2007 Winter

EnviroNews Newsletter of Santa Clara University Environmental Studies Institute Volume XXVIII

Winter 2007 New ENVS Courses for Majors and Minors this Spring

RecycleMania is Under Way at SCU SCU is participating in RecycleMania, a friendly recycling competition among 200 colleges and universities in the US. During the 10-week competition, campuses compete to see which institution can collect the largest amount of recyclables per capita, the largest amount of total recyclables, the least amount of trash per capita, or have the highest recycling rate. Our goal at SCU is to increase awareness of campus recycling and waste reduction measures - ultimately to increase campus recycling by 25 percent. Contest dates: January 28 through April 7.

Several new courses have been added to the Environmental Studies and Science curricula. ENVS 13 (Soil, Air & Water) is one of three required courses for majors and minors in the intro cluster. ENVS 133 (Calif. Plant Communities) is an elective for Environmental Science majors and ENVS 158 (Conservation Psychology) is on the list of courses satisfying the Sustainable Development concentration for Environmental Studies majors.

ENVS 13 - Soil, Air & Water L&L Environmental science is an interdisciplinary field in which the natural and social sciences join to address pressing issues concerning humanity and nature. This introductory course focuses on the contributions of the geological and physical sciences to environmental science. The basic physical and geological processes that shape the Earth and govern changes in the environment are discussed. Also fulfills the a natural science with lab core.

Increase your recycling! Reduce your waste!

Recycle: Beverage bottles and cans, white and colored paper, junk mail, cereal boxes, shoeboxes, newspaper, magazines, corrugated cardboard, e-waste, batteries, and ink cartridges. For more information, visit www.scu.edu/ sustainability.

If it's recyclable, recycle it!

Over 25% of our garbage at SCU contains material that should have been recycled. Know where the nearest recycling containers are - and use them!

ENVS/BIOL 133 - California Plant Communities The spring wildflowers will be blooming when ENVS faculty Sean Watts and Virginia Matzek take students around the state to study the ecology of California plant communities.

California has an exceptionally diverse flora, and the class will visit several interesting plant habitats. Students will learn field ecology methods for plant community sampling and basic taxonomy of major plant families. The course will also focus on threats to native plants and plant communities from introduced exotic species, disease, pollutants, and land-use change. This course counts as an upper-division Biology lab course, and has Biology 23 as a prerequisite. For more information, contact Dr. Watts (swatts@scu.edu) or Dr. Matzek (vmatzek@scu.edu). (continued on p. 3)

Tell your friends and neighbors to recycle!

The more participation we have at SCU, the better we'll do in the competition.

For more information, please refer to the following: Sustainability at SCU: www.scu.edu/sustainability Sustainability Coordinator: lcromwell@scu.edu RecycleMania: www.recyclemania.org RecycleMania at SCU is dedicated to the memory of Lucky Hinkle (see more about Lucky on p. 5)

What's Inside: Ulistac Restoration........….….......……..2

Sustainability Corner............….…….....5

ESI Seminar Series..............................2

Lucky Hinkle: We Will Miss You!..........5

Faculty Accomplishments......…..........4

Internship Opportunities......................6 1

Winter 2007 Restoration Work Days at Ulistac Natural Area Saturday, Feb. 3 Sunday, Feb. 18 Saturday, Mar. 3 Sunday, Mar. 18

Winter 2007 ESI Seminar Series January 19 "Combining ecology and economics to guide restoration in Hawaii" Liba Pejchar and Josh Goldstein, Stanford University,

10:00 am - 2:00 pm 10:00 am - 2:00 pm 10:00 am - 2:00 pm 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

February 2 "Bear bile farming in China: the struggle over animal welfare and wildlife conservation in modern China" Kati Loeffler, Animals Asia Foundation

Volunteers are needed at Ulistac Natural Area, the only natural area in the City of Santa Clara. Join us to weed, water, and prepare our native plant garden for our Wildflower Celebration in April.

Ulistac Natural Area is located on Lick Mill Boulevard, between Hope Dr. and Tasman Dr. in Santa Clara, CA

February 16 "The New Environmentalism" John Stufflebean, Environmental Services, City of San Jose

Save the date!!

Apr. 7. Wildflower Celebration. A fun event to welcome the spring at Ulistac Natural Area. Booths, games, activities for kids and adults, demonstrations, plant sale, etc. 9:00 am - 1:00 pm

March 2 "The Natural Capital Project: can valuation of ecosystem services save the world?"

Heather Tallis, Stanford University

Contact the Ulistac Outreach Center at: Phone: 408-544-5419 Email: ulistac@scu.edu

March 16 "A Rhetorical Analysis of Edward Abbey's Desert Solitaire" John Farnsworth, English Dept, Santa Clara University

The Ulistac Natural Area is the only 41 acres of habitat in the entire of City of Santa Clara. When restoration of the park is complete, it will contain seven California native habitats, including a ž-acre Bird and Butterfly Garden, oak woodlands and wetlands. Directions to Ulistac are on the Restoration Project’s website: www.scu.edu/envs/ ulistac

Seminars begin at noon, and are held in the Casa Italiana Commons. Light refreshments are served from 11:45 am.

Contact the ESI office at (408) 551-7086 if you have any questions or if you have a disability and require a reasonable accommodation.

Sustainability Across the Curriculum: The Penstemon Project This summer, the Environmental Studies Institute (ESI) will offer a two-day workshop for faculty interested in developing new courses, or revising existing courses, to incorporate issues related to sustainability. Twenty faculty members from departments as diverse as math, religious studies, biology, English, business, and civil engineering have been selected to receive $1,000 stipends to attend the workshop and renew their curricula.

The Penstemon Project at SCU is modeled on successful programs developed at Emory University and Northern Arizona University and now in use at colleges and universities across the country. For examples of how previous participants have worked sustainability and the environment into their courses, go to http://www.scienceandsociety.emory.edu/ piedmont/curriculum.htm.

ESI faculty and affiliates will facilitate the workshop in concert with literature professor Geoff Chase (San Diego State University) and local resource experts.

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Summer 2007 in Costa Rica!

ENVS Course Update (cont'd from p. 1) ENVS/PSYCH 158 - Conservation Psychology Many environmental problems (e.g., global warming, pollution, biodiversity loss, and resource depletion) are caused by human behavior, and changing this behavior is necessary in order to solve those problems. Topics include psychological reasons (emotions, thoughts, values, motivations, social context) why people behave in environmentally sustainable or unsustainable ways, and how psychology can be used to develop policies and other interventions to help promote sustainable behavior.

Prerequisites: PSYC 1, 2, 40, 43, or permission of the instructor.

Summer in Costa Rica - deadline is Feb 23!

Applications for the new summer program in Costa Rica are due Feb 23 to the International Programs office. The program runs June 25 to July 24 with one week of instruction at Santa Clara, followed by a three-week immersion trip to Costa Rica.

Other courses offered in Spring and core requirement, if applicable: ENVS 11 Intro to Environmental Science (natural science with lab) ENVS 122 US Environmental Policy (US) ENVS 142 Environmental & Nature Writing (3rd Writing) ENVS 145 Environmental Technology (Technology) ENVS 160 Spirituality & Sustinability (2nd Religion) ENVS 198C Environmental Vocation Internship

Participants will work on a reforestation experiment, learn about sustainable agriculture and fair trade coffee, do short homestays with Costa Rican families, and experience the amazing diversity of Costa Rica's tropical ecosystems, including mangroves, lowland rainforest, cloud forest, and even an active volcano.

Credit is given for two courses-- ENVS 141, Environmental Biology of the Tropics, and ENVS 39, Drawing from Nature.

The cost of the program, excluding airfare, is $4200. For more information, contact Virginia Matzek, vmatzek@scu.edu.

Summer courses: ENVS 120 Environmental Law & Regulation (Session 1) ENVS 11 Intro to Environmental Science (Session 2)

ENVS 98 - Outdoor Leadership Expedition in Spring

Looking for Environmental Studies Resources?

This course uses instruction in wilderness safety, outdoor technical skills and low-impact camping to develop leadership skills and an appreciation of the natural world.

Students are graded P/NP only.

Michal Strutin, Science Librarian, is available to assist you!

She can be reached via email at mstrutin@scu.edu, or by phone at 551-7021.

An online application is required prior to instructor approval. Application Deadline: Friday, March 2nd, 2007.

The application is available on the ESI website: www.scu.edu/envs. Navigate to Undergraduate Information > Academics > Course Descriptions.

An online library resource guide has been assembled for the Environmental Studies Institute, with web resources in categories such as Climate, Sustainability, and Conferences. The Environmental Studies/Science online databases are available at: http://www.scu.edu/library/resources/databases/subject/ environmental_studies/

The course has been developed in collaboration with the Center for Student Leadership and Environmental Studies Institute.

Know of any must-include web links? Please email them to Michal Strutin.

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Faculty Member Wins Fulbright

Jorge Gonzalez-Cruz (mechanical engineering) was awarded a $95,000 grant from the California Energy Commission for the phase change material solar thermal storage system. This solar air conditioning project uses no electricity.

In a SCU press release from January 18, 2007. one of our own faculty memberswas highlighted as a recipient of the prestigious Fulbright grant. Leslie Gray is spending 2 quarters in Burkina Faso studying the effects of US cotton subsidies on farmers. Here's an excerpt from that release:

Tracey Kahan (psychology) recently completed a 6-week docent training program with Henry Cowell Redwoods State park. She has acquired some expertise in redwood forest ecology, and now conducts docent-guided walks through the primary growth redwood forest in Henry Cowell and assists with special events in the park.

Gray is no stranger to Africa or to Fulbright grants. She and her husband, Michael Kevane, associate professor in economics and chair of the core curriculum committee, run a nonprofit organization called Friends of the African Village Libraries, which has seven small village libraries in Burkina Faso and Ghana. Gray is also co-editor of Hanging by a Thread: Globalization, Cotton, and Poverty in Africa, recently accepted for publication by Ohio University Press. This is her third Fulbright award. Previously she explored land degradation and deforestation issues in Burkina Faso and coping strategies for drought in Sudan.

Peter Kareiva (environmental studies) has received a twoyear award of $25,000 from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to support "Adaptation Options for Climate Sensitive Ecosystems and Resources-a Synthesis of Case Study Results."

Michelle Marvier (biology) has received third-year funding of $44,366 from the Environmental Protection Agency to support "Evidence-based Risk Analysis: Learning from Our Experience with Genetically Modified Crops." The award, with this amendment, totals $232,347.

In discussing her latest Fulbright grant, Gray says that most people do not realize the international implications U.S. domestic policy has. “We’re supporting [U.S.] farmers to the detriment of poor farmers all over the world, not just West Africa,” she says. “The fact that we are dumping so much cotton on the world market directly affects the poorest people in the world. This is a really important issue that I think most people are not aware of. I’m hoping to make it show up on more people’s radar screens.”

Michelle M. and Peter K. also contributed a letter to the editor in Nature, titled "Nature: poorest may see it as their economic rival". Nature 443:749-750, 2006.

Peter K. and 2 of his former research students, Chris YuanFarrell ('03) and Casey O'Connor ('03) were recently published in the text, Whales, Whaling, and Ocean Ecosystems. Their article is entitled "Whales are big and it matters."

(Berkeley: University of California Press).

She is looking forward to her latest endeavor in Burkina Faso. “It’s wonderful to be a Fulbrighter,” she says. “You’re part of a long-term community of people who have Fulbrights. It’s also a wonderful experience to show a side of America abroad.”

Ed Maurer (civil engineering) was quoted in articles featured in a Modesto Bee special report titled "Water Works." The articles focused on the projected impacts of global warming on Central Valley water resources.

Find the full release on the SCU website at: http:// www.scu.edu/news/releases/.

Faculty & Staff Accomplishments

Nancy C. Unger presented "Gendered Turning Points in Environmental Justice History," as part of the panel Engendering the Environment: History, Culture, and Practice for the Women's Studies Seminar Series at the Huntington Library and Gardens in San Marino, February 3, 2007.

Mark Aschheim (civil engineering) contributed to the book Design of Straw Bale Buildings: State of the Art by Bruce King with contributing authors: Mark Aschheim, Rene Dalmeijer, Kevin Donahue, Martin Hammer, Kelly Lerner, David Mar, Dan Smith, Nehemiah Stone, John Straube, Matt Summers, and Bob Theis.

Keith Warner's dissertation investigated the extension of agroecology through California's agroecological partnerships, and it is now available from MIT Press as Agroecology in Action: Extending Alternative Agriculture Through Social Networks. See more on Keith's website: http://itrs.scu.edu/ kwarner/agecobc.htm

Mark Aschheim (civil engineering) and Mark Folgner's (BSCE '05) Bamboo I-Beams were featured in September at WIRED magazine's NextFest, a four-day exposition of innovation featuring technologies and products that have the ability to change our world.

Lindsey Cromwell (sustainability) was interviewed on KCBSAM about the sustainable efforts at SCU. (continued next column)

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Sustainability Corner

Lucky Hinkle, We Will Miss You! RecycleMania at SCU is dedicated to Lucky Hinkle

Sustainability PLEDGE Almost 260 students, faculty, staff, and alumni have taken the PLEDGE since it debuted in October 2006. Join us, and commit to making a few small changes in your daily decisions.

Those changes add up, and when we join together we can have a major impact. Visit www.scu.edu/sustainability to take the PLEDGE online.

The Recycling and Waste management team would like to dedicate our efforts in this program to Lucky Hinkle: a genuine man whose hard work and personal dedication built up our University's recycling program to what it is today. Lucky was diagnosed with cancer last spring and fought to try and come back to campus. The campus community learned that he lost the battle with the disease and passed away February 7, 2007.

A number of undergraduates have worked with Lucky over the years. He was far more than just a guy who worked in the facilities department - he was a mentor to our students, and a man who cared deeply about the environment. He visited classes and dorms to promote SCU's recycling program and he gave a lot of his personal engergy to change the way things are done here at Santa Clara.

SCU receives energy efficiency rebate Silicon Valley Power recently presented SCU a rebate of over $109,000. This summer, HVAC systems in the campus bookstore, Shapell Lounge, and the microelectronics lab in the engineering school were retrofitted with more efficient systems. Silicon Valley Power offers rebates to business and residential clients who use energy more efficiently. According to Assistant Vice President for University Operations Joe Sugg, the money saved will be used to fund more energy saving projects on campus.

His presence on campus is missed by many - from those of us who worked with him everyday, to those of us who appreciated his smile and wave as he worked.

New sustainability project matchmaking database: "Play A Greater Part" "Play A Greater Part" is a database of a variety of sustainability related projects waiting to be chosen by a student or volunteer. The website engages students in creating the solutions for current sustainability challenges as their course assignments or thesis. Students can search for sustainability projects that have been posted by non-profits, faculty, businesses and government planners, etc. Faculty can post projects they would like to conduct related to sustainability - and choose which students they accept to work on the project. The website was designed by the Society for College and University Planning in collaboration with the US Partnership for Education for Sustainable Development. www.playagreaterpart.org/

Attention! Changes to ENVS Internship Requirement!!!

As always, all Environmental Science and Environmental Studies majors are required to either do research or an internship with a faculty member, or perform 100 hours of work off-campus related to sustainability and the environment.

As before, the internship must be approved by the ESI director in advance.

Two changes to this requirement are now in effect for students graduating after June 2007. First, there will be short assignments to complete during the internship; students must plan ahead and be sure to get these assignments before embarking on the internship. Second, to get academic credit for this experience and complete the requirement, students must now take an internship course, ENVS 198, after the internship work is completed. In ENVS 198, students will share their internship experiences with one another, reflect upon plans for post-graduation (grad school, career options, etc.), and develop professional skills such as resume writing and interviewing.

Sustainability Events Feb. 28. Film showing: "Who Killed the Electric Car?" 7:00 pm in the Swig Sky Lounge - 11th floor Running solely on electricity, General Motors' fleet of EV-1 electric vehicles were so efficient, they were on the brink of altering the future of driving in America - perhaps even the world. Those lucky enough to drive one gave it glowing reviews. So why were they all destroyed?" Sponsored by Cypress RLC, ESI, and Sustainability at SCU.

This course will be offered only in fall quarter, and will require senior standing. Therefore, students should plan to complete their internship or research project in their junior year (or the following summer). ENVS 198 will meet once per week and be graded on a P/NP basis. For specific details, please contact the ESI office, or check out the Internship page on the ESI website: http://www.scu.edu/cas/environmentalstudies/ internships.cfm

Mar. 2. Fair Trade Friday Mission Bakery offers a free cup of Fair Trade coffee to participants in the Sustainability PLEDGE. Wear your PLEDGE pin, and bring your coffee card and your own mug!

Apr. 18. Earth Day at SCU. Sponsored by the Grass Roots Environmental Efforts Now (GREEN) club at SCU. 5

Internship Opportunities for the following education projects: Wetlands Discovery Program and Teacher Resource Center. Various other tasks will include: field trip coordination, development of curriculum & classroom materials, hands-on fieldwork, school outreach, and Earth Day Festival support.

These internship opportunities have recently come up. For more opportunities, please check the ESI website or get on the ESI mailing list for regular announcements. ♦ Environmental Education Program for Slow the Flow Program Slow the Flow (sponsored by the City of San Jose.) is designed for grades 5-12 and is available free of charge to educators and organizations located in San Jose, Alviso, Milpitas, Santa Clara, Saratoga, Monte Sereno, Los Gatos, Campbell and Cupertino. The field trips take place at the Environmental Education Center in Alviso and consist of a staff-led opening and closing, lunch, and three, in-depth activities (one led by a staff member and the other two by educators/adult volunteers). Ideally an additional chaperone or educator is available to act as a "floater" to help when needed. During the field trip activities, students and educators explore the topics of water use, wastewater treatment and habitat preservation. A key focus for Slow the Flow is to demonstrate the relationship between our personal habits and their effects on local habitats. All activities are correlated to fit California content standards. Become a Slow the Flow Volunteer! Call Tina Simmons at 408-262-5513 or email sfbay_slowtheflow@yahoo.com.

For questions or more details, please contact Ms. Toby Goldberg, SCVAS Programs Coordinator. Deadline for application: Feb. 21, 2007 Phone: (408) 252-3740 - Fax: (408) 252-2850 - Email: programs@scvas.org

♦

Geographer (GIS)/Student Research position A student with interest in Environmental Geology/Hydrology/ Climate Science and Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is sought to assist with research tasks. The primary research focus is the investigation of traditionally snowmelt-dominated watersheds which may be particularly sensitive to global warming. The student will be involved in the collection of data such as soil thickness and vegetation cover, the assembly of data bases, the analysis of data, the preparation and interpretation of maps, and the presentation of findings. GIS experience is helpful but we will train the right candidate if needed. This position is offered by the USGS under the Student Career Experience Program (SCEP, see more info below) in cooperation with Santa Clara University Faculty. If interested, please email Dr. Iris Stewart-Frey at IStewartFrey@scu.edu the following by Feb 22, 2007: 1) Short CV, and 2) a paragraph (less than a page) describing why you are interested in this position.

♦ Education and Outreach Intern, Santa Clara Valley Audubon Society The Education and Outreach Intern will support SCVAS’ children’s environmental education programs. The primary tasks of the intern will be to support and/or develop programs

Environmental Studies Institute Santa Clara University 500 El Camino Real

Phone: (408) 551-7086 Fax: (408) 554-2312 Email: esi@scu.edu

Santa Clara, CA 95053

Website: www.scu.edu/envs

EnviroNews is prepared by Jeannette Sacman. Comments or Suggestions? Send to jmsacman@scu.edu.

www.scu.edu/envs 6