In Our Nature

EcoReps has a large presence in the UW Greek Community, and we would like to highlight chapters that are making exceptional efforts to be more sustainable. This week we'll shine the spotlight on the Sigma Kappa sorority.

Nationally, Sigma Kappa has a huge focus on sustainability as is apparent with their Inherit the Earth program which encourages members to live greener lifestyles, so it makes perfect sense that their UW chapter is one of the first chapters to install a Sustainability...

Chester takes in the view of the Pyrenees Mountains in Southwest Europe before venturing out to locate brown bear poop. Photo courtesy of the Conservation Canines program

From orcas to caterpillars, a few dogs at the University of Washington can find nearly any animal you'd want to find - by looking for what they've left behind.

Since 1997, the UW Conservation Canines program has been training former strays - shelter dogs too aggressive or feisty to be adopted - to protect endangered species. Their...

A group of UW architecture students and faculty traveled to the Phillippines this summer for a study abroad program "Architecture Philippines: Building with Bamboo." The students worked with local students and learned about the potential of bamboo as a building material and a cultural symbol.

Bamboo is a historically important building material in Filipino culture, and can be a sustainable building material as a native, fast-growing plan in the Phillipines....

It's jolly good time for the UW's first Tweed Ride A Tweed Ride? Why, the concept is simple. Attire yourself in something timeless and tweedy and then tour around our rustic campus by bicycle. Join us for a unique mid-day sojourn which should not be missed! We will stop in select places to admire the finest campus buildings, enjoy sipping hot chocolate, hear tales of the past, and make photographs of our dapper cohort. Meet on the southern face of Hansee Hall just before noon on Thursday, October 15.

Open to all, especially...

We here at EcoReps hope that your first couple weeks of school have been going excellently! For those of you who have not yet heard, let us give you a little update about where we are right now. This summer we have been hard at work, overhauling our program to change our focus to project development with the aim of making the UW campus more sustainable.

The idea for our program revision came from a realization that we function excellently as an organization when we are working on projects, such as the Green Greek Competition, so why not extend this to aid projects outside of...

This Tuesday, UW Sustainability co-hosts Seattle GreenDrinks along with the UW Buerk Center for Entrepreneurship, the Alaska Airlines Environmental Innovation Challenge, UW Surplus, UW Professional and Continuing Education, and UW Bothell's School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences.

Seattle GreenDrinks' monthly social networking events have a simple goal: to create a space that fosters connections and good times shared among people working in, or interested in,...

Throughout October, be sure and use your reusable mug for coffee on campus. Not only will it cut consumption and waste - you'll also help UW move the national leaderboard!

During the month of October, the University of Washington is part of the national "Kill the Cup" University Challenge, a campaign to reduce waste from disposable coffee cups by promoting reusable cups. The schools which have the highest rate of reusable cup use and social awareness will earn grants for sustainability projects on campus.

Using your own cup also saves...

The University of Washington and Seattle City Light have created a partnership through City Light’s Green Up program to advance renewable energy on campus and beyond.

The two-and-a-half year partnership will provide funding for renewable energy work at UW, allowing the university to develop renewable energy projects, produce educational outreach materials, and create opportunities for faculty and student collaboration.

These efforts will benefit the UW, Seattle...

An array of prizes, handouts, and a wheel with several "green" categories greeted students waiting patiently to play the sustainability game and walk away with a variety of prizes, and hopefully, greater knowledge of how to live a green friendly lifestyle. 

UW Sustainability and UW Recycling were part of the Dawg Daze fall quarter kick-off with two full days of games, prizes, and gift cards in an effort to educate students about sustainable living and waste diversion on campus. Students spun the wheel and were asked questions regarding recycling, composting or general campus...