Action Research Team - UCLA Institute of the Environment and

Action Research Teams
Public Presentations
Varun Mehra & Janou Gordon
Co-Directors, 2010-2011
Uma Bhandaram
Communications Director, 2010-2011
Carl Maida & Cully Nordby
Program Advisors
Education for Sustainable
Living Program
Film Series
Lecture
Series
Stakeholder Involvement
Action Research Teams
2011
Campus Recycling
Action Research Team: UCLA Stakeholders:
Co-Leaders: Chelsea Williams
Sheryl Parsons
Members: Claire Josephson
Jessie Martin
Rachel Woods-Robinson
Nurit Katz, UCLA Sustainability
Coordinator
Chris Gallego, Recycling Director,
Facilities Management
Jerry Markham, Director of Design
and Project Management, Facilities
Management
Project Overview
Outdoor Recycling
GOAL: Decrease contamination due to
trash and food waste in recycling bins
1. Assess UCLA community’s
understanding of current
recycling signage.
2. Create new signage to
encourage more informed
recycling.
3. Educate the UCLA community
on proper recycling behavior.
Indoor Recycling
GOAL: Increase indoor recycling
and refine office recycling habits.
1. Encourage buildings to
increase their recycling (and
decrease their trash) by
creating a recycling
competition.
2. Educate staff and faculty on
proper recycling behavior.
Highlights
Outdoor Recycling Indoor Recycling
1. Survey
2. New Signs
3. Earth Day Outreach
1. Contacting Building Coordinators
2. Launch Competition via Email
Project Outcomes
Outdoor Recycling Indoor Recycling
BEFORE: 20%
of survey respondents were
confident in their ability to properly
recycle items.
AFTER: 74%
said their recycling ability was
much improved!
Currently working on figuring out a
suitable way to attach the signs to
the bins.
Ongoing:
Building Competition ends on May
31st, so results will be tallied then.
So far, there has been a positive
response from the faculty and staff in
the buildings involved!
Check out the signs at
the JazzReggae
Festival!
USAC Student Groups
Action Research Team: UCLA Stakeholders:
Co-Leaders: Kennan Cronen
Erin Berlin
Members: Kyle Graycar
Jennifer Lu
Sara Savarani
Patricia Zimmerman, The Green
Initiative Fund Grant Coordinator
Nurit Katz, UCLA Sustainability
Coordinator
Informational Campaign
Survey of Leaders on Campus showed that FUNDING was their group’s
biggest obstacle in becoming more sustainable (40%)…
Being Green and Getting Green Workshop
-Five presentations from leaders in
sustainability resources on campus and
funding coordinators
-100 attendees
-Workshop
analyzing each
group’s practices
and how they can
be more sustainable
on campus
Motivational Campaign
In follow-up survey of the event, although general knowledge of sustainability
and resources increased, motivation was still the leading factor hindering the
improvement and implementation of sustainable practices…
Spring Quarter USAC Volunteer Day at Stone Canyon
Creek
-Green volunteer event
-Spread the word about BGreen,
USAC’s sustainability group
Sustain Sustainability
-The Green Guide for Student
Leaders and Groups is in
progress to be institutionalized
for next year (right: pg.4)
-The Stone Canyon Creek
Restoration will now be a
quarterly USAC Event held by
BGreen Consulting
-Sustainability Survey data can
be used for future ART teams
ASUCLA Fair Trade
Action Research Team: UCLA Stakeholders:
Co-Leaders: Seigi Karasaki
Joseph Lee
Members: Miranda Freeman
Jeremy Reynard
Roy Champawat, Director Student Union, ASUCLA
Karen Noh, Director - Special
Projects, ASUCLA
Cindy Bolton, Director - Food
Services, ASUCLA
Project Overview
Focus
Studying the potential
impact of Fair Trade
education on UCLA’s
demand for Fair Trade
coffee
Goal
To increase student,
faculty, and staff
awareness of the Fair
Trade movement
Methodology
1. Initial Survey
2. Awareness
Campaign
3. Closing Survey
4. Project
Sustainability
Project Outcomes
1. Increased student
Fair Trade IQ
2. Increased
ASUCLA
commitment to
Fair Trade
outreach
3. Strong foundation
for future UCLA
Fair Trade
campaigns
Hospital Sustainability
Action Research Team: UCLA Stakeholders:
Co-Leaders: Christina Chang
Jill Harris
Members: Jessica Galvan
Bharat Kapadia
Kumar Nadhan
Nurit Katz, UCLA Sustainability
Coordinator
Wendie Robbins, Professor, UCLA
School of Nurses
Kyle Hyman, Public Health Master’s
Student
Project Overview
•Promote awareness and
increase education about
sustainability
•Establish a Green Team forum
•Make fundamental changes to
the operations within the
RRMC to comply with UCLA
sustainable objectives.
Process
• Worked with faculty
• Developed survey for Nurses
• Lead Nurse Forum
• Established a group that meets
monthly at RRUCLAMC to tackle
wasteful practices
Project Outcomes
•Established a Green Hospital Team of Nurses
•Create a hierarchy for implementation of
ideas
•Compiled a specific list of projects for future
teams to tackle
•Created a network of hospital contacts
•Created a sustainability survey assessing
hospital staff members
Recreation Sustainability
Action Research Team: UCLA Stakeholders:
Co-Leaders: Brittney Laver Rich Mylin, Associate Director, UCLA
Ricky Bates Recreation
Members: Brianna Lawrence
Julie Kelleher
Serena Lomonico
Project Overview
3rd consecutive year of ART promoting sustainability at
Wooden Center
Implemented 3 projects to conserve energy and resources:
- Tanks for Towels Campaign
- Collins Court Lighting Renovations
- Green Well-Being
Tanks 4 Towels
Free tanks in exchange for
bringing your own workout towel
Collins Court
Renovation
Replacing T9 for lower wattage
more efficient T5 light fixtures
Green
Well-Being
Replaced plastic for natural plants.
Project Outcomes
1.) Reduced utility costs and resource use throughout the
John Wooden Center
2.) Improved aesthetics and well-being for students and
faculty by swapping out the plastic plants natural ones
3.) Promoted sustainable practices for gym-goers and a
foundation for future ART teams to come
On vs. Off Campus Carbon
Footprints
Action Research Team: UCLA Stakeholders:
Co-Leaders: Samuele Schoenberg
Ashton Yoon
Members: Tiffany Chu
Sarah Hadburg
Enid Zhou
Robert Gilbert, Coordinator,
Housing and Hospitality
Services
Rebecca Miller, Analyst,
Housing and Hospitality
Services
Project Overview
Driving Question: How does living on-campus vs.
off-campus affect carbon footprints?
- Compared carbon footprints based on energy,
transportation, and waste metrics via survey
- Quantified altruism and environmental
awareness indices to help compare results
Goal: Provide recommendations for stakeholders
to help meet targets outlined by UCLA’s Climate
Action Plan and Master Student Housing Plan
Process/Methods
• Quantify carbon footprint (narrow focus)
• Refine survey with stakeholders
Narrow sample size and breakdown of participants:
- On Campus: Dorm Type (Hall, Suite, Plaza, etc.)
- Off Campus: Private Apt., University Apt., Home
(we aimed for 30 on- and 30 off-campus responses)
Social media extended survey’s reach;
Survey software to analyze data
Project Outcomes
Deliverables to stakeholders:
- More than 115 total survey participants so far!
- Preliminary conclusions and recommendations
Future Directions:
Continue to disperse/analyze survey to
build database and statistical confidence
Green the Greeks
Action Research Team: UCLA Stakeholders:
Co-Leaders: Michelle Horak
Taylor Goodman
Members: Max Scott
Kirstie Ruppert
Dan Kurzrock
Jessica Leigh
Mande Adams, Fraternity and
Sorority Relations
Troy Bartels, Fraternity and Sorority
Relations
Project Overview
Within Greek
Community at UCLA:
•Recycling
•Water usage
•Lighting efficiency
Project Overview & Goals
•Research ways to increase awareness
and involvement for sustainability
•Work to reduce environmental
footprint of Greek Housing
•Institute a position within each chapter
on campus dedicated to sustainability
(Eco-chairs)
Project Outcomes
•Performed environmental case study at
ZBT and Chi O
•Received Energy Audit at Chi Omega
•Ensured recycling was available to all
Greek houses
•Instilled new environmental “Ecochair” position in all Greek houses
Hill Energy Metering Team
(HEMP)
Action Research Team: UCLA Stakeholders:
Co-Leaders: Sirena Lao
Nina Gupta
Members: Cassie Trickett
Emily Parker
Kim Bowen
Neil Lessem, Graduate Student,
Economics
Rebecca Miller, Sustainability
Analyst, UCLA Housing and
Hospitality Services
Magali Delmas, Professor, IoES and
Anderson School of Management
Robert Gilbert, Sustainability
Manager, UCLA Housing and
Hospitality Services
Project Overview
Goal: Increase energy conservation behaviors amongst
residents living on the Hill. Find out the most effective
measures to create this change.
Three Initiatives:
1. Energy Metering in Rooms
2. Energy Conservation Signs
3. Thermostat Competency Survey
and Informational Videos
Process
Energy Metering
•Resetting Routers
•Facebook Feed and
Comparison Posters
•Focus Groups
Thermostat Video
and Survey
Conservation Signs
•AC and Lights Design
•Implemented in Rieber Vista
•Created Videos to teach
Thermostat Use
•Surveyed students
about video and
thermostat behaviors
Project Outcomes
•30% reduction in energy usage
amongst poster group.
•Valuable feedback from students
in residence halls.
•Received feedback from over 600+
students on thermostat videos and
behavior.
•Installed conservation signs in 355
rooms in Rieber Vista with the
hope of getting them in every
room next year.
Tree-Mapping
Action Research Team: UCLA Stakeholders:
Leader: Jacob Drewisch
Nurit Katz, UCLA Sustainability
Coordinator
Members: Jennifer So
Darby Bukowski
Dana Trans
Yisi Zhu
Rich O’Hara, Senior Superintendent,
Grounds Design, Landscape and
Project Management
What We Are Shooting For
Project Goals:
① Identify and Map Trees
② Record Growth and Grow Site
Information
③ Synch With Online Database
④ Access Map and Database Online to
Check Observations
⑤ Share Tool and Info With The Public
Intentions:
 Develop and promote a new system of tree-mapping on
campus.
 Increase awareness and appreciation of UCLA’s natural
environment
 Build an information database as a resource for research
and sustainable planning at UCLA
What We Are Doing
Gathering Campus Tree Info
• Budburst Mobile cell phone application
• Picture, GPS, phenophases, habitat, etc.
Upload Observations Online
• www.networkednaturalist.org
Promoting App and Data
• Planning, development, and research
• Citizen science, sustainable management
Mapped more than 250 trees on campus
Set the groundwork for future mapping
initiatives
Worked with CENS on Budburst app
and Floracaching interactive game
Promote apps to the public to
download and use
Established a publicly accessible database
of tree distribution information for UCLA
 Strengthened network between
researchers, developers, and the community
Sustainable Food Systems
Action Research Team: UCLA Stakeholders:
Co-Leaders: Avery Gerber
Sandy Wittenberg
Members: Jasneet Bains
Robin Lee
Tony Passantino
Ingrid Pfister
Robert Gilbert Sustainability Coordinator,
Housing and Hospitality Services
Rebecca Miller
Sustainability Analyst,
Housing and Hospitality Services
Our Mission
•Promote Food
Consciousness
•20% Sustainable
Foods at UCLA by
2020
•Educate the
Student
Population
Methodology
Research
o Contacted farms
within 200 miles of
UCLA
o Administered survey
to 700 Hill Residents
Education
Action
o Hosted FoodFest Event
o Tabled at Earth Day
Awareness Event
o Educational
TableTents at Hill
Restaurants
o Food Fest Event
o Local, organic food
o Speakers from local
organic farms
o Surveys
o Opportunities to
take action
Project Outcomes
TableTents to educate
4 Organic Ranch Profiles
28 Farm Profiles
Interview with
Akasha Organic
Restaurant
Researched OTHER
universities:
Survey results expressed
desire for MORE
sustainable foods!
Thank You!
Exhibition and Food will take place on the patio.
Contact: la.eslp@gmail.com with any questions!