In Our Nature

The tall white screens, glowing softly at night, draw the eye from blocks away. At the base of the building, 10-foot tall LED screens play informative videos showcasing sustainability efforts at the University of Washington, while windows in between provide a glimpse at the workings of the equipment inside.

The recently completed West Campus Utility Plant near the corner of University Way and Pacific Street provides cooling and emergency power to meet the needs of UW's growing west campus area. The plant brings efficiency and responsiveness, helping UW use less energy to provide...

ReThink UW is holding its third annual Resilience Summit this Friday, May 19, in the Maple Hall Great Room from 12 - 4 p.m. This year the summit will focus on "incentives," with a discussion on the roles that social and environmental initiatives play within a business framework and what that looks like moving forward. Attendees will have the opportunity to engage with other students, discuss business sustainability practices, and network with some of the event's key speakers representing Sustainable Business Consulting, NW Sustainable Energy for Economic Development, Threshold Investing...

The University of Washington’s Seattle campus won the 2017 PAC-12 Grand Champion award during RecycleMania, a national collegiate waste diversion tournament. The 786 metric tons of CO2 that UW kept out of the landfill is equivalent to the total amount of energy consumption of 68 households, or removing 154 cars off the road.

The student organization EcoReps supported UW Recycling’s efforts in generating event awareness on campus this year. 

"RecycleMania was a great success this year thanks to the EcoReps, who were in charge of...

UW Athletics is looking for a sustainability sports operations intern for the 2017-2018 school year. The intern will be involved in all areas of the UW Athletics sustainability program, including football game day activities, social media content, research and data collection and analysis, committee meetings and many university-wide and athletic sustainability events. The internship will provide hands-on experience in marketing, communication, stewardship, research, events and leadership.

To apply, send your...

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.

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.

There is no program fee for participants. Everyone that attends receives free lodging, and many receive some support for travel. Applications are accepted through June 15 from senior-level undergrads, grad students and professionals from all academic backgrounds. 

The...

Hello! My name is Caroline, Car for short, Caro for medium. I’m excited to announce that I will be the new Graphic Designer for UW Sustainability! This role will allow me to exercise my passion for graphic design while conveying messages of sustainability to all of the UW campus.

I am a third year student, currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree in Architectural Design. I decided I wanted to be an architect when I was 12 years old, building houses on The Sims. I am also a member of the UW Vietnamese Student Association where I hold the position of Creative Lead. From past experience...

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.

Registration is $100 ($85 for the first 100 registrations, and $45 for full-time students and corps members). Registration...

Building Services Department Director Gene Woodard oversees the care of 11.5 million square feet of campus buiding space, as well as handling the waste generated by the occupants of those bulidings. 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.

Under Woodard, the Building Services Department has won the Grand Award for Higher Education in Green Cleaning from American School & University magazine three times. The Whole U has much more on Green Husky Award winner...

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 WholeU has a Faculty Friday feature today showing how Straus' teaching creates a deep connection with students. In her class Sustainability: Personal Choices, Broad Impacts, students are tasked with sustanability activities that provide opportunities to change their behavior or think...