Planting of Cottonwood sapling helps maintain Jens Jensen landscape
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 On Wednesday, October 5th, a cottonwood tree was planted outside of Main Building by Luther's landscape crew. Grounds Maintenance's Perry Halse has been working on cloning the original cottonwood tree that Jens Jensen planted in the late 1800's, and after successfully cultivating saplings in the greenhouse, planted one of the saplings on Luther's commons.
Jensen's Luther landscape is a defining characteristic of this campus. Following damage from the 1889 Main fire, Jensen planted a lone cottonwood tree as a symbol of the American plains. Earlier planners had wanted to put the statue of Martin Luther in front of Main, but Jensen chose its present location, where it would be seen against a background of living greenery. To read more about Jen Jensen's legacy and Luther's landscape design, visit the Campus Landscape webpage.
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Cafeteria to Community program seeking volunteers
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 The Cafeteria to Community program was established in the fall of 2013 in order to reduce food waste from the cafeteria. Volunteers work with dining services staff twice a week to package leftover food into containers that are then delivered to the First Lutheran Church Food Pantry. This program is reliant upon volunteers and provides a great service opportunity not only for student groups but also for faculty, staff and community members. Gather a group of friends, sign up and come ready to tie on an apron, roll up your sleeves and get to work! A list of available dates and link to the sign-up form can be found at the Cafeteria to Community webpage.
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Student laundry study sheds light on energy use in residence halls
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 Earlier in the semester, student Sustainability Educators helped collect information about student laundry habits in the residence halls. With nearly 50 respondents, they found that 55% of students were already using cold water, a more energy efficient choice, to wash their clothes. 55% occasionally air dried their clothes, while 28% never air dried, and less than 1% reported they always air dried their clothes. After taking the survey and speaking with the Sustainability Educator conducting the survey, 70% of respondents said they would be more likely to use cold water on a regular basis while washing clothes. Stickers were added to washing machines in each residence hall reminding students that washing clothes with cold water reduces the amount of energy used per load. Washing clothes in cold water can also help them to last longer without shrinking or losing their color. In addition, Sustainability purchased new drying racks for each residence hall to help reduce energy costs associated with dryers. For more information on Luther's energy saving initiatives, visit the Energy Conservation webpage.
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Center for Sustainable Communities hiring education, farm fellows for 2016
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 Luther College is currently accepting applications for fellowships within the Center for Sustainable Communities. Available fellowships are the Food and Farm Fellow and the Outdoor/Environmental Education Fellow. These are full-time positions running from February through November-December. Responsibilities of the Food and Farm Fellow include managing operations at the farm, management of community gardens, marketing and communication, and more. Outdoor Education Fellows will be responsible for planning and development of programs, coordination of weekend trips and fall break trips, marketing and communication, and more. To learn more and to apply, visit the Sustainability New webpage.
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 Create a green Thanksgiving holiday this year by keeping track of a few simple things! Purchase local foods for your Thursday afternoon feast, save leftovers for meals the next week, and compost food scraps! If you are decorating, keep the paper decorations to a minimum, and make your table arrangements from organic flowers, or collect bouquets from your yard or neighborhood. Finally, if you are tempted by the shopping deals of Black Friday, seek out local businesses or less expensive materials to help you make your own gifts for the upcoming winter holidays. |
The Center for Sustainable Communities is always looking for ways to improve our publications and incorporate more information for our stakeholders. If you have any questions, concerns, general comments, or story ideas for future newsletters, please email sustainability@luther.edu at any time. Thank you!
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This newsletter is provided by the Center for Sustainable Communities, which coordinates all sustainability initiatives at Luther College. The mission of the Center is to promote sustainability and be a catalyst for change on campus and in the region. For more information on sustainability initiatives at Luther and the outreach work of the Center for Sustainable Communities, please visit: www.luther.edu/sustainability.
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Tuesday, November 24th
Food, Purchasing and Waste Task Group meeting
3-4pm Valders 374
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Tuesday, December 1st
Energy and Water Task Group meeting
4-5pm Valders 374
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October 23rd-December 11th
"Yellowstone and Yosemite", Pamela Schiffer
Wigley-Fleming Gallery, CFA
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Cora is a first year student interested in Environmental Studies and International Studies from Des Moines, Iowa. Cora started working in the Luther Gardens this fall, where she has helped grow food for the college. She also works for the Center for Sustainable Communities on various publications and marketing initiatives , as well as with the Cafeteria to Community program. Cora's favorite part of working for sustainability is being able to see firsthand the work being done on campus to combat climate change. She is excited to be involved with reducing waste and making more people aware of what is happening at Luther.
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Center for Sustainable Communities, Luther College- Food and Farm Fellow
Luther College is currently accepting applications for fellowships within the Center for Sustainable Communities. This Fellow will be responsible for day to day operations at the college farm, including student supervision, management of the community garden and carrying out plans for the 2016 season. Read more
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Center for Sustainable Communities, Luther College- Outdoor/Environmental Education Fellow
Luther College is currently accepting applications for fellowships within the Center for Sustainable Communities. Responsibilities include planning, teaching and supervising environmentally focused programs and trips for Luther college students and regional youth (preK-12 grade), including summer camp programming, precollege courses and incoming freshman student trips. Read more
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