Author Archives: Ann Aubry

Green Cleaning

Assistant Manager of Custodial Services and GREENetwork member Dale Conover reports a number of sustainability practices used by Physical Plant in the selection of custodial supplies, equipment and procedures. Examples include:

– As equipment is replaced, Green Seal-approved products are chosen. New equipment for cleaning floors in the Shirk Center use less water and chemicals, and the restroom cleaning system is Green Seal approved.

– Cleaning products used on campus are Green Seal approved, including floor cleaner, glass cleaner and hand cleaner. Peroxy is used for carpet and floor cleaning.

– Exterior and interior brush matting at building entrances traps dirt and reduces the need for cleaning, and the cycles for stripping hard floors are extended by scrubbing and recoating.

– Paper products, including hand towels and toilet tissue, are 100 percent recycled product, with 45 percent post-consumer product for the latter.

 

Talk: Protecting Water Quality

“Using Mother Nature’s ‘Ecosystem Services’ and Environmental Best Management Practices to Protect Water Quality,” with Peter Bronski, coordinator of the Sustainable Communities Program for Audubon International.

Thursday, Oct. 11
8p.m.
CNS C101

Bronski will speak about how communities, land managers and agencies can use Mother Nature’s “ecosystem services” to protect water quality and save money at the same time. An award-winning writer, nature photographer and environmental speaker, Bronski holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Natural Resources from Cornell University and is a member of the Society for Conservation Biology. As coordinator of the Sustainable Communities Program for Audubon International, Bronski works with municipal governments, businesses, universities, state and federal agencies and other stakeholders to foster more sustainable communities rooted in environmental health, economic vitality, and a high quality of life.

Co-hosted by the Student Sierra Coalition (SSC) and the Environmental Studies Program.

Talk: “The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature”

Monday, Oct. 29
7  p.m.
CNS C101 

Dr. David Haskell, avian ecologist at Sewanee: the University of the South, will speak about his project to discover what can be learned from one square meter of forest. He spent a year observing the ecology and biodiversity of a tiny patch of old growth forest in the mountains of Tennessee.

His lecture will describe the scientific and personal insights that he gained from this project. He will also give short readings from his recently published book, The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature.

His book has received positive reviews from such noted authors as E.O. Wilson and Bill McKibben. Haskell has also received several teaching awards, including the Carnegie-CASE Professor of the Year for Tennessee in 2009.

This talk is supported by the Beach Lewis fund of the IWU Biology Department and is co-sponsored by the IWU Environmental Studies Program and John Wesley Powell Audubon.

Talk: “Bringing Nature Home”

“Bringing Nature Home” with Dr. Doug Tallamy, Professor and Chair of Department of Entomology and Wildlife Ecology and Director of the Center for Managed Ecosystems at the University of Delaware.
Monday, Oct. 15
7 p.m.
Astroth Community Education Center Auditorium, Heartland Community College, Normal, Ill.

Dr. Tallamy will discuss the important ecological roles of native plants in our landscapes, emphasizing the benefits of designing gardens with these roles in mind, and exploring the consequences of failing to do so. He is the author of the 2007 book “Bringing Nature Home: How Native Plants Sustain Wildlife in Our Gardens,” which was awarded the 2008 silver medal by the Garden Writer’s Association. Co-sponsored by John Wesley Powell Audubon and the Illinois Chapter of The Wild Ones.

Bird Walk at Ewing Park I

Bird Walk at Ewing Park I with Dr. Given Harper, IWU Professor and Chair of Biology
Saturday, Sept. 29
9-11am
Ewing Park I (off Towanda Ave), Normal, Ill.

Join Dr. Harper for an informative morning of discovery as you look and listen for birds in nearby Ewing Park I. Bring binoculars. Meet at 8:30a at IWU’s Hansen Student Center to walk/bike/carpool from campus. This event is part of a cluster of campus actions for SHOUT OUT: Celebrating 50 years of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring! co-sponsored by IWU’s Sierra Student Coalition and the Environmental Studies Program

Film: “Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring”

Thursday, Sept. 27
7-8:30 p.m.
Beckman Auditorium, The Ames Library

Fifty years ago, on September 27, 1962, Rachel Carson’s groundbreaking book Silent Spring was published, launching an environmental movement in this country. Come watch a PBS film about Carson and her work. The film will be introduced by IWU’s English Professor Dr. Alison Sainsbury, and will be followed by a short discussion facilitated by students in IWU’s Sierra Student Coalition. This event is part of a cluster of campus actions for SHOUT OUT: Celebrating 50 years of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring! co-sponsored by IWU’s Sierra Student Coalition and the Environmental Studies Program.

Talk: “Bridging Science and Policy to Advocate for Healthy River Systems”

Monday, Sept.17
7 p.m.
CNS C101

Traci Barkley, water resources scientist for Prairie Rivers Network, will discuss how Prairie Rivers Network has used scientific findings to advocate for state and federal policy reform in areas including water quality standards, agricultural and industrial pollution and habitat protection.

Prairie Rivers Network is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting and restoring rivers and streams throughout Illinois.

This talk is co-sponsored by the IWU Environmental Studies Program and John Wesley Powell Audubon.