University of Georgia
ER-4: Sustainability Outreach and Publications

The UGA Office of Sustainability's website provides information for students, faculty, staff, and the greater UGA community about all-things-sustainable at or around UGA. It is a nexus of links to news, events and information about what individuals can do on their own, how they can get involved with initiatives and projects around campus, and sustainable-related events in the community. The website includes contact information for the Office and is a great resource for anyone who is interested in sustainability at UGA.

The UGA Office of Sustainability distributes a "Sustainable UGA Weekly Update" on the "SustainableUGA" listserv. This weekly email provides information about events & upcoming opportunities for community participation, as well as general announcements about everything related to sustainability in the community.

Additionally the UGA Office of Sustainability also has a "News Room" on its website that compiles all of the university's sustainability news in one location.

The Center for Undergraduate Research (CURO) provides a vehicle for all students to disseminate research findings and publications on which they have participated. The CURO Symposium, an annual research symposium at the University of Georgia, provides an opportunity for all undergraduate researchers at various stages of the research process to present their research to the university’s academic community. The CURO symposium highlights excellence in research by undergraduate students, provides a forum for undergraduates to disseminate their research findings and creative works, and allows undergraduate researchers at UGA to engage, cooperate and communicate with their peers and university faculty and administrators.
While this symposium includes all research by undergraduate students, many students choose to focus their research on sustainability, and thus, this symposium is a way for them to announce and communicate their research.

Those who visit the Office of Sustainability will notice the # of 6x3 inch aluminum placards that describe various attributes of the space. For example, some read: "The tables in this room are reused from historic Chicopee Mill.", "The carpet in this room was salvaged from another campus construction project.", "This accent wall is made from locally harvested and salvaged wood materials."

Every dinning hall menu indicates what the vegan options are. Menu hardcopies/brochures are available to be picked up at the front of each dinning hall and are also available on the following website.

Several signs on campus indicate that landscpae fountains are either a) replenished through harvested non-potable water or b) turned off in drought periods to conserve water.

Note: a more comprehensive collaborative signage project is underway and the first phase will likely be installed in FY15 or before.

The University of Georgia campus is one of the most beautiful in the United States. Stately, noble trees provide human scale, a sense of place, cooling shade, and tranquility to students, faculty, staff and visitors. To walk this hallowed campus is to sense the pride in its heritage and hope for the future. The designation of the campus as an arboretum not only insures sustained, energetic tree planting and maintenance, but also presents opportunities for studying trees. This “Tree Walk” is the first project of the University of Georgia Campus Arboretum initiative.

The Tree Tour Brochure arranges campus into three sections: North, Central and South. A tree identification plaque is attached either directly to the tree or on a stake near the tree. Each plaque identifies the tree by name and has a number to correspond to the map. Those who are not familiar with campus may want to obtain a map from the Georgia Visitor’s Center or UGA Tate Center.

This UGA Campus Arboretum Walking Tour of Trees is provided by the College of Agriculture & Environmental Science.

The UGA Office of Sustainability website provides a number of different resources for commuters traveling both to and from campus, as well as around the internal campus.

It provides links to "UGA Parking Services Alternative Transportation Program," "Athens Transit" services, and "Used Bike Programs" which provides discounts for students. The webpage also includes links to campus transit maps and information, "Bike Athens," a biking organization in Athens, and "The Clean Air Campaign," which provides incentives for carpooling in the state.

UGA Housing and the Office of Sustainability have teamed up on a series of publications we have called "Living Green". The purpose of Living Green is to provide housing residents with information regarding "green" department initiatives, projects and updates as a means to increase environmental awareness and promote a sustainable community. Living Green is published twice each semester.

The UGA Office of Sustainability website provides Seven Simple Steps for students to take toward a more sustianable UGA, as well as other resources for commuting, volunteering, and eating well.

The Red & Black student newspaper often has reporters assigned to a sustainability beat but there is not a routine column or article.

Georgia Magazine, a quarterly newsmagazine that covers the University of Georgia and the people who make up the UGA community. Each issue highlights sustainability activities at UGA.

UGA Costa Rica publishes an annual Sustainability Report.

The Georgia Initiative for Climate and Society maintains a Listserv that students and faculty can sign up for and receive updates on new research, available positions, upcoming speaker series and events, and more.