Sustainability Council

Present

Shane Brill: Interim Director of Sustainability (sbrill2FREEwashcoll)

Zoe Brookbank: Chair of Student Sustainability Council (zbrookbank2FREEwashcoll)

Jo Perkins: President of the Campus Garden Club (hperkins2FREEwashcoll) 

Jessica Barr and Maura Collins: Co-Vice Presidents of the Campus Garden Club (jbarr4FREEwashcoll) (mcollins23FREEwashcoll)

Michael Hudak: Vice President of the Compost Club (mhudak3FREEwashcoll) 

SGA

• World Soil Day Celebration on Tuesday at 5:30 (location undetermined) - Soil trivia Kahoot and pudding dirt cups

• My budget got approved. Ideas for next year:

  • Getting better teaching tools in the garden

  • More “advertising” or pushing garden use for teaching and programming

  • Env. speaker series IN the garden?

  • Recycling ed. Campaign

  • Food waste ed. Campaign

  • Get WAC admissions Instagram to do an “outdoor places post”

• Garden and outdoor teaching initiative 

• Reusable giveaways

• Continuing (and hopefully improving) the env. Holiday Campaign

• Getting smaller expanded recycling bins in dorms 

• Smaller ideas not on the budget

• Got new tools for Bike Share Tech. 

• We will be putting the “out” bikes into the shed for the season soon. Probably going to really have to reorganize shed before then for them to fit. 

• Official “launch” party with the help of CES should be early next semester

Compost Club

• One final meeting next Monday, watching “kiss the ground” in the goosenest at 5pm

• Next Sem:

  • Use own composted soil for

• Sustainabingo collab

• Getting experts in composting to come talk (people that work in the industry, local farmers) 

• Flower gram (dried/pressed flowers) sale around valentines day: donate funds to a local charity

• Plant sale? Plant planting day?

• Club t-shirts

• Getting a cool banner for club fair

• Zero waste party - egg or sky box? 

Campus Garden 

• Event with STEM sisters today

• Budget approved!

• Mayday celebration

• Spring break to Georgia

• Master gardener program for exec

• Permaculture potluck

• Camping at RAFC

• Collabing with English dept on poetry garden

• Going to Mt. Cuba with WC-ALL

• Collabing with compost club for sustainabingo

• Bunch of projects: continue with pond renovation (natives), beekeeping (4 hives instead of two), black soldier fly larvae farm (solar dryer to dry and preserve) 

Action Items

• Last meeting! Zoe will be sending out a when2meet for meeting times next semester sometime late winter break 

• What would we like to see changed in SSC next year?

• Thinking like 10 steps ahead

• Big project? Or be thinking of this over break 

• Change lawn next to Kent to a meadow- leave a little trail 

• Logos!

• Marrianne is starting the compost logo!

• Would SEA like their logo changed? 

 

Present

Shane Brill: Interim Director of Sustainability (sbrill2FREEwashcoll)

Zoe Brookbank: Chair of Student Sustainability Council (zbrookbank2FREEwashcoll)

Jo Perkins: President of the Campus Garden Club (hperkins2FREEwashcoll) 

Jessica Barr: Co-Vice President of the Campus Garden Club (jbarr4FREEwashcoll) 

Amity Harrington: President of the Compost Club (aharrington3FREEwashcoll) 

Sustainability

• Shane tried out the RAFC campsite this weekend, needs more clearing but it looks great.

• The carpentry team is finishing the final trim on the garden ramp.

• Electric vehicle charging stations may be transitioned to use credit cards. 

• Going to advertise for the spring permaculture internship and bee class soon.

• Hiring a Tree Campus Higher Ed intern.

SGA

• Hired and trained a new Bike Share Technician, and going to start a Bike Share Instagram to promote more use.

• Working on the preliminary stages of getting smaller expanded recycling bins in the dorm trash rooms. 

• SEA and bottle cap project. Could the outdoor furniture go to the garden? 

• Wheelchair-accessible picnic table is an option!

• Dining hall reordered green boxes and told Zoe they were ordering reusable cups for the java. 

• Dining hall talks of a food waste study and potentially composting SOME of our foods if we are interested in pushing them further or just so compost club is aware of that. 

• Recycled Art Night, Wednesday November 15th 6:30 to 7:30: collab with Art Club to celebrate National Recycling Day.

• Collab with Compost Club in the works for World Soil Day, dirt dessert cups and soil kahoot.

Compost Club

• Finished the 18-day challenge.

• Budgeting meeting coming Monday. 

  • Flower grams.

• Two fundraisers for next semester:

• Having a meeting in two weeks to start a new compost pile.

Campus Garden 

• Working on budget.

• A lot of exciting projects planned! 

• Ramp is almost done! 

• Possibly camping this upcoming weekend 

• Chestertown garden club asked for volunteers Dec. 9 to help fix some raised beds at the elementary school.

• Interest in constructing solar oven.

Action Items

• Everyone is working on their budgets. 

• Only meeting one more time this semester, December 1.

  • People you want to see at SSC meetings next semester?

  • Zoe’s going to have a meeting with Jenny Freebery before next semester to see what projects we can get involved with in town.

Collaboration

•  

• Protest ordinances in town? Grass height ordinances.

• The Garden Club and Compost Club want to harvest their own black soldier fly larvae.

• Reusable bag giveaway.

• Outreach with the town about the benefits of native planting.

• Town may need volunteers for trash management for Dickens Festival. 

• Do we want any more trees on campus?

Present

Shane Brill: Interim Director of Sustainability (sbrill2FREEwashcoll)

Zoe Brookbank: Chair of Student Sustainability Council (zbrookbank2FREEwashcoll)

Jo Perkins: President of the Campus Garden Club (hperkins2FREEwashcoll) 

Jessica Barr and Maura Collins: Co-Vice Presidents of the Campus Garden Club (jbarr4FREEwashcoll) (mcollins23FREEwashcoll)

Michael Hudak: Vice President of the Compost Club (mhudak3FREEwashcoll) 

Laura Chamberlin: CES Associate Director for Civic Engagement (lchamberlin2FREEwashcoll) 

Sustainability

• Ideas floating around for compost stations outside dorms.

• Shane met with Mallory, Randy, and Stan about the accessibility ramp leading into the main entrance of the garden and also an accessible curb break past the compost bins towards the green area. SGA or CES could offer support money? B&G might want student help building and SGA service committee needs a project for iServe.

• Met with Courtney Rydel about ways that faculty can be more involved in the garden. She asked if the English department could help support the area they just cleared to make a poetry garden, with outdoor seating. They would help fund the project. 

SGA

• Currently hiring a Bike Share technician, interviews next week.

• Had a meeting with Lea Carter, they have almost 1000 lbs of bottle caps saved. Would SEA be interested in doing a joint event where we try to get a large amount of people together to sort them (they would already be cleaned) and then Lea said we could probably make several pieces of new outdoor furniture for campus, and she would help take that initiative.

• Recycling education/information tabling for National Recycling Day, Nov. 15th

• Working on garden use survey for professors. 

Compost Club

• Had their first real meeting this past Monday. 

• Started their first new compost pile, doing the 18 day challenge, and will have finished compost in 18 days. Schedule is full!

• Meeting in two weeks for compost decorating. 

Campus Garden 

• Meeting today 10/20, try to knock out as much of the red shed refurbishing as they can, but they likely won’t finish

• Going to sit down and plan the rest of the year’s events. 

• Firepit has been left in an unwanted manner, left a sign, and it happened again. Campus Garden will no longer have a firepit that it available to the general population. 

Action Items

• Laura Chamberlin! 

  • Awesome that we already have faculty involved and that we are making our work pertinent to coursework.

  • We shouldn’t be afraid to go directly to the provost, he’s here to serve you and has an environmental background. 

  • Go with a very clear plan that outlines benefits 

  • Add “monitoring” elements like for example a native garden where we monitor pollinator use. 

  • CES and Laura are also here to help, whether with money, support, or locations. 

  • Land at RAFC, building a regenerative agriculture space sometime in the distant future. 

  • Working with the environmental education class to work on education projects. 

• Did introductions and talked about what Laura does

• All of the environmental internships will be on Handshake from now on!

• How to make effective student change?

• The meeting time changed to 8:30 am from now on!

Present

Shane Brill: Interim Director of Sustainability (sbrill2FREEwashcoll)

Zoe Brookbank: Chair of Student Sustainability Council (zbrookbank2FREEwashcoll)

Jessica Barr: Co-Vice President of the Campus Garden Club (jbarr4FREEwashcoll) 

Michael Hudak: Vice President of the Compost Club (mhudak3FREEwashcoll) 

Nikelsy Urena: President of Student Evironmental Alliance (nurena2FREEwashcoll) 

Sustainability

• Shane met with Laura Chamberlin, new CES civic engagement hire. She is going to take the lead for sustaining the bee, tree campus USA and green power certifications. 

• SSC would like to have Laura at either our next meeting or the meeting after that. 

SGA

• Started preliminary planning (reached out to Jenny Freeberry, Dr. CD, and Garnet) for an elementary recycling education program

• Contacted B&G (Lea Carter specifically) on recycling #5’s (we are supposed to recycle whatever the town recycles but they recycle 5’s and we don’t). She says all of the signs at the collection site still only indicate 1s and 2s. Zoe is going to reach out to Richard Turnbell at MES for further information

• Reached out to Stan for a meeting on B&G sustainability (a follow-up from our meeting at the end of last semester). No response yet. 

• Last senate environmental committee members started to pick their holidays for an environmental holiday campaign.

• Recycled art event is going to be in November. 

• Bike Share App bug is fixed!

Compost Club

• Held their first meeting last week in the alumni house. Good turnout, 15 people came and more people that didn’t come are interested in going to future meetings. At the meeting they had cricket crumbles, talked about plans for the semester, and had members share ideas.

• Talked about why we can’t necessarily compost with dhall (too much food waste in dhall, don’t have space to compensate) Discussing how to reduce food waste in dhall with education and fliers. 

• Their first event is going to be compost bucket decoration, and everyone will get to keep their buckets.

• They need to make a groupchat 

• Finally got access to their budget.

Campus Garden 

• SEA is thinking of changing their logo. An idea is for all environmental club logos to coordinate in a panoramic landscape that fit together. Maryanne who drew the garden logo is interested in doing the rest of the logos and SGA will hopefully be able to compensate her. 

• Overgrown area is getting cleared in the next five days.

• Art painting event went well.

• Making more progress on the RAFC wild foods outpost, currently being sheet mulched. Excited about opening that space to other clubs

SEA

• Trying to be more active this year, getting more members

• Had their first nterest meeting, made pear butter at the garden that they are going to give away at their next event.

• Next event will be a foraging and trail walk around campus, which might be next week (Tuesday)

• They will do a craft night at the end of october, decorating clay and wooden circles (stress relief and a movie). 

• Want to do a big thing with CES for Earth Day, to make sure it’s actually successful this year. 

• Going to Adkins Arboretum with Adventure Club, need to pick a date 

Action Items

• Picking our semester sustainability initiative 

• Zoe is planning a meeting with Jenny(town environmental committee) to see if the town has any projects/events they want our help with. 

• Reestablish greenbox with dhall/ reach out to dhall about how they get their packaging 

• Changing meetings to 8:30? Potentially making this change after next meeting, so meeting with Laura can be longer.

Download Minutes

Present 

Shane Brill: Interim Director of Sustainability (sbrill2FREEwashcoll) 

Kevin Denice: Chair of Student Sustainability Council (kdenice2FREEwashcoll) 

Zoe Brookbank: SGA Secretary of Environment (zbrookbank2FREEwashcoll) 

Hannah McCarthy: Co-President of Compost Team (hmccarthy3FREEwashcoll) 

Emma Macturk: Co-President of Student Environmental Alliance (emacturk2FREEwashcoll) 

Jo Perkins: President of Campus Garden Club (hperkins2FREEwashcoll) 

Aryanna Horan: Secretary of Compost Team (ahoran2FREEwashcoll) 

Sustainability 

• Lee Carter has volunteered the recycling center bathroom to available during campus garden activities, but it needs renovations which students will participate in. 
• Shane is hiring a summer food initiative intern to take care of the garden and chickens during the summer. 
• A few community groups are visiting the campus this summer to learn about sustainability and gardening efforts. 

SGA

• Ready for Trash Clean up for the rail trail at 9:00 am. 
• Five bikes are ready and the committee members are testing them 
• A mechanic is coming Monday to fix some of the bikes that are broken 

• Got stickers for bike QR codes, and a banner is on the way. 
• Expanded recycling bins going out Saturday. 
• Meeting with Dr. Imbruce on the 25th  

 

SEA

• Had elections, Nikelsy is the new president. 
• Crafts and origami night to recycle students papers 5-7 on the 4th in the egg 

Compost Team

• Currently doing elections  

Campus Garden

• Permaculture Potluck was a great success. 

• Accessibility project, will be putting a concrete patio behind the compost bays and level the sidewalk. Will make a ramp into the garden. Will be doing this on Casey Time on April 30, from 9-12.  
• Next Saturday have the May Day celebrations with live bluegrass music and food. 
• Starting the election process. 

Action Items 

• We will not have a meeting on May 5th, so the next meeting will be next semester. 

Present

Shane Brill: Interim Director of Sustainability (sbrill2FREEwashcoll)

Kevin Denice: Chair of Student Sustainability Council, SGA Secretary of Environment (kdenice2FREEwashcoll)

Isabel Bendel-Simso: Co-President of the Student Environmental Alliance (ibendelsimso2FREEwashcoll)

Jo Perkins: Co-President of Campus Garden Club (hperkins2FREEwashcoll)

Hannah McCarthy: Co-President of Compost Team (hmccarthy3FREEwashcoll)

Aryanna Horan: Secretary of Compost Team (ahoran2FREEwashcoll)

Jenny Freebery: Chair of Chestertown Environmental Committee

Sustainability

• Earth Day Festival at the Waterfront will no longer be happening at all.
• The first outdoor water bottle refill station in Chestertown has been installed in the Campus Garden!
• Renewed the Bee and Tree Campus USA Certification.

SGA

• We are working to start pilot testing the Bike Share App. Kevin has a meeting with Seyed, the lead developer, and Antoine Jorden, the administrator responsible for assisting with the program next week.
• Is working on labeling the 5 recycling bins for our expanded recycling program, to hopefully be launched before transitions.
• One water bottle refill station will be installed in QA, likely in the early summer.
• The entire Exec Board had a meeting with Dining Services 3/8 and a major issue that was discussed was labelling and the availability of options. We have seen several improvements to labeling and other things since.
• The next Secretary of Environment will be picked by 3/31, and Kevin will transition out of his role 4/8.
• Kevin will continue to chair the council for the remainder of the semester, and the new Secretary will take over next semester.
• The Secretary of Service and Community Relations is collaborating with the Campus Garden Club for Casey Time, which will take place in the garden.

SEA

• Hosted a Bottle Cap Cleaning Night Wednesday. It went well despite low attendance.

Compost Team

• Will be meeting to design flyers for their adopt-a-worm fundraiser.

Campus Garden

• They got 6 chicks Tuesday and are having a movie night Friday the 24^th to celebrate
• Renovating the pond in the garden.
• Mayday Celebration April 29^th
• There will be another Friday at the garden, date tbd.
• They will get at least one goose in April.

Chestertown Environmental Committee

• Earth Day Festival April 22^nd. Students will participate in the trash clean up that is a part of the festival.
• Will look into collaborating with the Rock Ensemble for the festival.

Action Items

• Club Elections and Transitions
• If the clubs want tables at the Earth Day Festival, they should contact Jenny.
• The next meeting will be on 4/7.

Present: 

• Shane Brill: Interim Director of Sustainability (sbrill2FREEwashcoll) 
• Kevin Denice: Chair of Student Sustainability Council, SGA Secretary of Environment (kdenice2FREEwashcoll) 
• Emma Macturk: Co-President of Student Environmental Alliance (emacturk2FREEwashcoll) 
• Jo Perkins: President of Campus Garden Club (hperkins2FREEwashcoll) 
• Hannah McCarthy: Co-President of Compost Team (hmccarthy3FREEwashcoll)  
• Aryanna Horan: Secretary of Compost Team (ahoran2FREEwashcoll) 

Sustainability: 

• The Beekeeping Course completed their first honey extraction of the semester, which will be used for events later in the semester. 
• More bees will be added to the Campus Garden. 
• The Bikeshare Shed has been delivered and installed in the Campus Garden. 
• Mike Hardesty, the Director of RAFC and Associate Director of Programs and Staff of CES resigned last week. 

SGA: 

• The SGA is continuing to work on getting the Bikeshare program launched. 
• The SGA is working on adding water bottle refill stations to additional areas around campus. 
• We are preparing to launch our expanded recycling program soon. 
• Considering using the bottlecaps SEA collects to make furniture to improve unused areas around campus. 

SEA: 

• SEA is having a movie-night March 1st in the Goose Nest at 7:00 PM.  
• They are also hosting a bottlecap cleaning night March 27th in collaboration with Art Club, where participants will be able to make art with the cleaned bottlecaps. 

Campus Garden: 

• The interest meeting went very well, they got a lot of sign-ups. 
• They are working on the main projects of renovating the red shed and improving the pond in the garden. 
• During Spring Break: Spring Break Camping Trip at RAFC 
• March 24: Chicken run screening, should have new chicks 
• April 15: Permaculture Potluck with community 
• April 22: Earth Day Festival 
• April 29: May Day Celebration: food demonstrations, partnership with Arboretum 
• Decolonizing Permaculture talk in mid-early April 

Compost Team: 

• Compost Team will be running two fundraising events this semester. 
• First is an adopt-a-worm fundraiser, where participants can adopt a worm for a fee and receive a certificate. 
• Second is a class worm decomposition race: each class will have a bin with food in it and the first bin to fully decompose the food wins. Worms can be added to the bins for a set fee. 

 Action Items: 

• Next meeting is at 9:00 am on Friday, March 10. 

Present:

• Shane Brill: Interim Director of Sustainability (sbrill2FREEwashcoll) 
• Kevin Denice: Chair of Student Sustainability Council, SGA Secretary of Environment (kdenice2FREEwashcoll) 
• Emma Macturk: Co-President of Student Environmental Alliance (emacturk2FREEwashcoll) 
• Isabel Bendel-Simso: Co-President of the Student Environmental Alliance (ibendelsimso2FREEwashcoll) 
• Jo Perkins: Co-President of Campus Garden Club (hperkins2FREEwashcoll) 
• Aryanna Horan: Secretary of Compost Team (ahoran2FREEwashcoll)  

Sustainability: 

• Earth Day Festival April 22nd with CES, they have asked if all of the student environmental orgs to have tables. Working on having it zero waste. 
• Film Just Eat It screening Thursday April 20th at 7pm in NJT. 

SGA: 

• Continuing to work on Bikeshare, will hopefully launch in Spring 
• Expanded Recycling Program, in partnership with SEA and Chestertown Environmental Committee. 
• Event will be held for launch of Bikeshare.  

SEA:

• March 1 at 7 pm in Goose Nest: Monthly meeting and Movie Night, Fern Gully and the Rainforest 
• March 22: 2nd Bottle Cap Cleaning Night with a movie on. 
• Hoping to get a bench with Bottle Caps 
• Putting the Wave out every month – will have a page for other sustainability efforts on campus. 

Campus Garden: 

• Garden Club has had more activity than since Covid hit, which is awesome. Trying to get more people to the workdays and incorporate non-workday opportunities. 
• Feb 10: Interest meeting at 4:00 pm. 
• Feb 17: Blade sharpening workshop 
• Feb 24: Workday at RAFC Outpost.

• Herbal Workshop sometime this semester. 
• During Spring Break: Spring Break Camping Trip at RAFC. 
• March 24: Chicken run screening, should have new chicks. 
• April 15th: Permaculture Potluck with community.
• April 22: Earth Day Festival. 

• April 29: May Day Celebration: food demonstrations, partnership with Arboretum.
• Fridays at the Garden with Bayside Hoyas: don’t have dates yet. Possibly in conjunction with a compost workshop. 
• Reaching out to plan a Decolonizing Permaculture talk in mid-early April .
• Will be getting heritage breed geese sometime in April, Cotton Patch Goose. 

Compost Team: 

• Looking to get more native and local plants in the garden and around campus. 

Action Items: 

• Plan what displays each club will have for the Earth Day Festival.
• Campus Garden would love to be involved in landscaping/permaculture on campus. 

Sustainability and Food Initiative

• May Day was held in the garden on Saturday, April 30 from 1-3PM. Big success! Very large turnout!
• Fence project is ongoing! Contact Emma Cease (ecease2FREEwashcoll) if you are interested in helping paint.
• Casey Time is being held in the Campus Garden this year! Friday, May 6th from 12-2PM. Projects include: Compost bin building; painting bee boxes; mulching; clearing weeds; digging post holes; helping Emma paint the garden fence. All are welcome!
• The ShoreRivers bioretention dedication is at 11PM this Friday! All are welcome! Located in the North Commons parking lot.

Student Environmental Alliance

• Move-Out Market
• Boxes will be placed in residential halls for donations starting this week through end of finals week 
• Partnership with Residential Life 
• Elections will be held for new officers this week

Compost

• Recycling video has been completed
• New officers have been selected
• Presidents: Grace Kelly and Hannah McCarthy 
• Vice President: Amity Harrington 
• Treasurer: Belle Leiphart
• Secretary: Aryanna Horan
• Historian: Rory Miller
• Vermicomposting is going well!
• Anyone interested in hosting the worm bins over the summer can contact any of the officers 
• Due to time constraints, the garden/compost officers have decided to hold off on the seedling fundraiser until next semester
• There are currently seedlings beginning to sprout if any of the other clubs/Casey Time has use for them 

Garden

• New officers have been selected
• 2 new colonies of bees have been added to the garden! 
• We now have 4 hives!
• The new colonies will be introduced this week

Sustainability and Food Initiative

• There is still one spot left in the regenerative living community!
• Some of the permaculture interns and KAO collaborated last friday to start mulching the RAFC camping path.
• The Garden fence is in the process of being painted. 
• New water bottle refill stations will be installed over the summer 
• ShoreRivers would like to do a dedication of the North Commons stormwater installation on April 22 
• John Seidel’s  retirement ceremony is at SG hall on Friday, April 22 from 3:30-5:30
• Arbor day event is on Friday, April 29 11:30-1:30 run by CES on the library terrace, with a scavenger hunt around campus and educational materials 

Campus Garden

• Discretionary request has been approved!
• Next semester budgeting is in progress
• May day celebration is Saturday, April 30 1-3pm
• The garden will be hosting Casey Time volunteers on Friday, May 6 (reading day) 
• A water bottle refill station will be installed in the garden over the summer! 
• This is funded through a Mid-Shore Health Coalition grant and opens up the opportunity to receive more grants 
• Chicken Caretaker Sign-Up

Composting Club

• The recycling video has been filmed and is now in the process of being edited.
• New officers will be introduced by the next meeting.
• The worm bin project is up and running, and is currently being passed among members. 
• If anyone is interested in hosting the worms for a couple of days, please let Emily know! 

Student Environmental Alliance 

• Move-out market is being planned in collaboration with residential life.
• Tentatively timed for the weekend before finals week. 

SGA

• Welcome Kevin!
• If anyone has any questions that SGA can answer (budgets, events, etc.), feel free to contact Kevin! 
• Elm recycling event this Friday, April 15
• Upcoming Bee Campus event at SG hall 
• Annual birthday celebration by Chestertown Environmental Committee on Saturday, April 23 starting at Wilmer Park
• Trash clean-up along rail trail 
• 2 shifts: 8:30-10:30 and 10:30-1
• Prizes given away to people who participate!
• Lots of venders will be present 
• Town of Chestertown is sponsoring a book talk for “Nature’s Best Hope” at the Chester River Yacht Club on April 2t at 5:30PM
• Bike share 
• App being developed by makers union 
• Will be released next school year 

Sustainability and Food Initiative 

• Launch of the regenerative living learning community pilot program for the 2022-2023 school year
• Applications are available now for any students interested!
• Emma has begun painting the fence 
• Food initiative internship this summer 
• Applying for a grant to put a water bottle filler in the campus garden 

Food Recovery Network 

• Looking to join with the SGA hunger and homelessness 

Campus Garden

• Looking for more students to help take care of the chickens
• Hannah Perkins will be hosting another interest meeting to teach volunteers everything they need to know on Monday, April 4th
• No prior experience is needed 
• Sign up to learn more here regardless of whether or not you can make the interest meeting: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040B4CA9AA28ABFD0-campus
• Worm bin has been started 
• Joint workday with compost club last friday was successful 
• Seeds have been potted for upcoming fundraiser 

Composting Club 

• Joint workday with compost club last friday was successful 
• Aerated composting bin is almost up and running
• Seeds have been potted for upcoming fundraiser 
• Worm bin has been made and we are looking for caretakers 
• Composting video is going to be filmed either this week or next week 
• Composting bags are ready to be set up in the dining hall 

Student Environmental Alliance 

• Sustainability poster making night held last week 
• Planning on one more event in late April/early May

SGA

• Last meeting with Alexa!
• April 16th Earth day event collaborated with the Elm 
• 2-3PM in the Egg 
• Recycling copies of the elm to make collages
• Bee Campus art installation will be put up in late april/early may

General Announcements 

• KAO Induction Ceremony is tomorrow (3/8/2022) at 4:30 PM in Norman James Theater 
• Shorerivers’ Chester Riverkeeper, Annie Richards, is the guest speaker
• Upcoming environmental volunteering opportunity! Plant Atlantic White Cedar trees in Snow Hill, MD in collaboration with National Aquarium’s Conservation Team on Saturday, March 26th at 9 AM 
• Regenerative living dorms have been approved! The pilot program will launch this fall.
• Model nutrient-dense dorm room practices, recycling, etc. 

Sustainability and Food Initiative 

• Emma is planning on starting the fence project after spring break.
• Talk to your groups and come up with a design! 
• The permaculture chicken design

SGA

• Upcoming recycled paper collaboration event!

• Going to attend rally in April if legislation passes to the floor
• Erica Q. from the Elm has a lot of extra copies and needs something to do with them
• Currently writing to delegates voicing support for environmental legislation 

SEA

• Fall recycling challenge in collaboration with Buildings and Grounds was Cecil House
• The dining hall will be switching back to reusable to-go containers! More information will be shared soon on social media.
• Working with building and grounds to determine what recycled bottle-cap furniture we want to order
• Upcoming sustainability poster night on March 24th

Garden Club

• Meeting time is currently 2:30-5PM
• They are currently working to reconstruct the 18-day compost bins
• Hannah Perkins is leading training days if you are interested in caring for the chickens
• Another chicken interest meeting will be held soon to notify the entire campus
• There is an article in the Elm about the chickens, so please check that out. It talks about how everyone can respect the chickens, the eggs, and general safety of the chickens.
• More plywood is also needed for the aerated compost bin lid. Looking to possibly split the cost with the Compost Team. Analiese is taking measurements. 
• Friday work days have begun and will continue for the rest of the semester
• The permaculture interns have done an amazing job so far in the garden!
• The garden is officially the home to five chickens courtesy of Dr. Van Meter.
• The garden has acquired another picnic table that anyone is welcome to utilize for meetings, studying, relaxing, etc.
• We have A LOT of leftover compost buckets and WAC reusable bags, so please reach out to Analiese if you would like one or many for a possible event/giveaway
• All bird houses have been constructed, however we need plywood for the bat boxes.

Composting Club 

• Extra composting buckets are being distributed for anyone that wants one
• Meeting tonight, Monday March 7th at 7PM in Smith 110

Food Recovery Network 

• Upcoming trash clean-ups at Sass and possibly Eastern Neck
• Planning to do a tree planting 

Wildlife Conservation Club

• Finishing up painting bird houses in collaboration with the Campus Garden

Council Members in Attendance

• Emma Cease - Student Director of Sustainability  (ecease2FREEwashcoll)
• Analiese Bush - Campus Garden President (abush2FREEwashcoll)
• Emily Hurley - Composting Club President (ehurley3FREEwashcoll)
• Emma Macturk - Student Environmental Alliance President (emacturkFREEwashcoll)

General Announcements 

• President Sosulski was in attendance today!
• Kappa Alpha Omicron Environmental Honor Society Induction Ceremony will be held on Tuesday, March 8 at 4:30pm in Litrenta 
• Keynote speaker will be Annie Richards, ShoreRivers Chester Riverkeeper

Discussion with President

• Current campus composting situation 
• We are receiving scraps from the dining hall but need more resources and a larger location if we want to effectively compost everything
• Large increase in overall campus involvement and engagement with the drive-by compost system 
• Need for a permanent full-time Sustainability Director position 
• Resolution was passed through SGA outlining this 
• This position helped organize more sustainability internship opportunities in the past 
• This position could help promote consistent messaging across campus regarding our sustainability initiatives (compost, nutrition, food recovery, permaculture, environmental justice, habitat restoration, etc.)
• Would align with the environmental image the school is promoting
• Future possibilities to increase the sustainability of the campus landscape 
• Large open spaces that are primarily turf grass or eroded soil 
• We could implement spaces that are more attractive, eco-friendly, and engage the student body
• For example native meadows like at SG Hall or rain gardens 

Dining Hall Changes

• Look into swapping canola oil with a healthier alternative and/or reduce unnecessary use 
• Need to incorporate more local and seasonal food 
• Reduce the amount of refined grains and offer more whole and sprouted grains 
• Look into bringing back the reusable to-go containers 
• The school is currently considering different dining services moving forward since the current contract with our current vendor is up

Sustainability and Food Initiative 

• Potential living and learning community in the Western Shore dorms for those interested in Sustainability initiatives 
• Close location for easy care of campus garden, composting, and chicken care

SEA

• T-shirt distribution is ongoing
• Contact Emma C if you ordered a t-shirt to arrange a time for pick-up
• Spring interest meeting will be soon 

Garden Club

• Hosting an interest meeting for a council to take care of the chickens coming later this semester 
• Collaboration this Sunday, February 20 with Wildlife Conservation Club to finish painting birdhouses

Composting Club 

• Receiving funds for a composting bin in one of the dorms 

Food Recovery Network 

• Upcoming collaborative event with Sabine Harvey at UMD Agriculture Extension 
• Planning an in-dorm food preservation workshop 
• Upcoming film screening 
• Will be looking for a new executive board since all officers will be graduating 
• Possibly participating in some talks and events held by FRN National later in the spring

Wildlife Conservation Club 

• Collaboration this Sunday, February 20 with Garden Club to finish painting birdhouses

General Announcements 

• President Solsulski will be joining us for our meeting next week!

Sustainability and Food Initiative 

• Nine permaculture interns this semester
• They are currently working on new plant profiles for the website
• Working to coordinate May Day celebration
• Looking to have a bigger impact project later this semester
• Will be implementing pocket gardens around campus in combination with Building and Grounds 
• Possible rain garden implementation 
• Looking to implement new signage promoting environmental initiatives around campus 
• Expanding upon fence project in the spring so that each environmental club is represented 
•  SEA
• Virtual talk with Dr. Isabella Alcañiz called “The Role of Race, Immigration and Partisanship in Shaping Attitudes about Climate Disaster Assistance in the United States”
• Held on Monday, February 7th at 4PM on zoom
• Link will be sent out 
• In collaboration with Sigma Delta Pi
• Will discuss the disproportional impact of governmental aid following natural disasters for marginalized communities 
• Emma C is in the process of distributing t-shirts ordered last semester for those that ordered one 

Garden Club

• Chickens are coming soon! They will be here late Feb./Early March 
• A chicken coop is being donated by Dr. Van Meter. Thank you!
• Chicken council will be formed for taking care of chickens
• Interest meeting will be soon
• Possible upcoming collaboration with KAO for a garden planting
• Bees will be coming soon as well!
• Workdays will be starting again soon. They are Fridays with a new time frame of 2-4PM.
• Possibly expanding to some Thursdays 2-4PM

Composting Club 

• Recycling video with President being created
• Compost team meeting Monday, Feb. 7th
• Upcoming fundraiser selling seedlings 
• Food Recovery Network 
• Upcoming collaborative event with Sabine Harvey at UMD Agriculture Extension 
• Planning an in-dorm food preservation workshop 
• Upcoming film screening 
• Will be looking for a new executive board since all officers will be graduating 
• Possibly participating in some talks and events held by FRN National later in the spring

Wildlife Conservation Club 

• Currently on hold because of COVID
• Trash clean-ups will still happen at Sassafras NRMA

Emma Cease - Student Sustainability and Food Initiative Director (ecease2FREEwashcoll)
Isabel Bendel-Simso - Student Environmental Alliance President (ibendelsimso2FREEwashcoll)
Analiese Bush - Campus Garden President (abush2FREEwashcoll)
Marianne Herbst - Wildlife Conservation Club (mherbst2FREEwashcoll)
Emily Hurley - Composting Club President (ehurley3FREEwashcoll)
Alaina Perdon - Food Recovery Network President (aperdon2FREEwashcoll) Alexa Venturato - Student Government Association Environmental Chair (aventurato2FREEwashcoll)

General Announcements

• KAO will be doing a beach clean-up on Reading day at Betterton Beach
• Beekeeping course and permaculture internship will kick off in the spring
• EV chargers have been rewired and are working correctly
• Handsell located in Dorchester County has opportunities for students to camp and participate in native american/sustainable crafting
• They have a wigwam and experimental archaeology site looking at land-use pre and post colonization
• New water refilling stations will be installed at the beginning of spring semester!
• Check out the updated green spaces map to see the location of current water bottle refilling stations
• All sustainability related updates, minutes, member profiles, etc. are located on the website
• Please do not hesitate to reach out to any council members if you have any questions/comments

SGA

• Director of Sustainability resolution submitted at 11/30 Senate meeting
• Terracycle officially kicks off 12/1
• Upcycle gift exchange assignments have been made
• The location will be shifted from Central Services to a new location. New location will be communicated once finalized
• New resolution passed in Senate to support legislation to protect environmental rights

Food Recovery Network

• Composting bucket activity on December 8th at 7:30PM in the Nest with Composting team
• Looking to host film screening during finals week
• Looking to purchase wheelbarrow to help transport compost

Composting Team

• Composting bucket activity on December 8th at 7:30PM in the Nest with Food Recovery Network
• Upcoming garden workday with garden club on Friday 12/3 3-5PM
• Working on recycling video

Gardening Club

• Garden workday every Friday until the end of the year at 3PM
• Upcoming day tbd to finish bird, bat, and bee homes in collaboration with Wildlife Conservation

SEA

• Last issue of the Wave will be released mid December
• Recycling challenge is ongoing! Winners will receive a trophy and free pizza after winter break. Make sure to properly recycle in your dorm hall to have a chance to win.

Wildlife Conservation

• Upcoming day tbd to finish bird, bat, and bee homes in collaboration with Garden Club

Emma Cease - Student Sustainability and Food Initiative Director (ecease2FREEwashcoll)
Isabel Bendel-Simso - Student Environmental Alliance President (ibendelsimso2FREEwashcoll)
Analiese Bush - Campus Garden President (abush2FREEwashcoll)
Marianne Herbst - Wildlife Conservation Club (mherbst2FREEwashcoll)
Emily Hurley - Composting Club President (ehurley3FREEwashcoll)
Alaina Perdon - Food Recovery Network President (aperdon2FREEwashcoll) Alexa Venturato - Student Government Association Environmental Chair (aventurato2FREEwashcoll)

General Announcements

• Kappa Alpha Environmental Honor Society is hosting a film screening of “Picture A Scientist” on November 10 (Advising Day) from 2:30-4:30pm in Norman James Theater
  — Diversity and Inclusivity film about the barriers women face in the STEM field
• Permaculture internship and beekeeping course applications for spring will be sent out soon
• Next meeting will be November 30, 2pm
• All sustainability related updates, minutes, member profiles, etc. are located on the website at https://www.washcoll.edu/sustainability/council/
• Please do not hesitate to reach out to any council members if you have any questions/comments

SGA

• Permanent Director of Sustainability Resolution
• Terracycle Initiative — Nationwide program to recycle objects that can’t go into typical wastestream (ex. Shampoo bottles, tide containers, etc.). Boxes will be placed in laundry rooms at dorm halls. Collected bimonthly; free to set-up; earns school points that can be redeemed for charitable donations.

SEA

• November issue of the Wave released 11/9/21
• Upcoming environmental documentary night on November 18 at 7 PM
• Recycling Challenge in collaboration with buildings and grounds kicks off on November 15th! Initiative to help promote proper recycling in dorms. Residence Hall Floor (or by building if Western Shore) with best care of recycling stations will win a trophy and pizza party. Will run until December 13. Winners will receive prize when we return from winter break.

Campus Garden

• Oktoberfest was a big success!
• Chickens and pocket gardens coming in the spring

Composting Club

• Working with Food Recovery Network for DIY Compost Bucket Event
• Compost bin implemented in Dining Hall kitchen

Wildlife Conservation

• Upcoming tree planting event
• Continued collaboration with Garden Club to make bird, bat, and bee houses

Food Recovery Network

• Working with Composting Club for DIY Compost Bucket Event
• Please contact Alaina Perdon (aperdon2FREEwashcoll) if interested in packaging groceries to be distributed throughout Kent County by Minary’s Dream Alliance
• Film screening about food waste and food insecurities during finals week

Emma Cease - Student Sustainability and Food Initiative Director (ecease2FREEwashcoll)
Isabel Bendel-Simso - Student Environmental Alliance President (ibendelsimso2FREEwashcoll)
Analiese Bush - Campus Garden President (abush2FREEwashcoll)
Marianne Herbst - Wildlife Conservation Club (mherbst2FREEwashcoll)
Emily Hurley - Composting Club President (ehurley3FREEwashcoll)
Alaina Perdon - Food Recovery Network President (aperdon2FREEwashcoll)

General Announcements

• New recycling signage have been hung up in trash rooms in all dorms on-campus
• Please read and adhere to these recycling guidelines to make sure we can recycle items properly and help out our maintenance staff!
• Looking into advocating for Washington College to pledge commitment to the DOE Better Climate Challenge
• The school has officially been awarded green power recognition by the EPA!
• Full press release
• Looking to add SGA representative to Council
• Next meeting set for November 9th at 2PM
• All sustainability related updates, minutes, member profiles, etc. are located on the website
• Please do not hesitate to reach out to any council members if you have any questions/comments

Garden Club

• Oktoberfest will be held October 29th from 3-5PM in the Campus Garden
• Rain location is the alumni house
• Enjoy gluten-free earth oven pretzels, fresh mustard, fermented potato salad, sauerkraut, mugwort soda, and a root beer demonstration and tasting
• Students, faculty, staff, and alumni are all welcome
• 3 new sugar maple trees have been planted near Daly hall
• Recent collaboration with Wildlife Conservation Club to build homes for birds, bats, and bees was a success
• Continuation of this project on Sunday, November 7th 2-4PM — all are welcome!
• Herb spiral and garden rock terrace projects have been completed
• Looking to add chickens in the spring

Student Environmental Alliance

• October issue of The Wave was a success and can be found on the Sustainability website page and SEA social media
• Next issue will be out in November
• Upcoming recycling challenge in the works
• Pizza and trophy prize

Composting Team

• Working on educational video to promote proper recycling across campus
• Compost bin in dining hall has been approved and will be implemented soon
• Remember that pumpkins can be thrown in the drive-by compost located in the campus garden!

Food Recovery Network

• Recently participated in first volunteer harvest at Sassafras Environmental Education Center by harvesting sweet potatoes for food pantries in Kent and Queen Anne’s counties
• Planning to make one more trip there before it gets too cold
• More volunteers would be greatly appreciated!
• Planning upcoming composing workshop in collaboration with Composting Team
• Already have funding for buckets that students can decorate for their dorms
• Event will also provide a crash-course in composting
• Please contact Alaina Perdon (SPECIAL_LINKaperdon2FREEwashcoll) if interested in packaging groceries to be distributed throughout Kent County by Minary’s Dream Alliance

Wildlife Conservation Club

• Recent collaboration with Garden Club to build homes for birds, bats, and bees was a success
• Continuation of this project on Sunday, November 7th 2-4PM — All are welcome!

Council Members

Emma Cease - Student Sustainability and Food Initiative Director (ecease2FREEwashcoll)
Isabel Bendel-Simso - Student Environmental Alliance President (ibendelsimso2FREEwashcoll)
Analiese Bush - Campus Garden President (abush2FREEwashcoll)
Marianne Herbst - Wildlife Conservation Club (mherbst2FREEwashcoll)
Emily Hurley - Composting Club President (ehurley3FREEwashcoll)
Alaina Perdon - Food Recovery Network President (aperdon2FREEwashcoll)

General Announcements

• School has joined the EPA Green Power Partnership in recognition of its solar energy purchase
• Plans to fund a rain garden on the southern end of campus
• Oktoberfest will be held October 29 from 3-5PM in the Campus Garden
• Make mustard, mugwort beer, and earth oven pretzels
• All sustainability related updates, minutes, member profiles, etc. are located on the website at https://www.washcoll.edu/sustainability/
• Please do not hesitate to reach out to any council members if you have any questions/comments

Maintenance and Grounds

• Maintenance is extremely short-staffed
• Causing back-up in general maintenance jobs (like collecting recyclables)
• Asking that students be patient and understanding
• Federal work study maintenance job position postings in the works

Recycling Challenges

• Students are not separating recyclable materials in the dorms
• Cardboard needs to be folded and placed in bins
• Bottles and cans must be empty and rinsed out
• Placing items in incorrect bins
• All recycling is hand-sorted by maintenance!

Recycling Solutions

• Campus-wide recycling challenge
• Dorm/dorm floor with the best kept recycling stations at the end of each month will win trophy and food reward
• Campus-wide educational video
• New infographics for recycling stations
• Need increased recognition and interaction with employees from students
• New highlights of employees in the Elm and the Wave
• Formation of an anonymous form submittal for students to put in suggestions of how maintenance can help improve campus in the works

Campus Garden

• Garden workdays are every friday 3-5PM
• All are welcome!
• Garden is accessible to students 24/7
• Planned collaboration with Garden Club on October 10
• Building bird, bat, and bee houses for campus garden

Student Environmental Alliance

• First interest meeting is Thursday September 30 at 7PM
• Looking to restart bottle cap collection to convert into campus furniture

Composting Team

• Upcoming collaboration with Food Recovery Network for dorm composting workshop for students
• Make your own compost bucket

Food Recovery Network

• Upcoming collaboration with Composting Club for dorm composting workshop for students
• Make your own compost bucket
• Chestertown Community Table is not operating currently because of COVID
• Waiting on health department to re-establish relationship between them and Dining Hall
• Efforts have been switched to education rather than food recovery in the meantime
• Looking to partner in the future with the Maryland Agriculture Extension

Wildlife Conservation Club

• Recent trash clean-up at Sassafras that was successful
• Planned collaboration with Garden Club on October 10
• Building bird, bat, and bee houses for campus garden
• Have more trash clean-ups and tree plantings with some outside organizations planned COVID-permitting