as well as simple changes individuals can make to reduce their personal waste streams.

Through the Green Week exhibit, the Office of Sustainability aims to reach an audience that may not otherwise engage with programming. Exhibits are displayed throughout the week in high-traffic areas and are accompanied by educational signage. Past Green Week exhibits have focused largely on waste reduction and include the 10-by-10-foot Consumption Cube, Trash Tank and the “Food for Thought” Tank.

GREEN WEEK CHALLENGE This year, the Office of Sustainability hosted a communitywide, interactive Green Week Challenge to encourage participants to experience sustainability resources on campus and in Oxford. More than 40 individuals participated in the challenge, which included the categories of food, transportation and energy, nature and education. People who completed the challenge received a free Green Week T-shirt, made from recycled plastic bottles, and were entered to win a grand prize Yeti cooler. The office also hosted a children’s version of the challenge. Children who completed the challenge received a Green Week flying disc to encourage outdoor play and were entered to win an Oxsicles popsicle party for their class. / 2 01 7 - pag e 2 0 /

GARDEN TO PANTRY DINNER & COOKING DEMO The UM Garden Club, Ole Miss Food Bank and Office of Sustainability hosted “Garden to Pantry,” a cooking demonstration and dinner, to highlight the partnership between the Garden Club and Food Bank. Through this collaboration, students are able to offer fresh produce to patrons of the Food Bank. Garden to Pantry began at the UM Garden, where more than 20 participants harvested ingredients for the meal. The cooking demonstration and dinner took place in the kitchen of the Sally McDonnell Barksdale Honors College, where attendees learned to prepare a healthy meal using the freshly harvested ingredients from the garden and shelf-stable ingredients commonly found in food pantries. Dinner consisted of kale grilled cheese, tomato-basil soup, sauteed carrots with rosemary and thyme, and strawberry-basil lemonade.

TREE TRAIL WALKS Ole Miss arborist and Landscape Services assistant superintendent Nathan Lazinsky led two Tree Trail Walks along a portion of the campus tree trail again this Green Week. An estimated 55 students, faculty, staff and community members attended the walks, including multiple classes. During the guided tour, attendees learned about the multifaceted importance of trees as well as specific facts about trees on campus. Attendees received a digital copy of the full Ole Miss Tree Trail Map complete with information to take their own self-guided walk.

“UM MASTER PLAN FOR THE OXFORD CAMPUS: A SUSTAINABLE VISION OF CAMPUS DEVELOPMENT” LUNCH AND LEARN University architect and Office of Sustainability and Facilities Planning director Ian Banner, AIA, discussed the newly updated campus master plan during a packed lunch and learn as part of Green Week. Banner’s lecture illustrated a vision for campus including a pedestrian core, bike network and incorporation of new green spaces. The event drew students, faculty and staff, many of whom stayed afterwards to ask Banner questions. The lunch and learn was so popular, plans are underway to host a master plan series focused on the topics of energy use, transportation and well-being in the upcoming year.

ARBOR DAY UM Landscape Services and the Office of Sustainability celebrated Arbor Day with the planting of two white oak trees in the Grove. Featured speakers included Mitch Robinson, conservation manager for Strawberry Plains Audubon Center, and Jeff McManus, director of Landscape Services. Volunteers helped plant the tree, and attendees had the opportunity to take home a tree seedling from the champion Catalpa tree located near the Student Union.

GREEN WEEK IN THE COMMUNITY While all of the Office of Sustainability’s events are open to the public, Green Week also included events planned by other departments and community groups. On Earth Day, the Department of Physics hosted a satellite March for Science in conjunction with the national event. The Oxford Community Market held its first market of the season during Green Week, featuring the Office of Sustainability at its community table. Additionally, the celebration included a volunteer workday at Woodlawn Davis Nature Park and “Green Drinks,” an informal gettogether for sustainability professionals and interested community members hosted by Sustainable Oxford.

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DATA section COLLECTION

Many of the office’s projects and initiatives are informed by data collected through observation, surveys and focus groups. Office staff members collaborate with campus departments and entities, as well as community organizations to gather data on a variety of subjects from sustainability priorities to transportation habits.

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FOCUS GROUPS: STUDENTS’ PERCEIVED BARRIERS TO SHOPPING AT FARMERS MARKETS The Office of Sustainability conducted two focus groups during 2016-17 to learn more about perceived barriers preventing students from shopping at local farmers markets. The focus groups were organized in collaboration with Cris Sparks’ integrated marketing class and engineering major Sarah O’Brien, whose proposal to host a series of farmers markets received Green Fund support the previous spring. The findings were used to inform three Ole Miss Market Days that took place during fall semester.

SUSTAINABILITY TRACKING, ASSESSMENT AND RATING SYSTEM The Office of Sustainability began the process of gathering data to complete its first Sustainability Tracking, Assessment and Rating System (STARS) report this year. STARS is a highly regarded, comprehensive self-reporting framework provided by the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE). It has been used by more than 800 colleges and universities in 31 countries to assess sustainability efforts and often to inform next steps. STARS data collection is all-encompassing, spanning from the integration of sustainability topics into academic curricula to daily operational practices. STARS data collection will continue in the 2017-18 academic year.

TRANSPORTATION SURVEY

traveled from home to campus. Oxford and the university offer many options for transportation, outside the singleoccupied vehicle, and these options also save individuals money and help lower the university’s scope three greenhouse gas emissions. By understanding perceived barriers to available commuting choices such as transit, carpooling and bicycling, the Office of Sustainability can work with the Department of Parking and Transportation to help individuals overcome those perceptions.

SUSTAINABILITY PRIORITIES SURVEY From an increase in student-led projects to staff requests for hydration stations and recycling bins, there have been many signs that attitudes regarding sustainability at UM have changed since the office was first created in 2008.

However, it has been difficult to quantify in what ways and to what extent perceptions of sustainability changed.

During the spring semester, the Office of Sustainability launched a campuswide survey to gauge the attitudes and perceptions of the community related to climate change, sustainability goals, and specific programs and priorities. The data will be used to guide the direction of office programming and priorities for the upcoming year.

SUSTAINABILITY COMMUNICATIONS SURVEY During summer 2016, the Office of Sustainability distributed a survey to assess awareness of the office, sustainability projects and office functions as well as to determine preferred methods of communications.

Among the 312 survey respondents, Green Grove, Green Week and the UM Compost Program ranked among the highest in terms of awareness levels. The survey provided direction for future communications efforts.

The Office of Sustainability conducts an annual transportation survey to understand commuting habits to campus and to gain insight into perceived barriers for choosing more sustainable methods of commuting.

The same survey is used each year to gauge over time if transportation habits or attitudes are changing. The survey gathers information about individuals’ primary and secondary means of commuting as well as the distance

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STUDENT ENGAGEMENT The Office of Sustainability seeks to provide learning and engagement opportunities to students both directly, through office programming, and in an advisory and support capacity. Through these programs, students learn about topics such as waste reduction, food insecurity and sustainability careers.

MATHEMATICS

PUBLIC POLICY LEADERSHIP

ECONOMICS PSYCHOLOGY

JOURNALISM

ENGLISH

BIOLOGY

Fourteen students interned with the Office of Sustainability during the 2016-17 academic year as part of the office’s Green Student Intern Program. The internship program draws competitive, high-performing applicants from across all disciplines. Through the GSIP program, students learn project-management skills and gain professional experience while increasing their knowledge of the sustainability field. It is not uncommon for students who previously had no knowledge of sustainability to pursue careers or extracurricular interests related to sustainability after their internships.

DIETETICS & NUTRITION INTERNATIONAL STUDIES

GREEN STUDENT INTERN PROGRAM

STUDENT INTERN MAJORS

SOCIAL WORK

INTEGRATED MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS

2016-17

INTERNS COMPOSTING & FOOD WASTE REDUCTION

GREEN GROVE GAMEDAY RECYCLING

SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION*

FOOD DAY

Operated UM Compost Program, organized volunteer events and conducted educational outreach

Managed gameday recycling initiatives including volunteer coordination, educational outreach, fan engagement and recycling sorting

Co-facilitated Active Transportation Advisory Committee, updated street maps and gathered data via annual transportation survey

Helped plan annual Food Day Festival and develop educational materials related to food sustainability

Talgat Brown, Katherine Flannigan, Allison Hook, Angie Jordan, Taylor Robertson and Leta Rowan

Nikhil Bansal, Kelli Coleman and Grace Sullivan

Gordon Podshivalov *This internship is sponsored by the Department of Parking and Transportation.

Mikayla Jekabsons

UM GARDEN

GREEN WEEK

MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS

Managed UM Garden, helped plan Garden to Pantry Green Week event, facilitated garden work days

Assisted in the coordination of Green Week through event development and planning, promotion and post-Green Week evaluation

Promoted office programs including Green Grove, helped manage social media and contributed to monthly newsletter and blog

SUSTAINABILITY TRACKING, ASSESSMENT & RATING SYSTEM (STARS) DATA COLLECTION

Maggie Smith

Kelli Coleman and Allison Hook

Christopher Neal

Created a system for and assisted in collecting data for STARS report

Nikhil Bansal and Joe Bell

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ECO REP LEADERS Ten Eco Rep Leaders served as peer-to-peer student educators and conducted sustainability outreach in residence halls. Through programming designed by the Office of Sustainability, Eco Rep Leaders learned about various topics within sustainability, and planned events and competitions in the residence halls to bring visibility to these topics. This past year, Eco Rep Leaders engaged freshmen living in the residence halls in the Green Grove Gameday Recycling Program, Food Day and Green Week.

They also led the Rebel Energy Challenge, a competition among the residence halls to lower energy consumption.

OLE MISS FOOD BANK Office of Sustainability staff members serve as advisers for the Ole Miss Food Bank executive council of students. Through the office’s involvement, the Food Bank and Garden Club have partnered to provide fresh produce to patrons. Along with this partnership, the Garden Club made an estimated five donations of fresh produce to the Food Bank. The food donations included bundles of carrots, kale, lettuce, onions, radishes, cucumbers, rosemary, spinach and cabbage. Additionally, students working with the Food Bank and the UM Compost Program compost expired food and recycle the packaging. The composted food is then used again as soil in the campus garden.

GREEN GROVE AMBASSADORS The Green Grove Ambassador Program is a service-based leadership opportunity for students who would like to play a larger role in advancing gameday recycling. The 2016 cohort consisted of 10 Green Grove ambassadors who were responsible for leading groups of volunteers through the Grove and Circle to educate tailgaters. Ambassadors ensured that volunteers communicated accurate information to tailgaters and met weekly with Office of Sustainability interns and staff to debrief, plan and organize gameday logistics. Ambassadors are also encouraged to make suggestions for improving the program. To address the issue of contaminated recycling bags, ambassador Elam Miller suggested that the office create new labels for all ClearStream recycling bins to encourage tailgaters to recycle the correct items. These new stickers will make their debut during the 2017 season. / 2 01 7 - pag e 2 6 /

GREEK NETWORKING EVENT During fall semester, leaders from the Greek community gathered to discuss obstacles to sustainability and potential strategies in their respective chapters. Organized by the Office of Sustainability in conjunction with the Associated Student Body Sustainability Committee, this event provided an excellent opportunity for these interested students to acknowledge the strengths of the community and determine steps forward while also creating connections between chapters.

UM GARDEN CLUB The Office of Sustainability maintained a connection with the UM Garden Club through the work of AmeriCorps VISTA Denae Bradley, who helps facilitate the club and campus garden. The Garden Club, which was established in 2015, meets weekly to perform garden maintenance and share a meal. This year, the Garden Club participated in a number of local community events in connection with the Office of Sustainability’s annual Food Day of Service and Green Week.

During Green Week, the UM Garden Club partnered with the Ole Miss Food Bank to host a “Garden to Pantry” cooking demonstration and dinner. More than 30 attendees helped harvest produce in the garden that was used in the dinner, along with shelf-stable ingredients commonly found in the Food Bank. Additionally, the Garden Club hosted an educational workshop for members led by UM professor Doug Davis, who is also owner of Yokna Bottoms Farms in Lafayette County.

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Rebel Chef campers hang bird feeders at the the UM Garden.

EDUCATION In addition to providing educational opportunities through programming, the Office of Sustainability works to infuse concepts of sustainability into course work and through presentations to students, faculty and staff.

COORDINATED PROGRAM IN DIETETICS SUSTAINABILITY ROTATION Eight graduate students in the Department of Nutrition and Hospitality Management’s Coordinated Program in Dietetics rotated through the Office of Sustainability for a week each to learn more about the office’s work. The department chair and faculty reached out to the office because they felt that sustainability was becoming more important in their field and program, which combines course work and practical experience.

The graduate students took field trips to the UM Garden, Ole Miss Food Bank and the Oxford Community Market and completed a shift with the UM Compost Program.

They conducted literature reviews and created new resources for developing a deeper understanding for undergraduate students at UM about the relationship between nutrition and sustainability. Hosting the students proved mutually beneficial for the students and the Office of Sustainability; as the students did their research and found best practices, they learned more about these topics and the relationship between them, and helped the office expand its presence in this area as well.

WELCOME HOME NEW EMPLOYEE ORIENTATION Office of Sustainability staff speaks at all Welcome Home orientations for new UM employees. Topics covered include sustainability resources on campus and in Oxford, information about the office and ways in which faculty and staff can get involved in sustainability efforts, from incorporating themes of sustainability into their courses to advising programs such as the UM Compost Program.

UNDERGRADUATE SUSTAINABILITY PRESENTATIONS Staff and interns spoke to more than 20 EDHE 105 classes during fall semester, to complement the sustainability chapter featured in the Freshman Year Experience text.

The presentation covers the definition of sustainability, ways in which students can get involved and behavior changes that can make a big impact on individual carbon footprints. Staff also gave this presentation to students in the university’s intensive English program.

COMMUNITY K-12 OUTREACH Office of Sustainability VISTA Denae Bradley worked regularly throughout the year on K-12 sustainability education through her involvement with the local Boys and Girls Club, Good Food for Oxford Schools Carrot Camp, Excel by 5’s Excelebration event and the UM Museum’s Family Activity Day. At the Boys and Girls Club, Bradley worked with Mississippi Sustainable Agriculture Network FoodCorps member Zach Wehmeyer to give lessons that ranged from composting and recycling to seed composition and environmental mindfulness. Members of the UM Garden Club assisted with this effort. In late June, Office of Sustainability staff members conducted lessons on gardening and composting for fourth- and fifth-graders in the Horizons program and students participating in the Rebel Chef day camp.

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GREEN FUND The UM Green Fund was established in 2013 to support innovative sustainability projects on campus. Since then, it has awarded more than $50,000 of funding to 21 projects, ranging from the UM Compost Program to the installation of 142 native plants on campus. All faculty, staff and students are eligible to submit project proposals for funding.

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NEW AND ONGOING PROJECTS GERTRUDE FORD BOULEVARD — ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION POP-UP PROJECT Proposed by Active Transportation Advisory Committee

During early fall 2017, the Active Transportation Advisory Committee will transform a portion of Gertrude Ford Boulevard into a bicycle- and pedestrianfriendly road using temporary materials. The committee hopes to demonstrate a streetscape that is designed to accommodate all users of the road, including motorists, cyclists and people on foot. Data will be collected as part of the project and will be presented to the City of Oxford to take into consideration before it restripes the road later in the year.

OLE MISS MARKET DAYS Proposed by UM student Sarah O’Brien, School of Engineering

In the fall, the Green Fund Committee and Office of Sustainability hosted a series of three campus Market Days to offer fresh produce and goods from local producers on campus. The event was also intended to educate students, faculty and staff about the importance and many benefits of eating locally. Market Days also featured resources about where to purchase local foods in Oxford including a local foods guide and educational display. As part of this project, Office of Sustainability staff worked with Sarah O’Brien to collect data through focus groups and questionnaires administered during the events regarding students’ perceived barriers to shopping at local farmers markets.

UM COMPOST PROGRAM Proposed by UM student Victoria Burgos, School of Applied Sciences

The Green Fund continued to support the UM Compost Program in 2016-17. The program employed six students who composted more than 21,000 pounds of campus food waste. The program also engaged more than 50 students through volunteer opportunities and provided nutrient-rich humus to educational gardens.

ELECTRONIC UNDERSTANDING BY DESIGN UNITS Proposed by UM graduate student Claire Rearick, School of Education

The School of Education is working to transition its required educational curriculum units — which are currently submitted in hard-copy form, creating waste and a financial burden for students — to an electronic format via Google Drive tools. The Green Fund has partnered with the School of Education on this project, which will eliminate the waste created by 200 students per year and increase access to the units, as they will now exist in a shareable format.

UM GREEN FUND COMMITTEE The UM Green Fund Committee offers an opportunity for students, faculty and staff to get involved in advancing sustainability on campus. The committee meets to discuss project proposals, and carefully evaluates each on visibility, impact and feasibility before recommending projects for funding to Vice Chancellor for Administration and Finance Larry Sparks.

2016-17 members: Lindsey Abernathy (nonvoting, chair), Office of Sustainability; Hannah Archer, student; Kelli Coleman, student; Jason Hoeksema, Department of Biology; Bryce Johnson, student; Katherine Levingston, Associated Student Body Sustainability Committee; Natalie Minton, student; Shannon Richardson, Campus Recreation; Kathy Wachter, School of Business Administration; Lonnie Weaver, Facilities Management

GREEN FUND PROBLEM-SOLVING WORKSHOP In November, the Office of Sustainability organized a workshop to assist potential Green Fund proposal applicants with the grant-writing process. Office of Sustainability staff coached participants through identifying sustainability issues and problems and the feasibility and effectiveness of/ 2017-page potential 31 / solutions that could be captured in Green Fund proposals.

GREEN FUND TIMELINE 2016 Nearly 205 recycling bins are distributed to RC South residents to decrease barriers to recycling.

UM ornithology students install 142 native plants on campus to enhance wildlife habitat.

UM’s student-run restaurant, Lenoir Dining, pursues Green Restaurant Association certification.

2015

Compost program converts 32,000 pounds of food waste into soil amendments.

A new bike repair station provides students with access to tune-ups.

Ole Miss Market Days increase student access to local food.

Students perform a dance to raise awareness of Mississippi River water issues.

2014

A four-wheel bicycle is a new active transportation alternative to golf carts on campus.

UM Compost Program expands, composting 34,000 pounds of food.

Low emissivity film on the library’s south-facing windows conserves energy and provides a more comfortable working space.

UM establishes Green Fund, providing an annual baseline contribution of $15,000 and matching student donations by 50 percent.

2013

Flip-the-Switch stickers remind students to conserve energy.

The first projects receive funding: Reusable H20tty Toddy Water Bottles raise awareness of single-use plastic bottle waste.

The pilot compost program diverts 3,500 pounds of food waste from landfill.

Hydration stations are installed in Brevard, Faser and Holman Halls.

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vote in support 2012 Students of Green Fund creation.

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10

COMMUNITY CONNECTIONS

A volunteer removes Chinese privet from Woodlawn Davis Nature Center.

The Office of Sustainability provides an important link to community sustainability efforts. Staff members are active in the community by serving on boards related to conservation, sustainable food systems and citywide sustainability initiatives.

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CITY OF OXFORD TREE BOARD

WOODLAWN-DAVIS NATURE CENTER

One of the defining characteristics of Oxford is the abundance of trees. Oxford has been recognized by the Arbor Day Foundation’s Tree City USA for 19 years. The Tree Board serves as the body that promotes and advocates on behalf of this great resource. Anne McCauley, assistant director of sustainability, served on the Tree Board, providing a link between the city and the university, which contributes to the tree canopy of the area and does a great deal to protect this resource as well.

Woodlawn-Davis Nature Center is a new habitat park in Oxford that will use native plant species to support local conservation, educate community members and provide co-curricular learning opportunities to students of UM. The park will also help remediate some localized environmental impacts related to development, and is in its first phase of habitat revitalization. In collaboration with the WoodlawnDavis advisory board, the Office of Sustainability helped facilitate four volunteer events, engaging more than 80 students and community members in the park’s mission.

Sustainability fellow Kendall McDonald represents the Office of Sustainability on the Woodlawn-Davis advisory board.

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OXFORD COMMUNITY MARKET

SUSTAINABLE OXFORD

The Office of Sustainability has partnered with the Oxford Community Market on several initiatives, and in 2016, Anne McCauley joined the market’s board of directors. According to its mission statement: “OXCM fosters community bonds, strengthens local economies, educates consumers, advocates for farmers, and improves access to fresh, healthy, local, and sustainable goods for all citizens, including those traditionally underserved.” The Office of Sustainability has a strong interest in amplifying OXCM’s work of expanding access and consumption of fresh, local produce among the low-income community through focus groups, campaign development and pop-up/mobile markets.

Sustainable Oxford works to “connect our community through the cultivation of a more resilient food system, equitable local economy, increased ecological integrity and an inclusive community dedicated to stewardship for future generations.” The community organization has worked with the Office of Sustainability, collaborating on Green Week and Food Day and sponsoring Neighborhood Table: A Community Meal. After serving on the Sustainable Oxford advisory board, Office of Sustainability project manager Lindsey Abernathy joined the board of directors in fall 2016, where she represents sustainability from the university perspective.

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MEET THE STAFF IAN BANNER, DIRECTOR Ian Banner, AIA, serves as director of sustainability, director of facilities planning and university architect. His areas of architectural expertise are in energy-efficient design and construction, daylighting, passive systems such as thermal buoyancy “stack-effect” ventilation and environmental impact of materials selection. He has written on architecture and the environment, indigenous houses in the Appalachians, natural lighting in overcast and clear sky regions, and humidity and ventilation of medieval buildings in northern Europe. Banner holds a B.A. in architecture from Plymouth University, a master of philosophy degree from the University of Cambridge, and is a member of the American Institute of Architects.

ANNE MCCAULEY, ASSISTANT DIRECTOR Anne McCauley joined the Office of Sustainability in October 2009 and has since established many of the office’s ongoing programs and projects. She is involved in all office initiatives including the facilitation of the UM Energy Committee and Active Transportation Advisory Committee; the implementation of Green Fund projects; and the growth and popularity of the Green Student Intern Program. McCauley was recognized for her commitment to students in 2015, when she received the university’s Frist Student Service Award. In 2017, she received the university’s “Overall Outstanding Staff Member” award for her service to UM. McCauley holds a B.A. in philosophy from the University of the South and a master’s in public administration from George Mason University.

LINDSEY ABERNATHY, PROJECT MANAGER Lindsey Abernathy works extensively on the UM Compost Program, Green Grove Gameday Recycling Program, Green Student Intern Program, Green Week and Food Day. She also manages all office communications initiatives. Prior to joining the Office of Sustainability in 2014, Abernathy worked in public relations at the University of Mississippi, where she received national and regional recognition for social media management and a public relations campaign to promote the use of buses on campus. She holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism and an MBA from UM. In August 2017, Abernathy was promoted to associate director of sustainability.

KENDALL MCDONALD, SUSTAINABILITY FELLOW Kendall McDonald joined the office in 2015, where she has focused on sustainability education, building capacity in student leaders and change agent empowerment. McDonald works extensively with the Eco Reps Residential Leadership Program and plays a key role in planning Green Week, Food Day and managing the Green Student Intern Program and the Compost Program. Prior to joining the office staff full time, McDonald interned for two years in the Green Student Intern Program.

McDonald earned her bachelor’s degree in public policy leadership with minors in environmental studies and English from UM in 2015. In 2014, she was named as an Honorable Mention for the Udall Scholarship for her dedication to environmental leadership.

DENAE BRADLEY, AMERICORPS VISTA Denae Bradley graduated from UM in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and African American studies. She joined the office in fall 2016 in coordination with the North Mississippi VISTA Project. During her one-year term, Bradley has expanded sustainability-related youth programs and worked on issues involving food insecurity in the state through her involvement with the UM Garden Club, UM Food Bank and Neighborhood Table: A Community Meal event. She has also worked on K-12 garden projects and food education. In August 2017, Bradley entered UM’s sociology graduate program. / 2 01 7 - pag e 3 6 /

The University of Mississippi Office of Sustainability John W. White Administration Building 700 Hathorn Road University, MS 38677 662-915-2720 green@olemiss.edu

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