UW Sustainability's blog

The first Washington & Oregon Higher Education Sustainability Conference (WOHESC) will take place February 6-8, 2018, at Portland State University. This regional conference merges the Oregon and Washington higher education sustainability conferences to create a platform for empowering and inspiring change making, facilitating action, and for sharing, networking, and collaboration related to sustainability within the region's higher education institutions.

It's almost the end of the year, and for many students that also means it's almost time to move. If there's items you don't have room for as you pack up, don't just throw them away - UW Recycling has several ways to give unwanted items to someone else who could use them.

The Sustainable Business Consulting team is hosting a career workshop at the University of Washington on Wednesday, May 24. This hands-on workshop will teach some of the best practices for professionals looking to begin or advance their career in the sustainability field.

The Society for Ecological Restoration - UW Chapter is hosting its annual native plant sale this Sunday, May 7, at the Douglas Research Conservatory next to the Center for Urban Horticulture (3501 NE 41st St.). he sale goes from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will have more than 40 different native plant species available. Cash and credit cards accepted.

The 2017 Urban Forest Symposium: Equity and the Urban Forest, co-hosted by PlantAmnesty and University of Washington Botanic Gardens, is Tuesday, May 23 from 9 a.m to 4 p.m., with a reception following. The symposium will be held at the University of Washington Botanic Gardens Center for Urban Horticulture, 3501 NE 41^st St., Seattle, WA 98105.

Building Services Department Director Gene Woodard oversees the care of 11.5 million square feet of campus building space, as well as handling the waste generated by the occupants of those buildings. Woodard has empowered employees to put forward ideas to make the work better and more efficient, while keeping on eye on the sustainability of the UW's operations.

Environmental Studies lecturer Kristi Straus not only earned a Husky Green Award this year, but also a Distinguished Teaching Award, for her classes focusing on mindful sustainability.

The University of Washington, Western Washington University and the Evergreen State College are jointly offering a regional symposium on low-carbon space heating alternatives to natural gas. The symposium will be held Friday, May 12, from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the UW Alder Hall Commons.

Students interested in sustainability and energy can apply to attend the Summer Institute on Sustainability and Energy (SISE) hosted by the University of Illinois at Chicago Energy Initiative from August 3-16, 2017.

SafeFlame is a local cleantech start-up founded by Foster School MBA student Kevin Cussen which aims to tackle a glut of high profile issues effecting people in developing nations. SafeFlame utilizes biodigesters to break down organic content and create biogas, which can be used as fuel for gas cookstoves. The company hopes to use its technology to help cut indoor pollutants caused by cookstoves that use fuels such as wood, charcoal, crop waste or animal dung.