Need funding for an event? Sustainability themed programs should fill out the Sustainability Program Funding application. The Center for Sustainable Communities and Wellness Department will be reviewing applications frequently, but it is best to apply at least two weeks ahead of your program.
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Thrifty Halloween. Decorah Thrift stores like Goodwill, the Depot Outlet and Spectrum Thrift Store are great places to find or put together the perfect Halloween costume! Organize a trip with your floor or a group to make sure everyone is feeling festive this fall. Borrow a van or carpool to stores in town, and create a costume with previously loved items. Want to take it up a notch? Organize a Halloween costume competition to see who can get the most creative! Check out the Goodwill Industries of Northeast Iowa Facebook page for special promotions and surprise Dollar Days and the website for store hours.
No Shave- Let's Save Contest. The month of November is coming up quickly- start a No Shave November Contest with a environmentally friendly challenge to save water and waste! According to EPA.gov, disposable razors are among the top discarded items- 2 billion disposable razors are thrown away each year in the United States. By not shaving for one month every year, you can significantly reduce your impact on your local landfill. Start a competition to see who can grow the longest or most scraggly beard, or who can grow the longest leg hair. Check out the official rules on the No Shave November website.
Pumpkin Carving. Spread some fall fun by hosting a Pumpkin Carving event! The Farmers Market, open one more week, usually sells pumpkins for very cheap, and the Oneota Co-op has full sized pumpkin for less than $5. Take your floor or group to pick them up, print off some design patterns, and see who can carve the most beautiful pumpkin! Don't forget to compost the pumpkin guts and cook the seeds for a healthy fall snack!
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"I Stand for Climate Action" Photo campaign. From Monday, October 25th through Wednesday, October 26th, the Center for Sustainable Communities will be encouraging people to visit our table in the Union lobby and take a white board picture telling us why they stand for climate action. The intent of this photo campaign is to raise awareness and show the larger community that Luther students are committed to the environment and want to act on climate change. Visit the ECO Facebook page to see the campaign from last year, and stop by our table from 9:00am-12pm next week to take your picture!
Students and Staff Attend AASHE Conference in Baltimore. On October 9-11th, Sustainability staff and students attended the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) National Conference in Baltimore, Maryland. Center for Sustainable Communities Assistant Director Maren Beard and Energy and Waste Fellow Arianna Cocallas attended the conference with students Natalie Wade '18 and Isobel Michaud '19. The group attended the Student Summit as well as breakout session panels on various topics relating to campus sustainability. Wade reflected on her time saying, "The ASSHE conference was filled with passionate people and great ideas. It was very uplifting to see the collaboration between staff, faculty and students from schools all over the world making efforts toward positive environmental and social changes." To learn more about the organization and the conference, visit the AASHE website.
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Tips for a Greener Residence Hall
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 Just because colder weather is coming doesn't mean you still can't air dry your laundry. There are upward of 88 million dryers in the U.S., each emitting more than a ton of carbon dioxide per year. Because dryers uses so much energy, skipping it altogether can make a real difference. Save an extra $.50 every time you wash your clothes by using a drying rack, available at the Service Center in every residence hall. |
This newsletter is provided by the Center for Sustainable Communities in collaboration with the Luther College Wellness Department. The mission of the Center is to promote sustainability and be a catalyst for change on campus and in the region. We believe that physical wellness is an important component of sustainability, and advocate for the physical, mental, and emotional health of our campus and local community. For more information on initiatives at Luther and the outreach work of the Center for Sustainable Communities and Wellness Department, please visit:
www.luther.edu/sustainability and
www.luther.edu/studentlife/wellness/.
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Coffee Break with LVC
Tuesday, October 25
9:30am-10:15am Valders 374
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Beet Appreciation Day
Tuesday, October 25
9:30am-1:30pm Union Lobby
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A Sugar Creek Chronicle: Observing Climate Change from a Midwestern Woodland
Wednesday, October 26
7:00pm Olin 102
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Shopping Shuttle
Wednesday, October 26
7:30pm SOS Office
The shopping shuttle runs 2-3 times per month, and will take students downtown and to Wal-mart at no charge to complete their monthly shopping needs.
Learn more
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Squash Fest 2016
Saturday, October 28st
3pm-6pm Luther College Gardens
All students, faculty and staff are invited to attend Squash Fest 2016 at the Luther College Gardens. This event will have activities including eating squash, painting squash, participating in the Midwest's official Rutabaga Curling event, listening to music and exploring the Luther College Gardens.
Learn more
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Paideia Lecture Series- Who do you trust?
Tuesday, November 1st
7pm CFL Recital Hall
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| Mara Mergens '20 |
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The Center for Sustainable Communities is excited to welcome first year student Mara Mergens to the team. Mara is from St. Paul, Minnesota and is studying Environmental Studies and Women and Gender Studies. Mara serves as a student recycler and composter, picking up
recycling from Larsen, Ockham and Farwell and compost from Olin, Sampson-Hoffland and Valders. In addition, Mara helps with the waste audits that the Energy and Waste team have been conducting this fall. Mara's favorite thing about her job is learning about recycling and composting so that she can teach others how to reduce their waste! When asked why sustainability matters to her, Mara replied, "It affects everyone, why wouldn't it matter?"
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