Celebrate Earth Week April 18-22

EarthDay_banner (1)Austin Community College celebrates the 46th annual Earth Day with a week of activities April 18-22 to promote eco-consciousness and showcase our commitment to sustainability.

See below for dates and times of familiar Earth Week traditions and new activities. Check the ACC Earth Week 2016 webpage for the latest schedule of events. Don’t forget to tweet your photos with the hashtag #ACCEarthWeek.

Those interested in hosting an event at their campus can email [email protected].

All week

2015.Student-Art-EcoBag-353x503Eco bag student art contest: Starting April 18 faculty, staff, and students can vote online for their favorite design. Two lucky voters will win a prize drawing for a Timbuk2 messenger bag. The winning design will be displayed at each campus, distributed at ACC events, and available for sale for one year.  See the Eco Bag Art contest flier (pdf) for entry details and read about last year’s winner.

Wellness walks:  See a schedule of wellness walks happening at campuses throughout the week. Enjoy healthy snacks, win door prizes, and enter to win one grand prize per campus.

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ACC administrators join trustees and architects to commemorate the Highland Campus LEED Gold rating.

Highland Campus LEED recognition: Last fall Highland Campus became the first ACC campus to earn LEED Gold Certification. New plaques at west and north entrances of the building now commemorate this international recognition of the college’s commitment to energy-efficient, water-saving building design and construction.

Tuesday, April 19

Northridge Garden Dig Day and Celebration: If you’ve adopted a bed in the Northridge garden project, bring your gloves and clippers between 9 a.m. and noon to help spruce up your plot. ACC Building and Grounds crew will help lay dirt and mulch and haul away trimmings and weeds. Gardeners will receive plant labels for their beds.

If digging isn’t your thing, you can still stop by the garden (on the northeast side of Building 3000) from 10 to 10:30 a.m. to learn about the project and meet the faculty, staff, and student gardeners who have brought the project to life. View the new sign that will be unveiled and enter a prize drawing.

Pinnacle paper towel composting: Did you know ACC’s paper towel composting program diverts an average of 30 cubic yards of paper towels from the landfill each month from just four campuses? With the help of its campus Green Team, Pinnacle joins the effort. Look for the green bins in campus restrooms. Even better ― check out this TED Talk video demonstrating how to use fewer paper towels.

The Pinnacle Green Team also will be in the student lounge (Room 905) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. to help faculty, staff, and students sort their compostable and recyclable trash for a zero-waste lunch. Bring a reusable cup to further minimize waste.

South Austin Campus Eco Fair: The South Austin Campus Green Team will lead activities between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. in the courtyard. Create art from recyclables, learn how paper towels are transformed to benefit the campus garden, try healthy snacks, plant herbs in courtyard pots, and pull weeds for chem-free gardening. 

Rio Grande Campus: Join Student Life and Students for Environmental Outreach between noon and 2 p.m. on the main lawn for earth-friendly activities including a seedling giveaway, EcoPledge tree, info tables, and snacks. 

Wednesday, April 20

Riverbats Café at Eastview: The student-run Riverbats Café is now Styrofoam-free. Enjoy diner-style fare from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. or get a to-go lunch in sustainable packaging from 11:30 a.m. to 12:45.p.m. Meanwhile, read about other ways the Culinary Arts Department is going green.

Thursday, April 21                       

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Courtesy: SmithGroupJJR, Design Architects, in collaboration with Pfluger Architects

San Gabriel (Leander) Campus Groundbreaking: The Cypress Creek Campus Green Team will help make this special ceremony a zero-waste event. See directions to the event and RSVP at ACC hosts Leander Campus groundbreaking April 21. Email [email protected] to find out how to hold zero-waste events.

Friday, April 22 (Earth Day)

Riverbats Lights Out at Rio Grande: Students for Environmental Outreach invite the ACC community to this inaugural event to demonstrate how simple actions can have a big impact on reducing energy consumption. Stu Molina, ACC’s new energy conservation manager, will guide participants through the “dark side” with fun and spooky facts ― no headlamp required. Pizza and swag offered on a first come-first served basis from 7 – 8:15 p.m. in Room 108.

Bat vision at your office: ACC’s Sustainability Office will announce a initiative for faculty and staff who want to be eco-leaders by switching to energy-efficient LED desktop lighting. Details will be posted on the Earth Week website.

Service Center: Did you know that recycling 1 ton of paper saves 17 mature trees, 7,000 barrels of water, 3 cubic yards of landfill space, 2 barrels of oil, and 4000 kilowatt hours of electricity ― enough to power an average home for 5 months?  Learn more recycling facts and win a prize for taking the recycling challenge 11 a.m. to noon in the lobby. A wellness walk follows.

Highland Business Center: After a wellness walk, the HBC Green Team and ACC Wellness invite employees to bring their picnic lunch to the green space south of the building parking lot and learn about ideas to transform the site with a walking trail and community garden. Noon- 1 p.m.

greenteam_bannerCampus Green Teams at work

You’ve read about the great things campus Green Teams are doing. Learn how you can take part on the Green Team website.

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