In Our Nature

The Washington & Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference (WOHESC) is now accepting proposals for the next conference, to be held March 4-6, 2024, at Western Washington University. The conference theme is "Learning From Place: Solutions Beyond Boundaries."

Submissions for program content, speakers and sessions will be accepted until October 13, 2023. See the full details below or as a PDF.

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Welcome new (and returning) students! With Fall quarter nearly here, Dawg Daze has tons of events to help new students learn about campus and resources at the UW. There are many events focusing on sustainability, including campus tours and student group meetings. Here are just a few of the many events offered, for the full list see the Dawg Daze website.

Sustainability Walking Tour

Friday, September 22, 1 p.m., and
Tuesday, September 26, 11:30 a.m.
meet in front of the HUB by...

The annual Wege Prize is a competition for university and college students to propose solutions that can help transition to a circular economic model. The competition is open to students across the world and offers $65,000 in prizes. 

Students can apply as transdisciplinary teams of five, representing different academic disciplines, institutions, and degree levels. Teams must "collaboratively design and propose a product, service, business model, or other solution to a wicked problem of their choosing that can help us transition from a linear...

If you're moving out or doing a deep clean of your north campus housing at the end of the Summer, UW Recycling is hosting a Husky Neighborhood Cleanup. All students can stop by the cleanup station to drop off recycling (including scrap metal and painted or unpainted wood) or items in poor conditions, including mattresses and furniture.

The cleanup dates will be Thursday, August 31; Monday, Sept. 25 and Tuesday, Sept. 26. The station will be at 17th Ave NE & NE 47th St. from 1-5 p.m. each day (or until the...

UW Athletics is looking for a few people to lead clean-up groups on Sunday mornings after home football games during the 2023 season. People can sign up for all games or just some. This will be about a three-hour commitment on the Sunday mornings helping to clean up Husky Stadium and will help UW Athletics work toward its waste diversion goals.

The dates volunteers are needed are:

• September 3...

It’s been just over a year since I joined UW Sustainability. The last year has been a full one, as I’ve been learning about the sustainability efforts taking place all across our University, as well as opportunities to go even further.

The month of June is a special one at the UW, as graduates celebrate their accomplishments and look toward the next chapter of their lives. It also brings an end to the academic year, and for many of our staff is an opportunity to take stock of the year’s accomplishments while planning for the year ahead.

For UW Sustainability, we have several...

UW students living in the North campus neighborhood can get rid of unwanted items for free during the Husky Neighborhood Cleanup. On Thursday, June 8; Monday, June 12 and Tuesday, June 13 trucks will be on site accepting items for recycling or disposal. Trucks will be parked at 17th Ave NE & NE 47th St. from 1-5 p.m. on those days, or until the trucks are full. 

A UW student Husky card will be required to drop off material.

Accepted items include:

• Recyclable materials, including scrap metal and painted or unpainted wood...

The 2023 Husky Sustainability Awards have been awarded to eight recipients, as well as three Husky Sustainability Legacy Award honorees.

The winners will be recognized at an award ceremony on Tuesday, May 9 at 3 p.m. in the Kane Hall Walker-Ames Room. All are invited to attend, and the ceremony will be followed by an informal reception with light snacks.

This year's winners include students, faculty and staff who have demonstrated impact, leadership, initiative and dedication to sustainability. This is the 14th year the ...

On Tuesday, April 18, at 11 a.m. join us for a virtual presentation on the University of Washington's Energy Transformation strategy and the steps we can take to transition the Seattle campus away from fossil fuels.

Dave Woodson, the UW's Executive Director of Campus Energy, Utilities and Operations, will walk through the steps needed to move the campus energy system to 100% clean energy, and why we need to act. There will be a Q&A session after the presentation.

This event will be held virtually via Zoom...

This April, there are many opportunities to volunteer on campus. Both the UW Farm and Society for Ecological Restoration have multiple volunteer sessions each week providing opportunities to get your hands in the dirt. The UW Botanic Gardens are co-hosting the annual Arboretum Earth Day restoration event, and you can also find many other organizations throughout Seattle and our region hosting volunteer events as well.

Here are a few of the ways to volunteer this month at the UW:

The UW Farm...