The Crookston Students for Sustainable Development (CSSD) and the UMC Sustainability Committee are proud to announce that UMC has entered a nation-wide recycling competition called RecycleMania (www.recyclemania.org).  Over 575 colleges and universities will be participating in the 2011 RecycleMania competition that begins on January 23 and runs through April 2. 

The goal of this competition is to increase awareness of campus recycling.  All participating schools are required to report measurements (pounds of recycled materials divided by campus population) on a weekly basis.  The school that collects the most recycleables in a variety of categories per capita wins!  Weekly updates on UMC's RecycleMania results may be viewed at (www.recyclemaniacs.org/university_detail08.asp?ID=1689).

Let's set a goal of placing 100% of our beverage containers and paper products in the appropriate recycling bins throughout campus.  Cardboard should be flattened and placed behind the recycling bins.  Student organizations will collect the recyclables and place them in outside containers for pick-up and weighing.

During the RecycleMania Challenge, please join in the campus activities.  More details will be coming:

    * Trivia Questions--Check out the Eagle's Eye beginning Monday January 31 for a
       weekly trivia question.  Prizes will be awarded to the first person to correctly answer
       the question
    * Recycle BINGO with environmentally smart prize
    * Contests during  one of the home UMC Club Hockey Game
    * EARTH Week
    * Recycling Fair
    * Informational booths in the Student Center with prize giveaway
    * Get caught GREEN-HANDED!  Get caught recycling and receive a free beverage at the
       Evergreen Grill!

Get involved and help make a difference!

For more information, please contact Tim Knudson knud0194@umn.edu, Ben Sullivan sulli495@umn.edu, or Lisa Loegering loege005@umn.edu. 

Contact: Tim Knudson knud0194@umn.edu; Ben Sullivan sulli495@umn.edu; Lisa Loegering loege005@umn.edu

Making the most of a field day for students is the topic of a workshop slated for Thursday, February 10, 2011, at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. The Best Practices for Field Days workshop, which focuses on how to maximize the field day experience, will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. in Bede Ballroom on the Crookston campus. The $15 registration fee includes lunch.
 
Field days are community events that bring together professionals, volunteers and teachers with school children for a day of learning about their environment. In educational field days, students rotate through multiple presentations on environmental topics.

The Best Practices for Field Days workshop is designed to help organizers and   presenters improve the field experience for students by helping them learn and retain important concepts, plan a comfortable and memorable setting, ensure the day runs safely and smoothly, create more useful evaluations, market an event, and to employ designs that help connect youth with nature.

All workshop attendees will receive the Best Practices for Field Days: A Program Planning Guidebook for Organizers, Presenters, Teachers, and Volunteers and a companion CD of tools and templates. For more information, visit www.extension.umn.edu/FieldDays or contact Jolene Beiswenger at 218-281-8027.

The workshop is sponsored by University of Minnesota Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership and its partners University of Minnesota, Crookston, University of Minnesota Extension, Northwest Regional Development Commission, International Water Institute River Watch, Polk and Mahnomen Public Health Programs, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.
 

Contact: Linda Kingery, executive director, Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, 218-281-8697, kinge002@umn.edu; Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

University of Minnesota Wildlife Professor Dan Svedarsky was among 8 individuals recognized as  fellows at the fall annual meeting of The Wildlife Society in Snowbird, Utah.   Svedarsky is a research biologist at the Northwest Research and Outreach Center (NWROC) and professor of natural resources at the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

The title of fellow recognizes members of The Wildlife Society who have distinguished themselves through exception service to the wildlife profession.  Svedarsky received the Minnesota Award from the Minnesota Chapter of The Wildlife Society in 1999 and served as national president of the 9,000 member organization in 2007-08. He currently chairs the College and University Wildlife Education Working Group of The Wildlife Society which organized a symposium at the Utah meeting on educating the wildlife professional.  Svedarsky presented a paper at the symposium along with U of M, Crookston colleagues, Phil Baird and John Loegering.  Svedarsky also serves on a USDA-sponsored, Blue Ribbon Panel with 17 representatives from universities and conservation agencies in the U.S. and Canada who are reviewing the future of the wildlife profession and identifying recruitment strategies for new employees.

In his research involvements, Svedarsky and his graduate students study prairie and wetland ecology and management with one of his favorite subjects being greater prairie chickens.  Most of his studies have been conducted on the Glacial Ridge National Wildlife Refuge, the largest prairie and wetland restoration project in North America located just east of Crookston. Recently, one of his graduate students studied the summer ecology of female prairie chickens at Glacial Ridge and then fall trapped radio-tagged birds for translocation to Wisconsin where numbers are dangerously low. The study was sponsored by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources.

Svedarsky joined other Minnesotans who were honored in Utah with national awards.
 Dr. Doug Johnson, a federal biologist in the Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology at the U of M, St. Paul, received the Aldo Leopold Memorial Award. This is the highest honor bestowed by The Wildlife Society in honor of the founder of the profession. John Moriarty, biologist with Ramsey County, (Minn.) received the Jim McDonough Award to recognize a certified wildlife biologist who has made a significant contribution to the profession by implementing wildlife programs and developing new techniques. Meadow Kouffeld, a doctoral student working with Dr. Ralph (Rocky) Gutierrez at the U of M, St. Paul, received the Donald Rusch Memorial Game Bird Research Scholarship for her work with ruffed grouse.  

The Northwest Research and Outreach Center is part of a system of research centers in different regions of Minnesota conducting research on soils, agronomy, entomology, and natural resources affiliated with the College of Food, Agriculture, and Natural Resource Sciences (CFANS) of the University of Minnesota. To learn more, visit http://nwroc.crk.umn.edu.

In the photo (l to r): John Moriarty; Bruce Leopold, President of The Wildlife Society; Doug Johnson; Dan Svedarsky; Meadow Kouffeld; and Rocky Gutierrez.  

Contact: Maureen Aubol, office supervisor, NWROC; 218-281-8602 (aubo0002@umn.edu); Dan Svedarsky, research biologist, NWROC, 218-281-8129, (dsvedars@umn.edu)

Rescheduled to Thursday, Dec. 2nd  1 - 5 p.m. at the McIntosh Community Center - To RSVP, get directions, and see the full agenda, please click here or visit http://nwgreenstep.eventbrite.com.

Wondering what you can do to make your community thriving, healthy, and prosperous? GreenStep Cities has done the research so you don't have to!  This free, voluntary program gives community members the tools needed to create and make citizens' vision for the future a reality!  Northwest Clean Energy Resource Team (CERT) is hosting a free informational meeting about MN GreenStep Cities, a newly-released challenge, assistance, and recognition program that helps regional municipalities look to the future. The meeting has been rescheduled to Thursday, December 2, 2010, from  1 - 5 p.m. at the McIntosh Community Center. A light reception, with appetizers and networking, will follow the meeting from 4-5 pm.

Who should attend?  Local government personnel, city council members, mayors, county commissioners, community organization leaders, utilities, congregations, community leaders, and the general public can all benefit from GreenStep Cities.  

RSVP:  To learn more, get directions, and register for this free event, go online to http://nwgreenstep.eventbrite.com or call (218) 281-8685.

AGENDA:
1:00      Welcome: Mayor David Genereux, City of Crookston
1:15    Networking activity
1:35    City of Hoffman: "What can small towns do? A Case Study Example", Muriel        Krusemark, Hoffman Economic Development Authority
1:55    Minnesota GreenStep Cities Overview: Chris Waltz, NW CERT
2:10    Discussion: Existing Skills & Assets you bring to GreenStep Cities, led by Chris Waltz, NW CERT
2:30    Break (refreshments)
2:45    Panel Discussion: Moderator: Chris Waltz, NW CERT    
    
The panel:
Lissa Pawlisch - CERTs Statewide Coordinator, University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships (RSDP)    
Cam Fanfulik - Northwest Economic Development Commission
Ken Johnson - Energy Management Representative, Ottertail Power Company
Lisa Pickard - Communications/Member Services Specialist, Minnkota Power Cooperative
Richard Lehmann - Mayor of Bemidji, Optivation (formerly Northwest Technical College Center for Research and Innovation Custom College), Bemidji State University
3:30    Q&A
4:00    Topic tables: GreenStep Best Practices by Category (Building and Lighting, Land Use,     Transportation, Environmental Management, Economic and Community Development).
4:15      Light Reception (appetizers & networking)
5:00      Adjourn

THE BASICS:
Who: Community members and community leaders from Northwestern Minnesota
What: Free, informational meeting on Minnesota GreenStep Cities program
Where: Crookston, Bede Ballroom, University of Minnesota Crookston campus
When:  October 27, 2010
    - 1:00-4:00pm Meeting
    - 4:00-5:00 pm Light Reception (Appetizers and Networking)
   Why: To learn how local communities can become thriving, healthy, and prosperous

ABOUT CERTs: The Clean Energy Resource Teams connect Minnesotan communities with resources to identify and implement energy efficiency and renewable energy projects.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: For GreenStep Cities: Chris Waltz, NW CERT Coordinator, 218-281-8685 or waltz020@umn.edu

It's about every little thing you do and don't do. Educating students, faculty, and staff about how their behavior can help save energy is critical part of the Campus Energy Challenge, a first-of-its-kind program connecting Otter Tail Power Company with the University of Minnesota, Crookston.  Students have rallied around the energy saving theme chosen for the challenge, "Flip it Off: save your energy for later."

During the month of October students on the Crookston campus are working hard to help reduce energy consumption in the residence halls with a Residence Hall Energy Challenge. The goal is to reduce electrical consumption by 10 percent compared to September in on-campus housing and to help students recognize the impact they have on energy consumption and savings.

To reach the goal students are encouraged to make simple  changes such as shutting off the lights when we leave a room, turning off computers when they are not in use, taking shorter showers, and encouraging others to do the same. It is an effort to help save precious resources and encourage energy saving habits for a lifetime.

The Campus Energy Challenge goal for the U of M, Crookston, is to better understand that the choices made about electrical use have a global impact and to reduce energy consumption by up to 15percent through simple changes in behavior. To learn more about the Campus Energy Challenge, visit http://www.energychallengeison.com/umcrookston.

Otter Tail Power Company, a subsidiary of Otter Tail Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select Market: OTTR), is headquartered in Fergus Falls, Minnesota. It provides electricity and energy services to more than a quarter million people in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. To learn more about Otter Tail Power Company visit www.otpco.com. To learn more about conserving energy visit www.conservingelectricity.com. To learn more about Otter Tail Corporation visit www.ottertail.com.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: : Dan Svedarsky, director, Center for Sustainability, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@umn.edu); Cindy Kusimi, ; Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

A grant awarded to the University of Minnesota, Crookston will allow the campus to host a member of Minnesota's statewide initiative to help preserve and protect the environment, known as the Minnesota GreenCorps. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) coordinates the Minnesota GreenCorps, which is an environmental AmeriCorps program.

Michael Knudson (pictured,left) was appointed as the green infrastructure and stormwater management specialist and will be trained for his role as part of a new generation of environmental professionals under the program. He will be located on the Crookston campus and assist with the campus and the city of Crookston in addressing storm water management. He will develop and help implement action steps that will have an immediate effect as well as look at how to invest in the future in an environmentally conscious way. Knudson is a 2009 graduate of the U of M, Crookston, where he majored in natural resources.
    
The Center for Sustainability at the U of M, Crookston was also successful in hosting a GreenCorps member in 2009-10 when Chris Waltz was an energy conservation specialist.  Dan Svedarsky, Ph.D., director of the Center for Sustainability, is enthusiastic about hosting another Minnesota GreenCorps member and what it means, "This opportunity connects the Crookston campus and community in an effort to become more environmentally conscious in managing stormwater in a responsible way," Svedarsky says. "Furthermore, it will help the community and campus have baseline data in place in preparation for future regulations that may be required."
The mission of the Minnesota GreenCorps is to provide its members with opportunities to contribute to improve Minnesota's environment, while gaining experience and learning valuable job skills. Local governments and community organizations statewide host Minnesota GreenCorps members and provide day-to-day supervision for members working on projects in the areas of local government energy conservation, school waste prevention, living green outreach, local food systems, and urban forestry. To learn more, visit the MPCA's NextStep sustainability Web site at www.nextstep.state.mn.us.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,400 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.
 

Contact: Dan Svedarsky, director, Center for Sustainability, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

It's serious, it's funny, it's about making a difference, and it's all happening at the University of Minnesota, Crookston this week. The campus will take both a serious as well as a lighthearted look at saving energy with Bill LeBlanc, president of the Boulder Energy Group. The events are free and public is welcome to attend.

The usual What's on Wednesday (W.O.W.) event takes on the topic of energy saving with "Watt's on Wednesday" on Wednesday, September 1, 2010. LeBlanc will blend his comedy insights with his career in energy efficiency and technology in a program at 7 p.m. in Kiehle Auditorium. The event is co-sponsored by U of M, Crookston student activities, the Center for Sustainability, and Otter Tail Power Company. Otter Tail Power Company  selected the university of Minnesota, Crookston last year to participate in the Campus Energy Challenge, which is an effort to reduce electric energy use on campus by as much as 15 percent by the end of 2010 through behavior changes, equipment upgrades, and education.

On Thursday, September 2, LeBlanc will take a more serious tone as the guest speaker during the Thursday Commons at 12:30 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center. A recognized leader in energy efficiency programs, LeBlanc has particular expertise in program design, marketing, market research, branding, and strategy. He assists utility and public clients in understanding their customer markets, providing tools and messages to sway customer demand, and creating overall market strategies. He has also done extensive work on social marketing.

LeBlanc recently won the Energy Outreach and Branding contract for the state of Colorado and is a senior advisor for the California state energy rebranding effort. He has been a leader and innovator in energy efficiency and load management throughout his 20 year career, working for PG&E, EPRI, E Source, and consulting firms. In 1990, he founded the Association of Energy Services Professionals, still the industry's major society.

Using his comedic talents, LeBlanc travels around the U.S. talking with people about their energy use habits, but there's always a twist because humans manage to screw things up and often lack knowledge about energy, which is true, sad, and funny. LeBlanc, also a standup comedian, performs primarily at larger clubs in Denver and around the state of Colorado. He recently won the Boulder Comedy Contest, and has been a two-time finalist in Colorado's New Faces Contest.

LeBlanc is known for his creativity and problem-solving ability and is a sought-after public speaker. He holds both master's and bachelor's degrees in mechanical engineering from Stanford University as well as a bachelor of arts in management economics from Claremont McKenna College.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 18 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact:  Dan Svedarsky, director, Center for Sustainability, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Field work begins long before kick-off. Research by a university professor will determine the best mix for managing a quality athletic field with a smaller budget and crew - a serious consideration in the current economy.

For Assistant Professor of Agronomy Kristie Walker, preparing a soil-based athletic field for both athletes and aesthetics on a budget is a delicate balance. Walker is spending her summer working on the football practice field at the University of Minnesota, Crookston where she teaches students in the agronomy and the golf and turf management programs.

Along with Mark Michalski, a senior double majoring in golf and turf management and horticulture, Walker is examining the effects of cultivation practices on three varieties of grass seed: Kentucky bluegrass , perennial ryegrass, and a mix of the two, all donated by Rivard's Quality Seeds Inc. in Argyle, Minn.  The bluegrass, which spreads through rhizome production, germinates slowly but is the most aesthetically pleasing with its rich blue-green hue.  The ryegrass, a bunch- type grass, has quicker germination but is less desirable in look and color.

"Football fields, like the one on the Crookston campus, are under a significant amount of traffic," Walker says. "With use by both the local high school and the university, we need a speedy recovery of the turf to be ready for play, but we also wanted the best looking field possible with a smaller staff and budget." This situation is common across the region in the parks and school districts with soil-based athletic fields under heavy use.

Best Mix of Seed, Practice, and Price

Walker is testing hollow-tine and solid-tine cultivation methods along with verticutting on a variety of plots she has marked out for the study. The most disruptive, but probably the most beneficial to the soil, is the hollow-tine aeration which removes soil in cylindrical cores across the profile. The solid-tine aeration punches holes into the soil surface rather than removing cores. The least disruptive to the soil surface is the verticutter, which slices small furrows in the turf canopy and heals more quickly.

Following the weekly cultivation, half of the plots are top-dressed, a method of spreading sand over the turf filling the cuts and holes so water can flow easily through the profile and compaction is reduced.

Measuring the outcome of the seed variety, cultivation technique, and the top dressing against the control will help determine the best method for maintaining football and soccer fields, as well as a baseball outfield. The research will take place over the next two years during the summer months and throughout the fall.

"We are looking for the best overall quality with consideration of cost," Walker says. "The best mix of cultivation practice and price will be the winning combination for us and for our athletic fields."

For more information on the golf and turf management program, visit www.umcrookston.edu/academics.
 
Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers 29 bachelor's degree programs, 17 minors, and more than 40 concentrations, including several online degrees, in the areas of agriculture and natural resources; business; liberal arts and education; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates from more than 25 countries and 40 states, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In the photos:
Top, right: Senior Mark Michalski, Silver Bay, Minn., spreads the top dressing as part of the research on the athletic field.

Bottom, left: The hollow-tine cultivation technique leaves cylindrical cores (inset) across the turf's profile.
 
 

Contact: Kristie Walker, assistant professor, agronomy, 218-281-8116 (kswalker@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Daniel Svedarsky, professor in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department and the director of the Center for Sustainability at the University of Minnesota, Crookston is a 2010 recipient of the University of Minnesota President's Award for Outstanding Service. Recipients of this award have gone well beyond their regular duties and have demonstrated an unusual commitment to the University community. Svedarsky was one of 11 to receive this year's award.

Svedarsky has been at the University of Minnesota, Crookston since 1969. He is a certified wildlife biologist and researcher with the Northwest Research and Outreach Center where he specializes in tallgrass prairie restoration and management, especially for greater prairie chickens. At UMC he teaches wildlife habitat management techniques and integrated resource management. Publications include; editing the book, The Greater Prairie Chicken; A national look, and senior author of land management booklets entitled; A landowner's guide to prairie management in Minnesota, and Effects of management practices on grassland birds: the greater prairie chicken.  

As the first Director of the Center for Sustainability, Svedarsky is the Crookston campus advocate for sustainability issues and led efforts to develop the campus Action Plan for Climate Neutrality and Sustainability in response to the signing of the President's Climate Change Commitment by U of M President Robert Bruininks.

Described as a visionary, Svedarsky has spent four decades promoting UMC and the University of Minnesota nationally and internationally, most recently in the area of sustainability. In December of 2009, he represented the 8,000-member The Wildlife Society as an official observer at the United Nations Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Over the years, Svedarsky has been involved in the development of several degree programs and numerous courses in wildlife management and natural resources at UMC. He has advised hundreds of students and served as a peer mentor. He is a true promoter of others and has successfully nominated and/or developed many nominating portfolios for faculty, staff, students, and professional colleagues as he promotes a culture of encouragement, positive growth, and recognition.

He has served on numerous University committees including the UMore Park Planning project in Rosemount, All-University Honors Committee, and the Executive Committee of the Academy of Distinguished Teachers. He is a past board member of the Minnesota Zoo in Apple Valley.

Svedarsky served a 3-year term as the North Central Section Representative of The Wildlife Society (TWS) and is immediate Past President of TWS at the national level. He was recently appointed to a Blue Ribbon Panel to study the future of the wildlife profession in North America.  Svedarsky is a recipient of several awards; National Stewardship Award of The Nature Conservancy, The Hamerstrom Award of the Prairie Grouse Technical Council, The Minnesota Award of the Minnesota Chapter of The Wildlife Society, and the Torch and Shield Award to recognize leadership in the development of UMC, Northwest Research and Outreach Center, and Extension.

Nominators wrote; "Dan embodies a living history of the evolving mission and work of the University of Minnesota in northwestern Minnesota. He will forever be a part of UMC as much as UMC is a part of his being." They referenced Professor Svedarsky's own words ...."How do we serve? We start as individuals, by doing good work, and the work that needs to be done. We must model integrity as we brighten the corner where we are." They concluded with the following statement. "Dan has certainly brightened the lives of those who have passed through UMC."

Also receiving the 2010 award were two individuals from the Morris campus, one from the Duluth campus, one from the Carlson School of Management, and six from the Minneapolis and St. Paul campuses. "The credit they bring to the University of Minnesota is simply beyond measure," President Bruininks said in his e-mail announcement.

The University of Minnesota President's Award for Outstanding Service was established in 1997 to recognize faculty and staff who have provided exceptional service to the University. It is presented each year in the spring and honors active or retired faculty or staff members. For more information, visit http://uawards.umn.edu/Awards/Presidents_Award_Outstand.html.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In the photo (l to r): Clyde Allen, chair, U of M Board of Regents; Svedarsky; Robert Bruininks, president, University of Minnesota. 

Contact: Dan Svedarsky, director, Center for Sustainability, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Twenty natural resources students from the University of Minnesota, Crookston recently planted some 2,700 pine, spruce, and fir seedlings on the Deer River District of the Chippewa National Forest.

The four-day trip, a strong tradition for students in the Natural Resources Club at the U of M, Crookston, marks the 28th  consecutive time student volunteers from the campus have assisted the U.S. Forest Service with the tree planting project. The students were accompanied by club advisors Phil Baird, Tom Feiro, and Laura Bell.

Baird, an associate professor in the Agriculture and Natural Resources Department at the U of M, Crookston, said, "This was one of the wettest trips we've had in 28 years! It rained nearly every other hour for the entire time we were there!  We've been snowed on, rained on, and hailed on in the past, but not so continuously.  

"It was also a very different trip from our previous 27 years in that we saw trees and shrubs in full bloom that have never been at that stage in early May before. It was only two years ago that we had to wrap up the trip early due to the area receiving 20 inches of snow!"

The student volunteers also removed the more than 5,000 budcaps they had installed last October on white pine seedlings and saplings to protect the small trees from overwinter deer browsing. On the return trip the group toured the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources Air Tanker Base in Bemidji, Minn.

Since 1983, students, faculty, and staff from the natural resources program on the Crookston campus have planted a total of more than 165,000 trees in the Chippewa National Forest.

For more information about natural resources, visit www.umcrookston.edu/academics.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Phil Baird, associate professor, 218-281-8130 (pbaird@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

The University of Minnesota, Crookston welcomes international lecturer and expert in personal rapid transit (PRT) Edward  Anderson, Ph.D., as a guest  on Thursday, April 29, 2010. Anderson will speak during the regular Thursday Commons session beginning at 12:15 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center. The public is invited to attend Anderson's lecture entitled, "The Role of Science, Technology, and Perception in the New Age of Resource Scarcity," and there is no admission charge.

Anderson is recognized the world over as a strong proponent of PRT systems. For the past 40 years, he has dedicated himself to the field by designing, presenting, and writing about PRT. His numerous contributions to PRT technology include chairing both national and international conferences. This international lecturer and expert has testified before the Minnesota legislature and the U.S. Congress. The author of three books and more than 100 engineering papers, Anderson serves as the editor of "Personal Rapid Transit" and holds 10 patents.

From 1963-86, Anderson taught at the University of Minnesota in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, and from 1986-92, taught aerospace and mechanical engineering at Boston University. Over the years, Anderson has been recognized for his achievements and most recently was named a 2010 recipient of the Charles W. Britzius Distinguished Engineer Award. This recognition is the highest honor given by the Minnesota Federation of Engineering Science and Technology Societies. His educational background includes a doctorate in aeronautics and astronautics from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, a master of science in mechanical engineering from the University of Minnesota, and a bachelor of science in mechanical engineering from Iowa State University.
 
"Dr. Anderson developed and taught a course dealing with society, technology, and energy over 30 years ago which was very futuristic and was actually a holistic course in "sustainability," according to Dan Svedarsky, director of the U of M, Crookston Center for Sustainability. "He is truly a renaissance thinker and sees the world not as it is but how it could be."

This special presentation will be a follow-up to Earth Week activities. This year marks the fortieth anniversary of Earth Day and the Crookston campus has planned a week of events to create awareness, encourage involvement, and educate the campus and community about the opportunity we have to take action on behalf of the planet. For more information on activities scheduled on the Crookston campus, visit www.umcrookston.edu/today.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.
 

Contact: Dan Svedarsky, director, Center for Sustainability, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Earth Day is April 22, 2010, but the University of Minnesota, Crookston will get an early start with an afternoon of activities scheduled on Tuesday, April 20 designed to inspire awareness and appreciation for our environment.

From 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., there will be a student forum and a booth in the Sargeant Student Center sponsored by Crookston Students for Sustainable Development (CSSD) for the campus community to sign energy pledges and volunteer for the evening events. The student forum will be held in the Northern Lights Lounge and focuses on "What Sustainability Means to Me."  Students from various majors will be on stage to give a brief presentation on what motivates them to be sustainable.

At 3 p.m., everyone is invited to a guided nature walk in the Natural History Area located near the campus. Anyone interested in the nature walk should meet on the Campus Mall.

From 5 - 8 p.m., students will be involved in cleaning up Central Park, raking an area under the Robert Street Bridge, picking up trash, and removing the Black Knot on the cherry trees downtown.Relaxation will follow the afternoon's work and will be highlighted by a movie on the Campus Mall.

At 9 p.m., the public is invited to attend a special showing of the film, "Taking Root: the Vision of Wangari Maathai." The movie features the work of 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Winner Wangari Maathai, founder of the Green Belt Movement (GBM) and the first Kenyan women to earn a doctorate. The mission of the movement is to mobilize community consciousness for self-determination, equity, improved livelihoods and security, and environmental conservation. To learn more about the GBM, visit www.greenbeltmovement.org.

The Earth Day activities are sponsored by Crookston Students for Sustainable Development and the Center for Sustainability at the University of Minnesota, Crookston.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Chris Waltz, Minnesota GreenCorps, 218-281-8128 (waltz020@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Of the 286 students, faculty, and staff at the U of M, Crookston, who responded to a Campus Energy Challenge Survey in February, more than ninety percent believe reducing their electrical use will make some difference (183) or a meaningful difference (69) on campus. Results confirm that students, faculty, and staff, are concerned about our future and believe our actions can make a difference.

The Campus Energy Challenge survey showed that the strongest motivator for saving energy is the chance to save money: fifty-nine percent ranked it highest. Forty percent of respondents stated that concern for the environment is the strongest motivator for reducing their energy use.

Respondents were given four choices as to what obstacles prevent them from reducing their energy use: 1) I don't know what actions will reduce my energy use, 2) I can't remember to do things like shut off lights, unplug things, and close doors, 3) it's too inconvenient, and 4) it's not important to me. Forty-four and forty-three percent of those responding selected options 1 and 2 respectively. This statistic combined with the ninety-four percent of individuals surveyed who stated they want to learn more about how to save energy, gives the U of M, Crookston, the potential for positive change through the  continued education of our campus community.

This continued education is exactly what the Crookston Student Association (the student governing body) is trying to do. Crookston Students for Sustainable Development (CSSD), a sub-committee has worked closely with Otter Tail Power Company to put on the Campus Energy Challenge this year. CSSD serves as a group for exploration, research, and collaborative conception of a number of sustainability initiatives on campus and for the local community. The group is open to all U of M, Crookston students.

This survey was one of the Campus Energy Challenge initiatives that CSSD and Otter Tail Power Company sponsored to help the college reach the goal of reducing its energy use by 10 percent to 15 percent. The "GreenWalking" video surveying random students on their knowledge of energy and an energy game show night also were held.

To learn more about the Otter Tail Power Company, visit www.otpco.com, and for more about sustainability initiatives on the Crookston Campus go to www.umcrookston.edu/sustainability.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Dan Svedarsky, director, Center for Sustainability, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

The Regional Partnerships and Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives Institute invite University Research Faculty and Graduate & Post Graduate students to participate in the upcoming conference, "Relocalizing our Foodshed: Models and Methodologies in Cross-Disciplinary Research."  The two-day symposium and workshop is scheduled for Monday and Tuesday, March 15-16 and will take place in Coffman Memorial Union on the East Bank Campus in Minneapolis, Minn.

Increasing numbers of communities and institutions are calling for and initiating a substantial overhaul of the American food system. The shared vision for this rapidly growing movement reflects a commitment to vital rural communities, healthy landscapes and people, and a robust food culture and agriculture that is more regionally based, sustainable in practice and intimate in scale.

This symposium will convene faculty, staff and students from north central academic institutions with visiting experts and community partners to discuss novel models and methodologies to meet public needs associated with redesigning our food system, with a special focus on foodshed analysis and food systems planning. Researchers from Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Iowa are invited to attend and network with their colleagues at neighboring institutions.

For more information and to register, visit www.regionalpartnerships.umn.edu or www.hfhl.umn.edu. 

Contact: Healthy Foods, Healthy Lives at hfhl@umn.edu; Linda Kingery, executive director, Northwest Regional Sustainable Development, 218-281-8697 (kinge002@umn.edu)

Seven times in the last nine years a University of Minnesota, Crookston student has been awarded the Student Conservationist and Scholarship Award from the Minnesota Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society. Carrying on this outstanding tradition, Senior Lisa Gentele, Omaha, Neb., a natural resources management major at the U of M, Crookston, is set to receive the prestigious award for 2010.

The award, presented in April at the professional organization's annual meeting, consists of a plaque and a $500 cash award. Last year's recipient was Holly Sandberg, a 2009 graduate of the U of M, Crookston, who is currently a park ranger with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Alaska. Sandberg was the co-recipient with Junior Sheila Carleton, Baxter, Minn., who is currently double majoring in natural resources and agronomy.

According to Gentele, "The Soil and Water Conservation Society stands apart from many professional organizations in my eye in that it emphasizes a more integrated approach to living conditions for both urban residents and rural land owners.  Working for both The Nature Conservancy and Crookston's Park Department in the past has taught me many important ethics about the land, how we chose to manage it, and also how to work with everyone from politicians to local people.   My priority right now is a student but it's easy to look past education and into the working field where real life obstacles can be overcome and environmental changes can benefit everyone, now and in the future."

 Along with completing her degree at the U of M, Crookston in May of 2010, Gentele is the student sustainability assistant in the Center for Sustainability and coordinates student activities in connection with the Otter Tail Energy Challenge grant.  

"One of my areas of responsibility is to increase awareness about our current energy consumption and compare it to what we could save and the dollar amount associated with that savings," according to Gentele. "We've set a high goal on the Crookston campus to become climate neutral in the next 20 years by cutting carbon emissions related to energy consumption and considering alternative energy sources such as  wind, geothermal, biomass, biodigestion, and solar."

"After graduation Lisa plans to start a career in land, water, or energy management to give her an opportunity to practice her conservation passion," according to Dan Svedarsky, Ph.D., one of Gentele's professors and director of the Center for Sustainability on the Crookston campus. "We're so proud of Lisa's enthusiasm and leadership here on campus and for continuing the award-winning tradition of our conservation students." Gentele also serves as vice president of the Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society at the U of M, Crookston.

The Soil and Water Conservation Society (SWCS) is a nonprofit scientific and educational organization, founded in 1943, that serves as an advocate for conservation professionals and for science-based conservation practice, programs, and policy. To learn more about the work of the Minnesota Chapter of the Soil and Water Conservation Society, visit www.minnesotaswcs.org.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Dan Svedarsky, director, Center for Sustainability, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@ umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Learn more about climate change from a world prospective and how we can make a difference locally by attending a special presentation by Dan Svedarsky, Ph.D., director of the Center for Sustainability at the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Svedarsky will address the Alternative Energy Committee meeting in Crookston on Thursday, January 28, 2010, at 7 p.m. Following the presentation, which will be held in the Seminar Room in the Agriculture Research Building at the Northwest Research and Outreach Center, there will be a question and answer session.  The public is invited to attend the presentation.

Svedarsky's presentation, Global Climate Change Perspectives From Copenhagen And Recommendations For Local Applications will present information on the design landscape of Denmark and Sweden and its application to Crookston and the world. Svedarsky recently returned from Copenhagen, Denmark, where he represented The Wildlife Society at the United Nations Climate Conference.

The conference, held in December 2009 was attended by thousands and included 119 heads of state from around the world. Svedarsky, a professor, wildlife biologist, and director of the Center for Sustainability at the University of Minnesota, Crookston, represented the 8,000-members of The Wildlife Society as an official observer. As noted by 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winner, Wangari Maathai, the primary value of conferences such as these is to provide information and inspiration to attendees to return home and make a local difference.   

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

In photo above: Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai with U of M, Crookston Professor Dan Svedarsky at the Danish Film Institute in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Contact: Dan Svedarsky, director, Center for Sustainability, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

A recycling frenzy has taken over the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Starting this week, the Crookston campus will battle against 510 other colleges and universities in a RecycleMania competition to see who can recycle the most over a 10 week period. Schools will be ranked in categories such as the largest amount of recyclables per capita and the least amount of trash per capita.

Sponsoring RecycleMania on campus is the recycling committee of the Crookston Student Association, the student governing body. Crookston Students for Sustainable Development (CSSD), a sub-committee has worked closely with this project.

CSSD was formed last year and serves as a group for exploration, research, and collaborative conception of a number of sustainability initiatives on campus and for the local community. The group is open to all U of M Crookston students and currently has some 15 members.

CSSD student chair and sustainability assistant for U of M Crookston's Center for Sustainability, Lisa Gentele asserted, "RecycleMania is all about student awareness. Each person can make a difference everyday by shutting off one light or recycling one bottle."

Chris Waltz, U of M Crookston's Center for Sustainability's energy conservation specialist supported by Minnesota GreenCorps and recent graduate also showed enthusiasm for RecycleMania, "We are really excited to be participating in such a large competition. Our goal is to be up there in rankings with larger universities like the University of North Dakota and the Twin Cities campus."

Waltz and Gentele recently earned an $11,000 Clean Energy Resources Teams (CERTs) grant for the Center of Sustainability. The grant will support students being paired with a faculty or staff member to address two projects: conduct a feasibility study for a methane digester and measure building-to-building energy use.    

RecycleMania is a recycling program created not just to increase recycling participation by students and staff but to raise awareness of current waste management and recycling practices. RecycleMania is a way for students to learn to address environmental issues in a positive way. The program hopes to inspire colleges and universities to expand their waste reduction programs on campus. The 2010 RecycleMania competition will run from Sunday January 17 to Saturday March 27.

The RecycleMania program was founded in 2001 by Ed Newman of Ohio University and Stacy Edmonds Wheeler of Miami University. These students thought that something needed to be done to increase recycling on campus so they started a competition between their universities to see who could recycle the most over the 10 week competition. RecycleMania has quickly grown over the last 9 years to include 510 colleges and universities across the nation. To learn more, visit www.recyclemania.org.   

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 bachelor's degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture and natural resources; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; and math, science and technology.  With an enrollment of about 1,300 undergraduates, the Crookston campus offers a supportive, close-knit atmosphere that leads to a prestigious University of Minnesota degree.  "Small Campus. Big Degree."  To learn more, visit www.umcrookston.edu.

Contact: Peter Phaiah, Associate Vice Chancellor of Student Affairs, 281-281-8505 (phaiah@umn.edu), Elizabeth Kern, communications assistant, 218-281-8446 (kernx088@umn.edu), Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Committed to saving energy, the University of Minnesota, Crookston campus will kick-off the Campus Energy Challenge on Tuesday, January 26, 2010, in an effort to raise awareness and educate the campus community on how to increase energy savings. In this first-of-its-kind program, the U of M, Crookston, will work with Otter Tail Power Company to reduce electric energy consumption on campus by as much as 15 percent.

A sustainability survey sent to students, faculty, and staff at the University of Minnesota, Crookston in December 2009 confirms energy saving is important to the campus.  Climate change was definitely on the minds of respondents as 86 percent say that climates or regions around the world are changing. In response to a question should the campus be "using energy efficient technology on the campus as much as possible," 219 of 256 respondents ranked it as important to very important. And 216 respondents said it was important or very important that the campus "take active steps to decrease energy consumption. The sustainability survey was developed by Crookston Students for Sustainable Development (CSSD) And will be followed by a survey specific to energy saving behaviors and motivations, which students, faculty, and staff will receive on January 18.

"The kickoff is most timely on the heels of the U.N. Conference on Climate Change staged in Copenhagen during December," notes Dan Svedarsky, Ph.D., director of the Center for Sustainability at the U of M, Crookston, who represented The Wildlife Society at the conference. "At that meeting delegates from around the world gathered to discuss preventative and adaptation strategies. It provides a global context for these all-important local actions."

The Campus Energy Challenge kick-off includes several entertaining activities related to energy savings. Green Walking," sponsored by (CSSD) and hosted by Senior Elizabeth Kern will ask students random questions about energy use practices and energy savings. In the evening, Student Programming and Activities for Campus Entertainment (SPACE) will join CSSD to host "Flip It Off: Save your energy for later" featuring competitions geared to educate students about the Campus Energy Challenge and energy use in general. Students will contend for cash and door prizes provided by Otter Tail Power Company.

Along with these activities, CSSD is sponsoring RecycleMania beginning January 18.  A competition between colleges and universities to recycle as much as possible over the course of a 10 week period, RecycleMania is a trademarked program of the RecycleMania Steering Committee in coordination with the College and University Recycling Council (CURC).

The Campus Energy Challenge is a pilot project that is part of Otter Tail Power Company's Minnesota Conservation Improvement Program approved by the Minnesota Office of Energy Security in November 2008. Together, Otter Tail Power Company and the U of M, Crookston, will work to nurture and develop energy efficiency habits that will help everyone on campus save money on their energy bills and model those habits to the Crookston community, other campuses, and the country.

Otter Tail Power Company, a subsidiary of Otter Tail Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select Market: OTTR), is headquartered in Fergus Falls, Minn. It provides electricity and energy services to more than a quarter million people in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. To learn more about Otter Tail Power Company visit www.otpco.com. To learn more about conserving energy visit www.conservingelectricity.com. To learn more about Otter Tail Corporation, visit www.ottertail.com.

Program Management for RecycleMania is provided by Keep America Beautiful in coordination with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's WasteWise program. RecycleMania is made possible through the sponsorship support of The Coca Cola Company, American Forest & Paper Association and Keep America Beautiful. For more information, visit www.recyclemania.org.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 applied-science undergraduate degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; math, science and technology; and natural resources. To learn more, visit www.UMCrookston.edu.

Contact: Lisa Gentele, sustainability assistant, 402-850-7661 (grego098@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

The University of Minnesota, Crookston continues to move forward in pursuing energy conservation and sustainability goals with the recent awarding of a Clean Energy Resource Teams (CERTS) grant of $11,000 according to Dan Svedarsky, Ph.D., director of the U of M, Crookston Center for Sustainability. The grant will support students being paired with a faculty or staff member to address two projects: conduct a feasibility study for a methane digester and measure building-to-building energy use.

"The grant application was primarily developed by Center staff, Chris Waltz (pictured below on left) and Lisa Gentele (pictured on right), in conjunction with U of M, Crookston faculty and staff," according to Svedarsky. Waltz is an energy conservation specialist supported by the Minnesota GreenCorps and Gentele is a student sustainability assistant working with the Center, the Otter Tail Energy Challenge program, and chair of the Crookston Students for Sustainable Development (CSSD).

Key personnel involved in collaborating with students will be U of M, Crookston faculty members: Christo Robberts, Paul Aakre, and Kent Freberg with the methane generator study. Staff members: Tim Norton, director of Facility Management and Operations; Rusty Remick, electrician; and Ken Johnson, Otter Tail Power Company, will advise the building-to-building energy use study.

"This grant will nicely support the implementation of the Otter Tail Energy Challenge awarded to the Crookston campus earlier in the fall," according to Waltz.  The energy use study will evaluate the installation of better monitoring systems so that students in residence halls can engage in competitions to strive to reduce energy consumption and lessen the impact on global carbon emissions. Students will come from a variety of majors on campus and will begin working on the project early in spring semester 2010.

"Grant funds will support U of M, Crookston students to gain research experience in sustainability and energy as well as develop leadership skills using the campus as a real-world living laboratory," notes Waltz. "The program will bring together clubs and organizations, classes, and individuals across campus disciplines to work on applied sustainable research projects which is necessary for the training and development of new environmental professionals."

Waltz, a spring 2009 U of M, Crookston graduate, co-authored the 2008 CERTS grant, "LEEDing Crookston to a Sustainable Future," which allowed Crookston campus students and the campus community to achieve a new level of sustainability awareness and engagement. The grant also facilitated construction of Evergreen Hall according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) standards making it the first LEED-certified dormitory within the University of Minnesota system. Students hosted open forums and guest speakers to educate the campus community on the topic of sustainability and its broad applications to energy efficiency and conservation, economic development, local foods, recycling, and atmospheric carbon balance. In addition, the grant supported the Crookston Students for Sustainable Development to host an educational retreat to the ultimate energy efficient, Biohaus (Bio-House), at the Concordia Language Camp near Bemidji, Minn. This retreat was designed to share ideas between students, not only at the Crookston campus but also students from other campuses such as Bemidji State University.

"It has been an absolute delight working with these UMC students the past couple of years as they have engaged in sustainability initiatives," according to Svedarsky. "And this student sustainability action is spreading nationally and globally as well. I just returned from the U.N. Conference on Climate Change in Copenhagen and the commitment of young people to planetary stewardship is nothing short of remarkable.  I would also be remiss in not recognizing the key supporting role of Linda Kingery, executive director of the Northwest Regional Sustainable Development Partnership, and U of M, Crookston professor David DeMuth. These two individuals are tireless strategists in facilitating many campus and regional initiatives related to sustainability and the environment."

For more information contact: Waltz at 218-281-8128 or waltz020@umn.edu and Svedarsky at 218-281-8129 or dsvedars@umn.edu at the Center for Sustainability, U of M, Crookston.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 applied-science undergraduate degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; math, science and technology; and natural resources. To learn more, visit www.UMCrookston.edu.

Contact: Dan Svedarsky, director, Center for Sustainability, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

On Monday, Dec. 14, from 7 to 9 p.m., the National Wildlife Federation will sponsor an evening of discussions with a live broadcast link on the University of Minnesota, Crookston campus in Dowell Hall Room 100. The event is free and open to all interested individuals.

The broadcast will originate at the Center for Innovation IdeaLab on the campus of the University of North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D., and also will be broadcast to sites in in North Dakota including Bismarck, Devils Lake, Fargo, and Jamestown.

Presentations Include:

Economic Impact of Hunting and Sportsmen Activities on North Dakota's Economy - Roger Hollevoet, Project Leader for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Devils Lake Wetland Management District

Prairie Wetlands and Climate Change - Droughts and Ducks in the Potholes - Rick Voldseth, Department of Soil Science, North Dakota State University

Pots of Gold - Carbon Sequestration Opportunities for Hunters and Landowners - Liz Mathern, Carbon Credit Program Specialist, North Dakota Farmers Union

Natural Resource Adaptation Funding in the Federal Climate Bills - Justin Allegro, Legislative Representative for Wildlife Conservation, National Wildlife Federation

Learn more at http://online.nwf.org/site/Calendar?view=Detail&id=103901.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 applied-science undergraduate degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; math, science and technology; and natural resources. To learn more, visit www.UMCrookston.edu.

Contact: Andrew Svec, director, communications, 218-281-8438; Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

On Friday, October 2, 2009, the University of Minnesota, Crookston formally dedicated a new residence facility, Evergreen Hall. Along with the dedication, Otter Tail Power Company announced its Energy Challenge Campus, a special project that brings Otter Tail and the U of M, Crookston together to help reduce energy consumption.

A number of dignitaries and special guests were on campus for the building dedication and energy challenge announcement including the following guest speakers:

Charles H. Casey, chancellor, U of M, Crookston
Clyde Allen, Jr., chair, University of Minnesota Board of Regents
Bernie Lieder, state representative, Minnesota District 01B
Gary Willhite, director of residential life and security services, U of M, Crookston
Thomas Haarstick, president, Crookston Student Association
Chuck MacFarlane, president and CEO, Otter Tail Power Company
Bill Glahn, director, Minnesota Office of Energy Security
Robert Bruininks, president, University of Minnesota (in photo at left)

In the photo above of the ribbon cutting ceremony: (l to r) Representative Bernie Lieder, Residential Life Director Gary Willhite, Regent Clyde Allen, Regent Venora Hung, CSA President Thomas Haarstick, Michael J. Burns (Michael J. Burns Architects), Chancellor Charles H. Casey, U of M President Robert Bruininks, Assistant Professor Brian Dingmann, Ruann Deschene (Community Contractors, Inc.), and Crookston Mayor David Genereux.

Sustainability is a priority for the University of Minnesota, Crookston. Students helped lead the effort for Evergreen Hall to become the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified residence facility in the University of Minnesota system. LEED certification, an internationally recognized green building certification system, means that Evergreen Hall's apartment-style living was designed with consideration for sustainability and less environmental impact. 

Evergreen Hall makes use of green building materials, such as countertops throughout the facility that feature recycled glass, banana peel fibers, or paper; recycled vinyl and plastic in the flooring; energy-saving lighting; and interior woodwork milled from evergreen and ash trees removed from the construction site. Another unique feature of the building is an innovative interactive classroom. Evergreen Hall is truly a living, learning center. It showcases the technological advantages offered by the Crookston campus and capitalizes on a history of computer-based innovation.

In photo at left, Chuck MacFarlane, president and CEO, Otter Tail Power Company announced the Campus Energy Challenge. In this first-of-its-kind program, the U of M, Crookston will work with Otter Tail Power Company to reduce electric energy consumption on campus by as much as 15 percent.

Evergreen Hall was designed by Michael J. Burns Architects, Ltd. and built by Community Contractors, Inc. in conjunction with several local and regional subcontractors.

Contact: Andrew Svec, director, communications, 218-281-8438 (asvec@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director, communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Crookston, Minn.  - "Connecting the Dots of Sustainability - a Game Everyone Can Play" is the theme of a special sustainability discussion at the University of Minnesota, Crookston set for Thursday, October 15, 2009, from 12:15 to 2 p.m. in Bede Ballroom, Sargeant Student Center.  Three guest speakers will address topics including energy conservation and renewable sources, building design, climate changes, and agriculture within the context of sustainability.  The public is invited to attend.

Global food systems expert Myron Just has more than twenty years of experience in public policy and economic development advocacy, leadership, and management in government, business, and not-for-profits.  Just, a North Dakota farmer and former state senator, has served as North Dakota's commissioner of agriculture and as executive director for the Minnesota Agri-Growth Council.  He currently serves as a consultant to the Minnesota Project, a regional not-for-profit whose mission is to advocate on conservation issues in public policy development.  

Virajita Singh is an architect and senior research fellow at the University of Minnesota's Center for Sustainable Building Research. She is currently involved in developing a sustainable design assistance program that engages students from the College of Design to help communities, non-profits, and local governments interested in advancing their sustainable efforts related to buildings.
 
Richard Strong is also an architect and senior research fellow at the University of Minnesota School of Architecture's College of Design and the Center for Sustainable Building Research.  Strong was one of the initiators of the Minnesota Sustainable Design Guide while a project manager at Hennepin County during the 90s.  He has taught sustainable design at Carleton College, and while there guided the installation of one of the first wind turbines associated with a college campus. He is currently involved in monitoring the Minnesota Sustainable Building Guidelines at the U of M.

Strong and Singh are guiding the development of a plan for the U of M, Crookston to become a more sustainable campus and to move toward climate neutrality by a targeted date. During their visit to campus, the two will also meet with groups of students, faculty and staff to gather information to aide in the development of the plan. To learn more about the sustainability on the Crookston campus, visit www.umcrookston.edu/sustainability.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 applied-science undergraduate degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; math, science and technology; and natural resources. To learn more, visit www.UMCrookston.edu.
 

Contact: Dan Svedarsky, director, sustainability, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director of communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Crookston, Minn.  - A new project brings Otter Tail Power Company and the University of Minnesota, Crookston together in an effort to reduce electric energy consumption on the campus. The project will be formally announced at the dedication of a new residence hall on Friday, October 2, 2009. During the ceremony, which begins at noon in Evergreen Hall, the selection of the U of M, Crookston as the designated campus for Otter Tail Power Company's Campus Energy Challenge will be highlighted. The public is invited to attend.

In this first-of-its-kind program, the U of M, Crookston will work with Otter Tail Power Company to reduce electric energy consumption on campus by as much as 15 percent. Sustainability is a priority for the U of M, Crookston, and students helped lead the effort for Evergreen Hall to become the first Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certified residence facility in the U of M system. The building's construction focused on minimizing environmental impact and saving energy throughout its development and construction.

A number of dignitaries and special guests will be on campus for the building dedication and energy challenge announcement including the following guest speakers:

Charles H. Casey, chancellor, U of M, Crookston
Clyde Allen, Jr., chair, University of Minnesota Board of Regents
Bernie Lieder, state representative, Minnesota District 01B
Gary Willhite, director of residential life and security services, U of M, Crookston
Thomas Haarstick, president, Crookston Student Association
Chuck MacFarlane, president and CEO, Otter Tail Power Company
Bill Glahn, director, Minnesota Office of Energy Security
Robert Bruininks, president, University of Minnesota

Students, staff, and faculty on the Crookston campus will join Otter Tail Power Company employees to research and analyze current electric energy consumption and develop strategies for reducing their use in 2009; most implementation will occur in 2010. The challenge is a pilot project that is part of Otter Tail Power Company's Minnesota Conservation Improvement Program approved by the Minnesota Office of Energy Security in November 2008.

Together, Otter Tail Power Company and the U of M, Crookston expect to nurture and develop energy efficiency habits that will help everyone on campus save money on their energy bills and model those habits to the Crookston community, other campuses, and the country.

Otter Tail Power Company, a subsidiary of Otter Tail Corporation (NASDAQ Global Select Market: OTTR), is headquartered in Fergus Falls, Minn. It provides electricity and energy services to more than a quarter million people in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. To learn more about Otter Tail Power Company visit www.otpco.com. To learn more about conserving energy visit www.conservingelectricity.com. To learn more about Otter Tail Corporation visit www.ottertail.com.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 applied-science undergraduate degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; math, science and technology; and natural resources. To learn more, visit www.UMCrookston.edu.

Contact: Andrew Svec, director of communications, U of M, Crookston, 218-281-8438, (asvec@umn.edu); Cris Kling, director of public relations, Otter Tail Power Company, 218-739-8297

Crookston, Minn.  -  With the first residence facility to earn Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification in the University of Minnesota system, the Crookston campus has appointed a student to assist in furthering the campus initiatives in sustainability. Lisa (Gregoire) Gentele, Omaha, Neb., was recently hired to support the work of the Center for Sustainability on the Crookston campus under the leadership of its director Dan Svedarsky, Ph.D.

In her role, Gentele will serve as chair of the Crookston Students for Sustainability Development (CSSD) working closely with students and student government in sustainability efforts. She will assist the participation in Minnesota Schools Cutting Carbon Initiative; the Ottertail Power Energy Challenge grant in consultation with Tim Norton, director of Facilities Management and Operations; and contribute to ongoing data collection for Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions report and Climate Neutrality Plan for the campus.

Gentele is majoring in natural resources at the U of M, Crookston with an emphasis in park management and natural resource management and is also a member of the Natural Resources Club and vice president of U of M, Crookston Student Chapter of The Wildlife Society. The senior is planning to graduate at the end of fall semester 2009.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 applied-science undergraduate degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; math, science and technology; and natural resources. To learn more, visit www.UMCrookston.edu.

Contact: Dan Svedarsky, director, sustainability, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director of communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)

Crookston, Minn.  - A grant awarded to the University of Minnesota, Crookston will allow the campus to host a member of Minnesota's statewide initiative to help preserve and protect the environment, known as the Minnesota GreenCorps. Chris Waltz, in the photo, was recently appointed as the local government energy conservation specialist and will be trained for his role as part of a new generation of environmental professionals under the program. He will be located on the Crookston campus and assist local entities (city, county, school district) in the conservation of energy from their buildings and/or vehicle operations. The Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (MPCA) coordinates the Minnesota GreenCorps, which is an environmental AmeriCorps program. The Crookston campus was one of 56 applicants selected as one of the 12 sites.

In his role, Waltz will work closely with the City of Crookston  and the U of M, Crookston Sustainability Committee and with Dan Svedarsky, director of the U of M, Crookston Center for Sustainability.  Waltz will be responsible for collecting, benchmarking, and reporting up-to-date data on energy use and reducing greenhouse gas ( GHG) emissions such as carbon dioxide. Another responsibility will be to work with the host site to implement action steps that will have an immediate effect as well as look at how to invest in the future in an environmentally conscious way.

Waltz, a 2009 graduate of the U of M, Crookston, majored in natural resources and led the effort as a student in gaining Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification for the new residence hall on the campus. Dubbed Evergreen Hall, the residence facility is the first LEED Certified residence hall in the University of Minnesota system. LEED certification, an internationally recognized green building certification system, means that Evergreen Hall's apartment-style living was designed with consideration for sustainability and less environmental impact.

As a member site, the Minnesota GreenCorps position integrates well with the recent selection of the campus as a winner of Otter Tail Power Company's Campus Energy Challenge. The goal of this first-of-its-kind program is to work with Otter Tail Power Company to reduce electric energy consumption on campus by as much as 15 percent over a two-year period.

Svedarsky is enthusiastic about hosting a Minnesota GreenCorps member and what it means, "This opportunity connects the Crookston campus and community in an effort to become more environmentally conscious and to save precious resources and money," Svedarsky says. "Being a member site for the Minnesota GreenCorps and working with Otter Tail Power Company will help us engage in a real, practical way to employ energy conservation methods to help us make better decisions on the campus, in the community, and as individuals."

The mission of the Minnesota GreenCorps is to provide its members with opportunities to contribute to improve Minnesota's environment, while gaining experience and learning valuable job skills. Local governments and community organizations statewide host Minnesota GreenCorps members and provide day-to-day supervision for members working on projects in the areas of local government energy conservation, school waste prevention, living green outreach, local food systems, and urban forestry. To learn more, visit the MPCA's NextStep sustainability Web site at www.nextstep.state.mn.us.

Today the University of Minnesota, Crookston delivers more than 25 applied-science undergraduate degree programs and 50 concentrations, including several online degrees, in agriculture; arts, humanities and social sciences; business; math, science and technology; and natural resources. To learn more, visit www.UMCrookston.edu.

Contact: Dan Svedarsky, professor, 218-281-8129 (dsvedars@umn.edu); Elizabeth Tollefson, assistant director of communications, 218-281-8432 (ltollefs@umn.edu)