WEBVTT 00:30.000 --> 00:31.000 [Gary Cocke] Hi, my name is Gary Cocke. 00:31.000 --> 00:36.000 I'm the Director of Sustainability and Energy Conservation at UT Dallas. 00:36.000 --> 00:45.000 And when we think about sustainability, I like to think of it as the set of issues that our students will face in the future and it will often be the application of the education that they receive. 00:45.000 --> 00:50.000 That's why at UT Dallas we've tried to integrate sustainability into the entire campus experience. 00:50.000 --> 01:03.000 We are members of AASHE, which is the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education, and we drive our work according to their framework, the STARS report, or Sustainability Tracking Assessment and Rating System. 01:03.000 --> 01:06.000 We measure our sustainability in four key areas: 01:06.000 --> 01:10.000 Operations, Academics, Administration and Student Engagement. 01:10.000 --> 01:14.000 In these four areas, we have key achievements that we're really proud of. 01:14.000 --> 01:17.000 We've composted over half a million pounds of food waste to date. 01:17.000 --> 01:23.000 We have over seven thousand trees on our campus and an online viewer where you can see data related to our urban canopy. 01:23.000 --> 01:26.000 This complements our Tree Campus USA designation. 01:26.000 --> 01:35.000 We're also a Bee Campus USA, which means that we provide education, service learning, and we protect habitat for the important role that pollinators play in our ecosystem. 01:35.000 --> 01:40.000 Over the past decade, we've about doubled our student enrollment and our building square footage. 01:40.000 --> 01:45.000 Over this time period, sustainable growth has been prioritized. 01:44.000 --> 01:49.000 UTD walks the talk with our sustainability by prioritizing LEED certified buildings. 01:49.000 --> 02:03.000 LEED is "Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design" and it's a framework which prioritizes site selection, water efficiency, energy efficiency, air quality, recycled materials and public education in buildings. 02:03.000 --> 02:16.000 And we have eight LEED certified buildings and 1.28 million square feet of LEED certified space on campus, including a platinum certified student services building and four LEED gold certified facilities. 02:16.000 --> 02:25.000 These high performance LEED certified buildings provide a cutting edge environment for our students to learn in and reflect the values of sustainability that our students wish to see. 02:25.000 --> 02:40.000 Being an institution of higher education, it's obviously very important that we teach principles of sustainability and that's why in academics, we've integrated sustainability into 193 courses and we have 213 researchers that are advancing knowledge related to sustainability. 02:40.000 --> 02:54.000 With regards to administration, this is where we institutionalize the work that we do and much of the work is driven by our sustainability committee which drives progress at the institutional level, with regards to accessibility, equity, and wellness. 02:54.000 --> 03:00.000 The sustainability committee is faculty chaired and includes voices from students, faculty, and staff. 03:00.000 --> 03:04.000 And perhaps the most important piece of sustainability in higher education is student engagement. 03:04.000 --> 03:12.000 It is our goal to engage every student so that they understand how their passions, interests, and talents can be applied through the lens of sustainability. 03:12.000 --> 03:26.000 We have many mechanisms through which students can engage with sustainability, including a standing committee through the student government, where students allocate funds and create projects that help the University reflect the student's vision for a sustainable campus. 03:26.000 --> 03:38.000 We also have a sustainability service honors program, which provides service opportunities related to sustainability and recognizes and honors students that provide 250 hours of service related to sustainability. 03:39.000 --> 03:54.000 For students that want to provide education to peers and lead projects, through the office of sustainability, we have an eco-rep program, where students can lead projects like "Bee Campus USA," sustainability service honors, or apply their interest to a project and help bring their vision to reality. 03:54.000 --> 04:07.000 And finally, we have Earth Week every year, where over the course of one week, we have 15 to 20 events that range from service events to educational events, where our goal is to engage our entire campus on issues of sustainability. 04:07.000 --> 04:25.000 It's because of the efforts of our entire campus, students, faculty, and staff, that we're very proud to have earned Gold Rating according to AASHE STARS, and we invite everybody to come apply their education, their talents, and their interests, through the lens of sustainability and help create a more sustainable future. 04:25.000 --> 04:35.000 [Caitlin Griffith] My name is Caitlin Griffith, and I am Sustainability Coordinator at The University of Texas at Dallas. 04:35.000 --> 04:37.000 I'm in charge of marketing and outreach. 04:37.000 --> 04:43.000 I also supervise Eco Reps and I'm in charge of other things like Tree Campus USA recertification. 04:43.000 --> 04:47.000 Tree Campus USA is a set of initiatives that help structure our tree program. 04:47.000 --> 04:53.000 So for example, we need to observe Arbor Day which, in Texas, is in November. 04:53.000 --> 05:01.000 We also need to have a tree care plan, a tree care campus committee, and then, we also need to have a service learning project. 05:01.000 --> 05:13.000 UT Dallas campus used to be known as the "Concrete Canyon," so it was definitely noticed by some of the campus officials, including Margaret McDermott, who invested to help beautify campus by instilling a tree endowment fund. 05:13.000 --> 05:24.000 Sustainability can be defined by the UN's Sustainable Development Goals, which are comprised of 17 different goals that kind of define more of what sustainability is through economic, environmental, and social pillars. 05:24.000 --> 05:30.000 Students can get involved with the Office of Sustainability by either becoming an Eco Rep, or participating in one of our many on-campus events. 05:30.000 --> 05:38.000 I recommend volunteering with our office or getting involved with some different community organizations that reflect one of the values of the UN Sustainable Development Goals. 05:38.000 --> 05:51.000 The Comet Composting Program is where students can watch a training online at the Office of Sustainability website and take a knowledge quiz and then we'll offer you a composting caddy in which you can line it with one of our biodegradable bags. 05:51.000 --> 06:00.000 We've partnered with a local company called Organics and all of the waste in the organic spin is taken to address the EPA food hierarchy of needs, so that's how we compost at UT Dallas. 06:02.000 --> 06:14.000 The Sustainability Service Honors is a program open to undergraduate and graduate students, so students would basically participate in service and then they would relate it back to their UN SDGs, and then we would award them with this honor. 06:14.000 --> 06:28.000 The community garden is a partnership between the Office of Student Volunteerism and the Office of Sustainability, in which we try to educate and motivate students to grow organic food to feed themselves and then, also, to donate back to the community. 06:28.000 --> 06:33.000 So, unwanted food is donated to the common cupboard to try and help feed Comets in need on campus. 06:33.000 --> 06:40.000 We definitely try to teach students the values of sustainability by growing their own food and, also, trying to prevent as little waste as possible. 06:40.000 --> 06:44.000 Sustainability is a global challenge as well as a local challenge. 06:44.000 --> 06:49.000 I think that sometimes as a young person, especially sustainability challenges, can be almost debilitating. 06:49.000 --> 06:55.000 However, I found as a student myself that sustainability challenges were a vehicle to try and drive change in the community. 06:55.000 --> 07:02.000 I think that sustainability problems are wide and wicked and complex, but it also means that there are so many different applications for students like you to get involved with. 07:04.000 --> 07:08.000 [Yen Pham] My name is Yen and I am a junior right now studying marketing. 07:08.000 --> 07:11.000 All the Eco Reps there, they have very diverse talent, interests. 07:11.000 --> 07:20.000 We have people working in tech, working in policy, who are interested in geology, and things like that, and I'm the marketing one. 07:20.000 --> 07:26.000 It's really cool that we all get to come together and work on a common goal, despite our different interests. 07:26.000 --> 07:32.000 There are many different components of sustainability there's environmental, social, and economic. 07:32.000 --> 07:35.000 Social responsibility impacts all of that. 07:35.000 --> 07:39.000 It can either help or harm a community. 07:39.000 --> 07:41.000 In elementary school, we learn about like the three Rs: 07:41.000 --> 07:42.000 Reduce, Reuse, Recycle. 07:42.000 --> 07:46.000 But the 5 Rs is more of what I follow. 07:46.000 --> 07:51.000 It stands for refuse, reuse, reduce, recycle, and rot. 07:51.000 --> 07:57.000 I think it's a better way to look about waste and the things that we buy and consume. 07:57.000 --> 08:08.000 So students who are interested in tips and tricks about low waste living, that can look into our different resources on social media, the Greenhouse blog, and our newsletters. 08:08.000 --> 08:12.000 The UTD Office of Sustainability have events held throughout the year. 08:12.000 --> 08:17.000 Composting looks like pretty intimidating and complicated, but I assure you like it's really not. 08:17.000 --> 08:20.000 It reduces our food waste in a very simple way. 08:20.000 --> 08:23.000 We also have recycling. 08:23.000 --> 08:25.000 UTD makes it pretty simple for us. 08:25.000 --> 08:28.000 Facilities Management has a single stream recycling. 08:28.000 --> 08:33.000 Those are all available to people living at UTD or just any staff and faculty. 08:33.000 --> 08:42.000 When it comes to learning more about sustainability or just living a more sustainable life, it's important to remember that you don't have to be perfect all the time. 08:42.000 --> 08:47.000 There are many resources out there on the Internet, as well as through Office Sustainability and organizations. 08:47.000 --> 08:52.000 I think it's really cool that the Office Sustainability equips us with real like hands-on experience. 08:52.000 --> 08:58.000 Whatever I learn, I'm going to bring into life after graduation and in our professional life. 09:01.000 --> 09:06.000 [Paulina Hruskoci] My name is Paulina Hruskoci, and I'm an Eco Rep with the Sustainability Program. 09:06.000 --> 09:12.000 The University has made large strides in providing a safer and greener campus. 09:12.000 --> 09:20.000 One way we have helped accomplish this recently is through completing UTD's first ever bicycle-friendly university application. 09:21.000 --> 09:33.000 This application will not only bring recognition to the University, but will provide detailed recommendations for the University regarding how to improve bicyclist and pedestrian safety. 09:34.000 --> 09:48.000 The student-led data collection process required collaboration from partners across campus, including the Office of Facilities Management, Sustainability, Parking and Transportation, UTD PD, and Housing. 09:48.000 --> 09:59.000 A committee will be formed to address recommendations and improve education, outreach, and communication, for bicyclist and pedestrian safety. 09:59.000 --> 10:03.000 Eco Reps identified 280 plus data points. 10:03.000 --> 10:09.000 We were able to answer all of the application questions and submit a successful application. 10:10.000 --> 10:15.000 The application process has even inspired some new projects on campus. 10:15.000 --> 10:24.000 Be on the lookout for improved wayfinding, share the road signs, and well-being routes that emphasize natural areas on campus in the future. 10:24.000 --> 10:31.000 UT Dallas is known to have a large commuter population and a campus that is rapidly growing in size. 10:32.000 --> 10:40.000 Incorporating bike safety and sustainable transportation as we continue to grow in the future is essential. 10:40.000 --> 10:51.000 I'm proud to be a part of a campus that not only emphasizes recycling and natural habitats, but important issues such as accessible transportation as well. 10:52.000 --> 10:57.000 Being an Eco Rep has provided me with the ability to aid initiatives that help the student body. 10:58.000 --> 11:09.000 When I see an area that I'd like to improve, I have the project development skills, sustainability, leadership, and ever.000 --> growing connected campus community there to support me. 11:10.000 --> 11:16.000 We aim to make every student's experience on this green campus a positive one. 11:18.000 --> 11:19.000 [Sophia Bolsvert] I'm Sophia. 11:19.000 --> 11:32.000 Bee Campus USA provides us a framework by which we can really develop our pollinator habitat and how we support pollinators on campus, which is so important to helping our local ecosystem. 11:32.000 --> 11:34.000 They support animals that exist. 11:34.000 --> 11:47.000 They support the plants that exist and it's always beautiful to see butterflies flying around campus, or birds around campus, or bees around campus, because that's that's how you know, that the pollinator health initiatives are making an impact. 11:47.000 --> 11:52.000 We're located right in the Blacklands Prairies, which is a fantastic place. 11:52.000 --> 12:01.000 We've got fantastic soil, we've got so many great native plants, and we can really use that to promote native pollinators and pollinator ecology on campus. 12:01.000 --> 12:04.000 We have two apiaries so we can collect honey from those. 12:04.000 --> 12:11.000 Basically what we do is we take the frames out from those and we bring them into one of the labs on campus. 12:11.000 --> 12:23.000 Dr. Ripple is the main man in charge of our apiary system, he's fantastic and we love him so much, and we will scrape the honey off into what is filtration system so that we only get the honey and not the wax. 12:23.000 --> 12:28.000 And then we bottle that and when we have farmers markets, we sell them on campus to students. 12:28.000 --> 12:32.000 As an Eco Rep, they we have a lot of freedom in what we do. 12:32.000 --> 12:34.000 We have a lot of support. 12:34.000 --> 12:38.000 They really do the utmost to make sure that we're supported and whatever we do. 12:38.000 --> 12:42.000 We're not just encouraged to think, "Oh, how can an individual be more sustainable?" 12:42.000 --> 12:45.000 It's, "how can we make campus as a whole more sustainable?" 12:45.000 --> 12:51.000 And I think that big picture thinking is, is something that's just really valuable to learn and to experience. 12:51.000 --> 12:58.000 Being an anchor up on campus has been, I think the most valuable experience so far in my college career. 12:58.000 --> 13:04.000 I really feel like I've had a great chance to make a positive impact on campus in a really meaningful way. 13:04.000 --> 13:08.000 I think it's just, it's such an amazing experience for me. 13:08.000 --> 13:20.000 If anyone is interested in getting involved with anything that we do in our office -- whether it be Bee Campus USA, bike friendly university, Comet Composting, the community garden -- anything, anything at all related sustainability. 13:20.000 --> 13:27.000 If you have any suggestions for what you want us to do in as an office, feel free to reach out to sustainability@utdallas.edu. 13:27.000 --> 13:34.000 We're here to serve campus and that means students, faculty, whatever you guys have to say, we want to hear it. 13:36.000 --> 13:42.000 [Scott Rippel] I really see my role as promoting education, pollinator education through awareness. 13:42.000 --> 13:48.000 On the educational side, we have two courses on the University that deal directly with the bees. 13:48.000 --> 13:57.000 Then, as far as campus goes, we have the North Apiary and it holds about anywhere from 12 to 15 hives. 13:57.000 --> 14:06.000 Southeast corner of campus, we have six hives there that our student built, painted, and installed. 14:06.000 --> 14:10.000 My goal is not for production of honey. 14:10.000 --> 14:11.000 It's for education and awareness. 14:11.000 --> 14:14.000 And a byproduct of that is going to be honey. 14:14.000 --> 14:19.000 We give them educational opportunity to come out and help harvest those. 14:19.000 --> 14:31.000 And they'll actually come out to the hives, and get suited up, and pull the combs and honey out, and then we'll bring back to the lab, and we'll go ahead and crush those combs, and extract that honey. 14:31.000 --> 14:35.000 So this last year, we collected about 400 pounds of honey. 14:35.000 --> 14:45.000 And each pound of honey takes about 2 million floral visits, so that's an extremely large number of floral visits, both on campus and throughout the local community. 14:45.000 --> 15:00.000 The Eco Reps have sold the Comet Honey through the pop-up market, and that funding is there for the for the students, for student design and implemented projects, both on campus and off campus, for sustainability. 15:00.000 --> 15:03.000 For me, it's not teaching somebody to become a beekeeper. 15:03.000 --> 15:04.000 That's not it at all. 15:04.000 --> 15:09.000 It's an opportunity to experience something that most people can't do. 15:09.000 --> 15:17.000 I mean, here's an opportunity for you to open up a hive and have 50,000 bees come flying around you. 15:17.000 --> 15:27.000 And you're in a protective gear but in the same instance, everything that's all your anxieties and worries that you have going on in life, they just disappear. 15:27.000 --> 15:32.000 And in the process, they become aware of the needs of the bees. 15:32.000 --> 15:39.000 So just becoming aware of that, I know that will make an impact on them because someday, our students will be leaders. 15:39.000 --> 15:59.000 And they will be in a role where they will not be a beekeeper, but they will have had that experience and know that there's an awareness there that they can make decisions in their leadership roles in the community, at their house, and the community, and the government, that can help protect the pollinators in general. 15:59.000 --> 16:04.000 [Christina Thompson] Bees are everywhere and most of the time, you don't even notice them, you don't think about them, right? 16:04.000 --> 16:06.000 They're not part of your daily life. 16:06.000 --> 16:07.000 But they are a big part of your daily life. 16:07.000 --> 16:26.000 And so, as part of Bee Campus USA, we are looking to bring in more undergraduates to help us with the hives, to help us process honey, and that is happening through the Eco Reps, through sustainability, and so you can apply to be part of those programs through sustainability, kind of as an umbrella. 16:26.000 --> 16:40.000 Part of the importance of outreach and education is to remind people that there's a lot going on that they're not thinking about and that the choices that they make are impacting the world around them, even if they're not consciously doing that. 16:40.000 --> 16:44.000 Pollinators do a lot for for us, for us and everything that we eat. 16:44.000 --> 16:46.000 Most of what you eat is pollinated. 16:46.000 --> 16:48.000 The community garden is a great example, right? 16:48.000 --> 16:52.000 Flowers have to be pollinated in order to bear fruit. 16:52.000 --> 17:04.000 A driving force for how we've done plantings across campus, sustainability has worked really closely with grounds in general so that a lot of our main planting areas have pollinator-friendly plants. 17:04.000 --> 17:07.000 So, like, we have these no-mow zones around campus, right? 17:07.000 --> 17:08.000 And they're not very pretty. 17:08.000 --> 17:11.000 By the end of summer, they're giant, overgrown weeds. 17:11.000 --> 17:17.000 There's thousands of types of bees in the Americas, and so it's important that they have that habitat. 17:17.000 --> 17:22.000 And so for education, you know we can show people that, and talk about that is part of making the world a better place. 17:22.000 --> 17:26.000 It's part of helping out creatures that can't help themselves. 17:26.000 --> 17:36.000 You know, if you're willing to make small changes in your life that can have an impact, right, everyone makes a small change and has a really big impact.