The biannual campus cleanup, tree banding, a transportation fair and a social are among the events planned for the University’s Sustainability Week Oct. 5-9.
On Tuesday, Oct. 6, faculty, staff and student volunteers will gather for the eighth year for this semester’s campus cleanup which will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Participants will meet at the Belk Tower or the Kulwicki Motorsports Lab. Employees and students are invited to participate in the event (even if only for a little bit), and all supplies will be provided by the Recycling Department. Chancellor Philip L. Dubois has authorized 90 minutes of release time for employees; however, participants must get approval from their supervisor to participate.
“People really enjoy giving back to their campus, and facilities management employees do a great job of maintaining the grounds,” said Devin Hatley, sustainability coordinator. “But, this a way for other staff and students to participate and take ownership.”
Also on Oct. 6, volunteers can help with tree banding, an important step to control cankerworms.
“We plant trees in the spring and ‘band’ them in the fall,” said Joey Cochran, grounds superintendent. The sticky bands placed around tree trunks are meant to catch the female cankerworms in December, when they crawl up trees to lay eggs on twigs and small branches. Eggs that hatch in spring become small green caterpillars that feed on the leaves. In most cases, the cankerworm will not kill the trees; however, repeated defoliation can weaken trees and make them susceptible to other stresses, such as age, drought, other insects and disease.
New for this year is the Transportation Fair, which will be from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Oct. 7, at the College of Education/College of Health and Human Services Plaza. More than 20 vendors will be represented to explain the various modes of transportation available on campus and options to travel to campus. Vendors will include CATS, Bikeline, Zipcar, Recyclery and Amtrak.
On Thursday, Oct. 8, the UNC Charlotte EARTH Club, Garden Club, Charlotte Green Initiative and 49er Transit will cosponsor a sustainability social for student clubs. Students can learn more about various environmental groups and how to get involved. The event begins at 6:30 p.m. at the Student Community Garden near the Robinson Hall for the Performing Arts.
More information about the campus cleanup and tree banding is on the Web or email Hatley at dlhatley@uncc.edu.