Sustainability 2023 News and Upcoming Events

As 2022 comes to a close we reflect on all of things we have accomplished and we look foward to another sustainability filled year here at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette! 

2023 News:

• UL Lafayette's Office of Sustainability's strategic plan will come out this year.
• UL Lafayette's new bikeway extension is under construction and there will be ribbon cutting soon when complete. This trail helps connect Cajundome Blvd. to the center of Main Campus. The trail also helps LCG implement their new bikeways plan called, “Bicycle Lafayette”. The path contributes to the University's goal to increase access to safe, bike-friendly infrastructure connecting campus to the community.
• UL Lafayette's Campus Cupboard/ Career Closet is planning to have a ribbon cutting this semester.
• Fête de la Terre will be April 17th - 21st this year to celebrate earth week.
• The sustainability student organization, Students for Sustainability (S4S), was founded last semester and this semester will continue to host fun events, volunteer, and spread awareness on all things sustainability this year. Other enviornmental orgainzations on campus are the Biology Society, Ducks Unlimited, Geaux Bike, and Seeds.

2023 Upcoming Events:

• As part of Tree Campus USA we have more plantings planned for the Big Event (March 25th) where we will be planting 20 citrus trees around campus.
• As part of Bee Campus USA the newest pollinator garden is planned for the backside of the Honors building- Judice Rickles. There will be a planting at the Judice Rickles pollinator garden at the end of the semester ( date TBD).
• As part of Bee Campus USA for the Big Event (March 25th), the existing pollinator gardens will get a refresh.
• As part of Keep UL Lafayette Beautiful we are conducting litter surveys around campus every other week with AmeriCorps if you would like to volunteer and conduct a walking litter survey contact the Office of Sustainability's Jonathan R Brown (jonathan.brown@louisiana.edu).
• Krewe de Coulee (Feb 23rd at 2pm) - this Mardi Gras cleanup will be open to all organizations and students to volunteer to help clean up Johnson St. and parts of campus after parades so litter doesn't make its way into the nearby coulees.
• Fête de la Terre - UL Lafayette earth week celebration will be April 17th- April 21st 2023. The week is filled with fun events, all culminating with our biggest event of the year - the Fête de la Terre Expo for organizations, businesses, and non-profits who are committed to a more sustainable Acadiana and Louisiana. 
• Love the Boot Clean up ( April 19th at 3pm) - Earth Week Clean up hosted by Keep Louisiana Beautiful on campus.
• Kayak trip down the Vermilion river to pick up litter and enjoy our natural waterways as part of Fete de la Terre week (April 17- 21st - TBD)
• The new sustainability student organization, Students for Sustainability (S4S) will be hosting many more sustainability events this semester (if you want to join the mailing list or join the group then sign up here: forms.office.com/r/HxAd4WbbsR
• There are still event dates that are to be determined like the glass recycling drive, ribbon cutting for the bike path, a weigh the waste event in the dining hall, earth week yoga, etc. Stay tuned for these event dates on our Instagram/ Facebook (@UL_Sustainability)

2023 Designations:

• Tree Campus USA - The program recognizes colleges and universities that manage their campus trees, connect with the community to foster healthy, urban forests, and engage students in service learning that supports forestry efforts. We just celebrated arbor day and planted a 1000lb oak tree in front of the Whittington House. The oak was grown from an acorn of the massive St. John Cathedral Live Oak from downtown.
• Bee Campus USA- Our newest designation as of Fall 2022, Bee Campus USA aims to conserve and build habitat for native pollinators (birds, butterflies, bees, insects, bats, etc).
• Keep UL Lafayette Beautiful - This is also a new initiative about reducing waste/litter on campus. Keep UL Lafayette Beautiful, as a Keep Louisiana Beautiful University Affiliate, is a special mark of distinction and represents a commitment by the university to continuous improvement in addressing sustainability and environmental issues, promoting student environmental stewardship and engagement, and rigorously measuring outcomes. As part of this, UL Lafayette is leading a seven-university sustainability research initiative to help reduce waste statewide. It is funded by a $500,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency for waste reduction education, zero waste programs, sustainability projects and community service events.
• UL Lafayette holds a Silver designation in The Sustainability Tracking, Assessment & Rating System (STARS). STARS is a self-reporting framework for colleges and universities to measure their sustainability performance.

In 2022 the Office of Sustainability:

• January - Celebrated Arbor day with a tree planting.
• February - Our office and AmeriCorps planted some rare Iris Nelsonii, also known as the Abbeville Red Iris, in Cypress lake.
• March - Big Event - we went to sites all over Acadiana to plant trees and as part of Bee Campus we planted flowers and plants at Cajun village's community garden
• April - Planted 700 native seeds planted at the Cajun Prairie Habitat along the coulee / Future Outdoor Classroom
• August- Enhanced our landscapes and bee campus pollinator locations with Soul Camp volunteers
• August - UL Lafayette designated as a Bee Campus USA University Affiliate
• September - Office of Sustainability assisted in the relocation and opening of Campus Cupboard & Career Closet
• August - The sustainability student organization, Students for Sustainability, is founded.
• October - UL Lafayette Choirs Fall Concert: “Songs of Smaller Creatures” honors UL Lafayette’s new Bee Campus USA designation.
• November - partnered with Res Life to host Energy Week
• November - Planted the lemon tree at the Amede Ardoin memorial with AmeriCorps
• Football Season - recovered food to donate, collected plastic bags to recycle into a bench, and managed recycling at all football games
• December - Conducted a Winter Energy Shutdown to power to save energy and money over the winter break.