Next week  is the second annual Celebrate sUSTtainability Week at the University of St. Thomas. Festivites are planned from Monday, Oct. 1, through Saturday, Oct. 6.

Since last fall, we have much to celebrate about advances in sustainability at St. Thomas:

• The first winning proposals for the Campus Sustainability Funds were named, and $50,000 of project funding was given to three projects:
  • The restoration of an oak forest at Fish Creek Natural Areas Greenway in Maplewood was begun with a planting by UST students and faculty in April and continues as part of Science Department curriculums.
  • The first UST electric service vehicle was purchased for the Physical Plant and now makes daily pickups of recycling as well as delivery runs for Central Receiving.
  • Hydration stations were installed in numerous classroom buildings in both St. Paul and Minneapolis.
• More of St. Thomas’ campuses now are powered by alternative power: The Minneapolis School of Law, Terrence Murphy Hall, Opus Hall and Schulze Hall in Minneapolis, and McNeely Hall, Morrison Hall and Owens Science Hall in St. Paul were added to the university’s three-year contract with Xcel Windsource.
• The EPA named St. Thomas “Individual Conference Champ” in its annual Green Power Challenge.
• St. Thomas was named to Princeton Review’s Guide to 322 Green Colleges.
• St. Thomas’ first LEED building project, the Anderson Student Center, received LEED Gold certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.

Activities scheduled throughout the week showcase some of the initiatives being explored by students, staff and faculty at St. Thomas:

Monday
8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Green research poster exhibit on Campus Way (second floor, ASC)

6:45 p.m.
“Dirt!: The Movie” film, OWS 3M Auditorium, free and open to the public

Tuesday
10 a.m.-3 p.m.
NESC Fall Office Supply Swap collection, ARC 207

Noon
LEED Gold tour with Bob Douglas. Meet at the Tommie Central counter, first floor, ASC. Space is limited, email Douglas to reserve a spot.

Convo hour (noon-1 p.m.)
Green Team, USG Sustainability and Smart Trips information tables on Campus Way (second floor, ASC)

6:45 p.m.
“Tapped” film, JRC auditorium, free and open to the public

Wednesday
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
NESC Fall Office Supply Swap and pickup of gently used office items, ARC 207

10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
NiceRide demonstration and free rides at the NiceRide Station (2191 Grand Ave., St. Paul)

3-5 p.m.
BEAST Free Bike Repair, John P. Monahan Plaza

5:30 p.m.
BEAST Bike Ride, begins at John P. Monahan Plaza
6 p.m.
Community Dog Walk with Macalester-Groveland neighbors, from Summit Avenue and Mississippi River Boulevard to the Marshall Avenue/Lake Street Bridge and back

Thursday
9 a.m.-3 p.m.
NESC fall office supply swap and pickup of gently used office items, ARC 207

11:30 a.m.
Feast of St. Francis meditation and prayer at the statue of St. Francis in Mary’s Garden

Noon
LEED Gold tour with Bob Douglas and Maria Dahmus. Meet at the Tommie Central counter, first floor, ASC. Email Dahmus to reserve a spot.

Convo hour (noon-1 p.m.)
HOURCAR and USG sustainability information tables on Campus Way (second floor, ASC)

6:45 p.m.
“Flow: How Did a Handful of Corporations Steal our Water?” film, OWS 3M Auditorium, free and open to the public

Friday
3 p.m.-4:30 p.m.
Integrating Sustainability Across the Curriculum Panel Discussion with CAS faculty, ASC 341

Saturday
9 a.m.-1 p.m.
Annual Fall River Clean-up with the Green Team, the Recycling Team and the DNR’s Adopt-a-River program. Meet by the Word War I monument at the west end of Summit Avenue at Mississippi River Boulevard.

Visit the Sustainability website for more details about the events.