Past Events

Although Lesley's green initiative is only a few years old, we are proud of our progress so far. Below is a brief description of related activities we have done in the past. We show these descriptions here to spark ideas for the future.

FALL EVENTS 2009

CAMPUS SUSTAINABILITY DAY - WEDNESDAY October 21, 2009!

1) Bike Share Bake Sale – Round #2!

• Time – 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM
• Location – UHALL 2nd Floor Atrium (sharing space with the Clothing Swap) – Come and buy some goodies and coffee – just don’t spill any on the clothes!
• Purpose – To raise additional funding for the Lesley LUGLY Bike Share Pilot Program – towards maintenance and bike accessories.
• $476.00 was raised to go towards the Bike Share Maintenance and Bike Accessories.

2) Eco-Pledge

You will be receiving the annual online ECO-PLEDGE to commit to at least 5 sustainable practices and/or action items for your daily lives!  Check your email accounts Wednesday 10/21 for access to the online pledge! (Survey Monkey).

Approximately 500 faculty, staff and students completed the annual online ECO-Pledge 2009.

3) Collection Items

Verizon Wireless Hopeline – Cell Phone Collection

October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month - Cell Phones/adapters and batteries will be collected from Wednesday October 21st – Wednesday October 28th.

Any brand, any age, any style – Verizon Wireless’ HopeLine program collects no-longer used wireless phones, batteries and accessories from any wireless service provider and puts the nation’s most reliable wireless network to work in our communities by turning these unused wireless phones into support for victims of domestic violence.

Approximately 35 phones (including power adapters/batteries) were collected for donation to Verizon Wireless Hopeline.

Better World Books Collection

What kinds of materials will Better World Books consider?

• Books in good condition (no marginal writing, covers and binding intact, clean)
• Videos
• CDs
• Books on Tape

What kinds of materials are not acceptable?

• Items in poor condition
• Journal issues
• Incomplete multi-part sets
• A large amount of books, VHS tapes and CD"s were collected for Better World Books...again, another successful collection!

Both collections will be taking place from Wednesday Oct 21st – Wednesday Oct 28th.

4) MEATLESS Wednesday - Bon Appetit- is hosting a "Meatless Wednesday" – October 21st in the White Hall Dining Commons.There will also be brochures available "Vegetarian Starter Kit" on the Dining Commons Information Table. One day a week – cut out meat! Going meatless once a week may reduce your risk of chronic preventable conditions like cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and obesity. It can also help reduce your carbon footprint and save precious resources like fresh water and fossil fuel. (meatlessmonday.com) Meatless Wednesday was a SUCCESS.....everyone had a great attitude about giving up meat for one day......it is only one day!!

5) Campus Garden -Going to bed for the winter!

The Campus Garden Student Group will be at the garden location (back yard of 24 Mellen Street), from 10am-3pm doing some work putting the garden to bed as well as some winter planting! There will also be some herb dips and salsa made from garden foods to share!

The Campus Garden student group met for over half the day at the garden site, to clean it up, prepare if for "winter bedding" and fall plantings. Home-made salsa and dips were prepared and shared from prime ingredients from the summer plantings.

EVENTS SPRING 2009

ECO-WEEK 2009

Trash/Recycling and Composting

Bike Share -Bake Sale - Faculty, Staff and Students help raise money to fix up the existing bikes we collected that were either unclaimed or donated.

Campus Production Garden Staff and Students joined forces to communicate and educate the Lesley population on the Campus Production Garden. We recruited volunteers and donations to "Help Our Garden Grow!"

Earth Day/Arbor Day Events 2009

• Bon Appetit -On Wednesday April 22- Low Carbon Diet Day will feature a menu that teaches guests how to eat "low carbon". Each station will highlight foods illustrating a key principal of reducing climate change. Diners will continue to have extensive choices but will be encouraged to taste new items that are climate-friendly. In addition, each cafe will announce the results of our current food waste reduction efforts.
• Earth Day/Arbor Day Tree Planting April 22- In the celebrations of Lesley Univeristy and The Episcopal Divinity School partnering together on the same property, please join your fellow students and colleagues for a Stewartia tree planting event, located on the Brattle Street Campus, adjacent to Brattle Street and the Chapel. All are invited to join in for the actual tree planting on Wednesday April 22, planting time scheduled for 6:30pm. (The photos are compliments of Jules Smith -Episcopal Divinity School Communications Associate.) Thank you Jules for the beautiful photos you captured during our joint event!

• Group Bike Ride on the Minuteman Bikeway -Saturday April 25th 11am-2pm Estimated arrival time back in Cambridge area will be 2pm.

• Hiking Mt. Greylock Saturday April 25- Please join us for a hike to Mt. Greylock, part of the Berkshire Chapter Appalachian club reservation. Faculty and Staff are encouraged to participate with the hiking club, along with fellow students.

  Mt. Greylock is the highest peak in Massachusetts 3,941ft. We will be summiting to one of the most spectacular views in the state. The hike is free and lunch is provided in the form of PB&J sandwiches, nuts, cereals, dried fruit and other snacks. Hikers must bring a water bottle and dress in layers (NO COTTON FABRICS). Hiking boots are recommended for good comfort and support on the hike, but broken in sneakers work as well.

  The trip has a cap at 15 hikers and we will be accepting sign up until April 15th. Departure time is Saturday morning at 6am from the Lesley main campus fire lane. The van will be leaving EDS at 5:50am sharp. The hike is an all day event and we will return to Lesley at approximately 7:30pm.

  If you are not a hiking club member but would like to join the group or if you have questions, please contact Brian Axelrod baxelrod@lesley.edu or Matt Hunt mhunt4@lesley.edu.

• Annual Earth Day - Clean Up the Charles River - Annual Clean Up the Charles is Saturday April 25th from 9am -12noon. This event is organized by a collaborative of groups interested in environmental and river issues. All volunteers will be provided with supplies and instructions, and are also invited to attend a post-cleanup thank you picnic. Sign up is required to take part in the Cleanup and many areas fill up fast. In order for us to organize a Lesley group -please either email Sue Wisniewski swisniew@lesley.edu or Dan Flynn dflynn@lesley.edu
• Clean Cambridge Saturday May 2, 2009 9am-12noon. http://cleancambridge.org   Come join us at the first annual Spring Cambridge Cleanup 9am-12noon. This is an initiative by Cambridge residents to clean the beautiful city we live in. This initiative is in addition to the Department of Works regular street cleaning. Please RSVP to Sue Wisniewski for group setup.

Past Event - Group Bike Ride - Saturday March 28, 2009

It was a perfect spring day - sunny, dry and warm which made excellent riding conditions for a group of 12 Lesley affiliates, including staff/students and family members. We started the ride as a group and then opened it up to ride at your own pace and leisure! Younger family members really enjoyed their time outdoors and it gave the Lesley folks a chance to get to know new people and make new friends! All in all -it was a great first ride of the season!

Events - Fall 2008

Cell Phones, cell phone batteries and power adapters - HopeLine collects no-longer-used wireless phones, batteries and accessories in any condition from any wireless service provider at Verizon Wireless Communications Stores nationwide. Phones that can be refurbished are sold for reuse and those without value are recycled in an environmentally sound way. Proceeds from the HopeLine program are used to provide wireless phones and cash grants to local shelters and non-profit organizations that focus on domestic violence prevention and awareness.
HopeLine is a program exclusive to Verizon Wireless that puts wireless services and equipment to work to assist victims of domestic violence.

Verizon Wireless also concentrates on protecting the environment by collecting spent rechargeable batteries for recycling. The Verizon Wireless Cell Phone Battery Recycling program is an easy way for customers to join with Verizon Wireless to help conserve the earth's natural resources and prevent spent batteries from entering community landfills.

Through HopeLine's recycling efforts, more than 200 tons of electronics waste and batteries have been kept out of landfills. Since October of 2001 when Verizon Wireless launched its national recycling program:
* More than 1 million phones have been properly disposed of in an environmentally sound way through the HopeLine program.
* More than 170,000 pounds of batteries were recycled through the HopeLine and Call2Recycle™ programs.
Donated phones are not tax deductible.

Clothing - We will be collecting used clothing and shoes for Planet Aid. Proceeds benefit development projects in Africa. Learn more at www.planetaid.org

Sneakers/Athletic Shoes - Nike ReUse-a-Shoe turns old athletic shoes of any brand into sports surfaces for community use. Nike aims to recycle 125,000 pairs of shoes each year. To date, Nike has donated 170 sports surfaces worldwide, referred to as NikeGo Places. This addresses two of the Nike company's stated goals: 1) eliminating waste, and 2) increasing the physical activity of young people, thereby improving their lives.
Here in the U.S., Nike has partnered with the National Recycling Coalition. They are responsible for the collection of the shoes, so Nike can focus on such aspects as the actual building of facilities that use the recycled surfaces. If you are interested in donating that old pair of worn-through athletic shoes (Nike or not), you can find a complete list of drop-off locations and procedures on the Reuse-A-Shoe website. Go to www.nikereuseashoe.com and click on Nike United States.

Since the birth of Reuse-A-Shoe in 1990, we’ve recycled more than 21 million pairs of athletic shoes toward more than 265 sport surfaces; giving thousands of young people access to new playgrounds and athletic facilities around the world.

YES - Any brand of athletic shoe is ok.
YES  - Worn athletic shoes are ok.
NO –Metal, Water or Mud on shoes.
NO –Flip flops, sandals, dress shoes or boots.
NO – Shoes in plastic bags OR tied together.

Items for the Margaret Fuller House in Cambridge MA- Arts and craft supplies: paper, glue, markers, paint, glitter, scissors, crayons for the children's program. Books for all ages (in good shape) for the childrens program– NO TEXTBOOKS PLEASE

Minute Man Bike Ride

Please join President Moore, your colleagues and fellow students for a group bike ride on Saturday, Oct. 18.

We will be meeting in Davis Square at the bike path entrance (Adjacent to the Somerville Theatre - 55 Davis Square, Somerville, Mass. 02144) at 9 a.m. Saturday, Oct. 18.

We will ride toward Bedford, Mass. on the bike path and loop back to Davis Square. The total distance of the bike path is approximately 22 miles; however, we will be traveling less than 22 miles by starting at Davis Square. The ride time is estimated at three hours, so plan on returning to Davis Square around noon.

We will be asking for "Ride Leaders" who would be interested in volunteering to circle back starting at mile five, seven, and nine for those not interested in doing the full distance. You are not obligated to ride the full distance. We will provide distance or time calls to give you the option to turn around at your leisure.

If you are interested and would like to join, please email green@lesley.edu to RSVP. That way we can establish an approximate head count and if we need to cancel we can email you directly to let you know.

This ride will be weather permitting (if inclement weather occurs, we will search for other available dates within the fall season to reschedule).

For some general biking information check out the attached "Commuting by Bike" Powerpoint.

Want to see the route with corresponding mileage? Check out http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/ma/cambridge/554198270

Composting "Dining Hall Food Waste" is now on Campus!

For those of you who enjoy dining in White Hall Dining Commons- you will notice that Lesley University is running a Composting Pilot Program for the month of October. We will be collecting the following materials in a Save That Stuff collection container, located within the dish drip off area.

The following items will be accepted and sent to a facility where "black gold" fertilizer is produced. The end product will then be on its way to Rocky Hill Farms in Saugus MA and also Brick Ends Farms in Hamilton MA.

What to include in the composting container

Food Waste

Bones and fat trimmings, dairy, products, eggshells, fruits and vegetables, cooked meat, poultry and seafood, rice, beans and pasta, spoiled food.

Food-Soiled & Non-recyclable Paper

Coffee grounds and filters, paper napkins, paper towels, paperboard and other cereal box-type materials, tea bags, wet or waxed cardboard

Plant Material

Floral drippings, grass clippings, leaves, weeds

Other

Biodegradable liner bags, made from cornstarch, biodegradable containers, dishware and utensils.

NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO NO

Branches and tree trimmings; foil candy and butter wrappers; hazardous waste; plastic-coated disposable paper products, such as coffee cups, plates, bowls, frozen food boxes, etc; plastic cups, lids, straws, and tableware; plastic gloves and bandages; plastic packaging recyclables, styrofoam, and packing peanuts; and twist ties, twine, and plastic strapping.

Events - Spring 2008

Student Move Out - "Dump and Go!" 

Lesley University students donated numerous miscellaneous items at the time of move out this Spring Semester 2008. We collected select items to be donated to both Planet Aid and a local charity organization –The Margaret Fuller House of Cambridge MA.  All items were collected so that they would not end up in our waste stream, rather to be put to good use for charitable reasons! We collected 15 boxes of gently used clothing and shoes and we collected 4 boxes of needed items for The Margaret Fuller House of Cambridge. These items included craft supplies, school supplies, dishware, desk lamps, un-opened toiletries, pantry items and much more. We are proud of our students and their awareness of not only promoting sustainability but also social commitment to charitable organizations.

ECO-WEEK Success!!!

Thank you to all who contributed to our ECO-WEEK efforts!!

We gathered 27 Cell phones with a ton of power adapters/batteries/phone cases etc. We also collected 5 printers, 7 monitors, 6 laptops and 4 desktops. And finally we collected 35 pairs of pants, 101 tops, 8 dresses, 2 skirts, 10 pairs of shorts, 1 winter jacket, gloves, hats, scarves, fleece blanket, unopened sheet set and one pair of new sunglasses!!!

We also shared the Quad area during the Student Quad Fest for some "Green" vendors to come in and visit. Butter Brook Organic Farm, Green Streets Initiative and GoLoco.org came in to talk about their services! We sold some of our Sustainability T-shirts and Mugs, plus we had a demonstration of an apartment sized worm composting system.; We had a sign up sheet for our "Bike to Work" club and certainly sparked some interest!

Our tree planting was held on Wednesday May 7th, in front of 18 Wendell Street dormitory and it was a gorgeous day to add some additional beauty to our campus. A white flowering dogwood was planted. Check out the photos below!

The students also had great success during ECO-WEEK- Ross Gelbspan, Author of "The Heat is On" came in to discuss his views on Climate Change. He addressed the alerting threats that are embedded in climate change today and for our "not so far away" future. MaryBeth Smuts from the EPA, along with Danielle Connor from The Alliance for a Healthy Tomorrow came in to discuss Human Health Toxicology. All of our guests were well received and we appreciated their knowledge and passion on the environment.

Events from 2007

Events From 2006

Talloires Declaration
Tuesday, April 18: Noon at Marran Theater
Sustainability Commitment Celebration President McKenna will kick off Green Week by signing the Talloires Declaration, an internationally recognized pledge, signed by over 300 other colleges, that commits the University to 13 specific sustainable practices. Anthony Cortese, the former Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection and one of the original Talliores Declaration creators, will give a motivational speech entitled "Can We Meet Humanity's Greatest Challenge - to Create a Healthy, Just and Sustainable World Now and in the Future?" and receive Lesley’s Trailblazer Award in recognition of his environmental contributions.

Neighborhood Walk
Tuesday, April 18: 2:30 & 5:30 pm
Meet the director of Lesley’s Natural Sciences programs, Professor David Morimoto, on the corner of Oxford and Mellen Sts. for a one-hour walk through the Agassiz and Porter Square neighborhoods. Local birds and plants will be identified as part of a discussion on the various patterns and processes of urban ecology. David will also discuss how Lesley is bringing student scientists to the streets of Cambridge to work with communities on environmental problems.

Environmental Film Night
Tuesday, April 18: 6:00–10:00 pm at Porter 405
Join Lily Fessenden, Director of the Audubon Expedition Institute, for a night of fascinating environmental films, plus free popcorn, snacks, and drinks.

“Baraka”
Tuesday, April 18: 6:00 pm
This 104 minute film will take you on an incredible visual journey through 6 continents and 24 countries, showing both the beauty and destruction of nature and humans. No plot. No actors. No way you’ll be able to stop thinking about what you see.

Viewing of "The People Paradox"
Tuesday, April 18: 8:00 pm
As part one of Nova’s “World in the Balance” series, this emotionally powerful film examines the human side of shrinking and expanding populations. What’s fair? What can be done? Come join the conversation this film is guaranteed to inspire.

Tree Planting
Wednesday, April 19: 10:30 am behind the Student Center
In cooperation with the City of Cambridge, Lesley will plant an Eastern Redbud tree, a native species that is a member of the bean family (you can actually eat its leaves). This tree was chosen because its roots form a symbiotic relationship with the soil providing valuable nutrients, demonstrating the ecological connection of all living things.

Town Meeting on Greening the University
Wednesday, April 19: Noon at Porter Exchange Café
Grab a bite and hear some of the recommendations being made by the Sustainability Task Force on how Lesley can improve its sustainability efforts — your thoughts, feedback, and ideas are welcomed and needed!

Cleaning Party
Wednesday, April 19: 2:00–4:00 pm at the Porter T Stop
Join the good clean fun as we roll up our shirtsleeves and tidy up our neighborhood at the Porter Square T Stop Plaza. Local neighbors will also be on hand to help and you just might get a turn with the power washer! All cleaning supplies and tools will be provided.

ZoTobi Unplugged Musical Performance
Wednesday, April 19: 5:00–6:30 pm at the Amphitheater/Dining Hall
Come listen to progressive folk guitarist Zo Tobi as he gives an acoustic performance. His music is reflective of his advocacy for a socially and ecologically just society and he is sure to be an entertaining and educational impact on Green Week.

The Lorax
Wednesday, April 19: 8:20 pm at the Student Center
The Lorax on the big screen Before the on-campus premier of “Matchpoint,” check out this Dr. Suess classic! Based on a book published 35 years ago, The Lorax delivers a powerful message about creature and planetary kindness that’s never been more important — or better rhymed.

Eco-Rep Training Session
Thursday, April 20: 9:00–10:00 am at Porter 304
Eco-Rep breakfast meeting All Eco-Rep volunteers, and those who still want to get involved, are invited to this "training session" on assisting the University with its recycling efforts.

Green Fair
Thursday, April 20: 10:00 am–3:00 pm at the Student Center/Quad
It is easy being green! Come see for yourself at Green Fair, Lesley’s own mini Earth Day celebration. Participating Organizations and Activities include:

Animals As Intermediaries
Audubon Expedition Institute — Sign up for Summer!
Eco-art Therapy — Community Sculpture Using Found Materials
Friends of Alewife Reservation
Barnes and Noble — offering a selection of great books on sustainability
Lead-Safe Cambridge/City of Cambridge
Threshold Bake Sale to support the National Wildlife Federation
Take the Graduation Pledge of Social and Environmental Responsibility
Special sale on LU Sustainability Merchandise (long and short sleeve t-shirts and travel mugs — free coffee from Pura Vida for anyone buying a mug)

Town Meeting on Greening the University
Thursday, April 20: Noon at AIB, Room 215
Join us for pizza and hear some of the recommendations being made by the Sustainability Task Force on how the school can improve its sustainability efforts — your thoughts, feedback, and ideas are welcomed and needed!

“A Plan for Sustainability: A Last Chance for Action and Survival”
Thursday, April 20: 6:00–7:30 pm
John Howe is a semi-retired mechanical engineer, farmer, inventor, author, and lecturer. He designed and built a solar-powered tractor to use on his 175-acre farm, and in the process grew increasingly curious about the state of fossil energy in our world. He then wrote and published The End of Fossil Energy, which has recently been distributed to every member of the U.S. Congress. Mr. Howe has been the keynote speaker at the 2005 Common Ground Country Fair in Maine and a panelist at Rep. Roscoe Bartlett’s 2005 Peak Oil Conference. As part of Lesley’s Green Week festivities, he will be speaking about his book, The End of Fossil Energy: A Last Chance for Survival where he will discuss the energy crises facing our nation and offer ways that we can help the Earth survive. His talk will be followed by a question and answer session along with a presentation of Lesley’s Trailblazer Award, honoring John’s contributions to sustainability.

Town Meeting on Greening the University
Friday, April 21: Noon at the Dining Hall
Join us for a bite and hear some of the recommendations being made by the Sustainability Task Force on how the school can improve its sustainability efforts — your thoughts, feedback, and ideas are welcomed and needed!

Green Eats!
In addition to the above activities, Bon Appetit will feature a variety of special menu items all week long featuring organic ingredients and locally-grown produce and dairy products. Contributors include Butter Brook Farms (Acton, MA), Richardson’s Dairy (Danvers, MA), Russell Farms (Ipswich, MA), Westfield Farms, River Rock Farm (beef) (Westport, MA), Brooksby Farms (Peabody, MA), The Harvest Co-op (Cambridge, MA), Maine Sea Salt Company, Kenyon Grist Mills (South Kingston, RI), Highlawn Dairy (Lee, MA), Offshore Fishing Company (Gloucester, MA), Pier Fish (York, ME), Pura Vida Coffee, and Keeper Springs Water.