MCC Recognizes Arbor Day on March 30

 

Thursday, March 30, 2017 at 2:15pm

Between the Administration Building and the Performing Arts Center

Ceremony Program

1.      Dr. Bill Matta, Division Chair of English, Speech, & Foreign Languages – welcome and opening comments

2.      Bradley Turner, Associate Professor Environmental Science – Arbor Day comments

3.   Dr. Bill Matta, Division Chair of English, Speech, & Foreign Languages – Tree Campus USA designation and closing remarks

Other Arbor Day Observation activities include:

1:00- Volunteers register at the Science Building 

1:15- MCC student volunteer project begins outside Science Building

2:15- Arbor Day observance ceremony and tree planting

Following the Arbor Day Observance Ceremony:

Attendees are invited to participate in one of the following activities 

1. MCC campus tree tour with Janis Jackson, Botany Professor

2. Science Building sustainability tour with Sid Ross, Director – Facilities Planning and Construction, and Bradley Turner, Associate Professor Environmental Science

MCC Shred/Recycle Day

Semi-Annual Reuse-Recycle-Shred Day – Friday, March 31st - 8:00 a.m. to noon:
 
We will have our Bi-annual Recycle/Shred Day at the MAC parking lot from 8:00 a.m. until noon.  Bring your items from home and work. 

What if I need assistance with my materials?  For assistance with picking up recyclables before the event, call Sid Ross at 299-8849 or email Sid at sross@mclennan.edu by 12:00 pm on Wednesday, March 29th.     

What recyclables can I bring:  Bring paper goods, plastic, metals, cardboard, and corrugated boxes.  No need to remove staples or paperclips.  Plastic containers must be empty.

What recyclables are not accepted?  Please do not bring any electronics, glass, Styrofoam, batteries, tires, appliances, used oil or oil filters, antifreeze, hazardous waste, or carbon paper.

Will my items be shredded on campus?  Shredding does not take place at MCC, and we do not receive a formal document of destruction.  That service costs additional money.  We do receive confirmation that the paper items were shredded upon receipt by Shred-It (previously known as Certishred/Cintas).  

Freecycle/reuse table:De-clutter your space and help us keep good stuff out of a landfill at the same time! Drop off clean, working items that you no longer need.  If you see an item on the table that you want, take it.  It's free.  Any leftover items will be donated to Goodwill.  If you have items to donate, contact Elaine Fagner at efagner@mclennan.edu or 299-8442 to get those items to the Sustainability Committee.

Glass Recycling:Cobbs Convenience Center accepts plastic, aluminum and other metal, cardboard, paper, and corrugated box material from anyone, including those living outside the Waco area.  Glass is accepted only from Waco residents.  Cobbs Convenience Center is located at 2021 North 44th Street and is open Tuesday through Saturday (8 am - 5 pm) to drop off your materials free of charge.  For a map to the site and more details go to: http://www.waco-texas.com/cms-solidwaste/page.aspx?id=252

MCC Sustainability Efforts for March 2017

I.    Did You Know?  McLennan Community College (MCC) has been selected as a Tree Campus USA college for six consecutive years.  McLennan is one of the few community colleges in the nation with this designation.  All inner core campus trees have been inspected by a professional arborist with emphasis on type identification and condition.  Each tree has a tag that ties it to a map located in the physical plant.  Anyone seeking information about a tree can submit this tag number to the physical plant and get the information requested.  The campus has an independent Tree Campus USA committee that meets regularly.

MCC’s LEED buildings and other sustainable practices on campus the college has reduced electricity cost from $2.13 a square foot in 2008 to $1.29 a square foot in 2016 and natural gas cost from $0.57 a square foot to $0.11 a square foot in 2016.  The cost reductions are a result of energy efficient equipment, Heat pump chiller installation and a very good rate on our electrical purchases.

II.    Sustainability Activities on Campus this Spring: 
a.        RecycleMania Ongoing Across Campus.  RecycleMania, an eight-week competition to raise the campus and community’s awareness of sustainability and resource stewardship, is in full swing this month and will run through-March 31. For more on RecycleMania, visit https://connect.re-trac.com/.

How can you get involved? Use the blue recycling containers on campus! They are located in common areas and select classrooms or at dedicated recycling stations (ex. Science Building, 1st floor).  If your building or floor does not have recycling bins, contact the Physical Plant at 299-8843.  The large yellow dumpsters across campus (ex. LTC, MAC, etc.) are for recyclables as well. 

What can you recycle? MCC students, faculty, and staff can recycle paper, plastic, aluminum cans, and cardboard in any of the designated receptacles.

b.        Our next Reuse-Recycle-Shred Day is scheduled for March 31 in the MAC parking lot from 8:00AM until noon). 

c.         Adopt-a-Street – MCC Clean-up:  MCC has adopted a segment of north 19th street from Powell Dr. to Lakeshore Dr.  Attached is a picture that shows the efforts of our first street cleanup on Saturday, February 18th @ 2:30pm.  The next cleanup is scheduled for April 28th. Keep Waco Beautiful will provide supplies needed for the cleanup.  Please contact Donna Wiley at 299-8330 or dwiley@mclennan.edu  if you are interested in helping with this effort or need more information.  Volunteers must fill out a release form before the cleanup begins.  Additionally, Brad Turner’s Environmental class will be doing a clean-up from 1:30-3:30 pm on Thursday, March 23rd.  Contact Brad at bturner@mclennan.edu if you’d like to help with this effort.

d.        Green Week (March 27-31). MCC will announce our RecycleMania results during the final event of our Annual Green Week and Arbor Day Observance.

e.         Library’s Sustainability Exhibit: Come by and view the library’s annual exhibit. The display highlights examples of everyday materials that can be recycled.

f.          Tree Campus USA Arbor Day Observance (Thursday, March 30, 2:15 PM)  Since 2011, the Arbor Day Foundation has recognized MCC as a Tree Campus USA college six years in a row.  To win this designation, schools must establish an advisory committee, a campus tree-care plan and program, an Arbor Day Observance, and a service-learning project. MCC honors its Arbor Day Observance each spring by hosting a special event on the history and importance of Arbor Day, which includes a brief ceremony, a tree-planting ceremony in recognition of faculty or staff, and a student volunteer opportunity to help care for and maintain trees on campus.  We will hold this year’s event on the grass island between the Administration Building and the Performing Arts Center. Janis Jackson will give a tree tour of campus after the event.

h.         Campus bicycle rental program is alive and well.  This program is available to students, faculty, and staff.  Contact Janice Kasner at the physical plant 299-8863 if interested in renting a bicycle for the spring semester.  Bike rental fee is $10 a semester.

III.    What are your thoughts on our sustainability efforts?  Check out our website and blog at http://www.mclennan.edu/gogreen/ and http://mccgogreen.blogspot.com/ and see us on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/SustainabilityMCC.

Thanks for your support.  It takes the entire College to make sustainability work!

The MCC Sustainability Committee