Eco Action Meeting: Homecoming Planning

Hey Eco Action!

We had a wonderful homecoming planning meeting this evening and I hope everyone is PUMPED to be in the parade. I apologize for the long email, but we have a lot of awesome events going on. All events are also posted on our website: http://sites.psu.edu/ecoaction/events/.
 

Homecoming Float: 

Float Ideas: 
1. Earth made out of plastic water bottles next to a person made out of water bottles who is littering
2. Bin made of plastic water bottles that we fill with plastic bottles we collect from the parade
3. Tree made out of plastic bottles, cardboard, and plastic bags
Plastic Bottles: Keep collecting plastic bottles and bring them to each meeting. We need a lot of bottles. We will also be hosting a campus-wide scavenger hunt for plastic bottles *tentatively* at our meeting on Oct 18th from 6-7pm. There will be a prize for the team that collects the most bottles and free pizza for everyone who participates.
 
Bike Chariot: We will be meeting Todd, the driver of the Vamos Lion Chariot, on Friday at 11am to figure out how to attach a trailer to the back of his tricycle chariot. Location TBA, but if you are interested in coming please email me at mln5165@psu.edu.
 
 

Puerto Rico and Climate Justice: 

 
Fundraising: Tomorrow, 20% of all of Webster’s proceeds are donated directly to the Red Cross to help Puerto Rico. Also, donation boxes for toiletries are also set up at Webster’s. 
Climate Justice Public Forum: Eco Action is hosting a public forum on climate justice in partnership with the PRCC, Puerto Rico Student and Grad student association, Caribbean Student Association, and many other organizations. We are having a visioning and brainstorming meeting on Monday, Oct 10th from 3-4pm location TBA. Everyone is welcome. The actual public forum will be held on Monday October 30th from 5-7pm in Freeman Auditorium in the HUB. 
 
 

Political Action: 

Lunchtime Lobbying Training: Your representative needs to hear your voice. Isabella Teti is hosting a training tomorrow (Oct 6th) from 12 – 1:30 pm in 101 HHD to teach student how to effectively talk to representatives. There will be FREE PIZZA and soda. 
 
Lobby Representative Glenn Thomson: Following the training, we will be speaking with on of Glenn Thomson’s staffers at his office in Bellefonte from 2 – 3:30 tomorrow, Oct 6th. This is your chance to express your views on environmental issues to your representative. The lunchtime training is not required to attend this event. Contact Isabella if you are interested in attending (8145717463).
 
Student Sustainability Fee: In efforts to take climate action here at Penn State, Eco Action and the Student Sustainability Advisory Council have been working on a Sustainability/Green Fee innovative to allocate some student fee money towards sustainability initiatives. We have a meeting with the Student Fee Board on Wednesday Oct 11th at 1pm in 314 HUB. If you are interested in working on this initiative and/or attending this meeting, please contact me (mln5165@psu.edu).
Citizen’s Climate Lobby (CCL): The CCL will be presenting at our next meeting about their work toward climate legislation (https://citizensclimatelobby.org/). In this depressing time of political inaction, their work is truly inspiring and you can get involved! They have an opportunity for students to lobby congress in DC in November as part of their national organization. I have never met more dedicated and passionate people, so come hear what their organization is all about at 6-7pm Oct 11th at Webster’s.

Sustainable Food: 

Food 4 Thought: Join Eco Action, Student Farm Club, and the Vegetarian Club for a sustainable meal and discussion about sustainable eating habits on Oct 12th from 6-8pm at the Morningstar Solar Home. The cost of the vegetarian and vegan meal is 5$/person.
 

Local Environment: 

Sustainability Showcase: On Friday, Oct 6th, Professor Matt Royer is speaking from 12-1:30pm on the Huck Life Science Bridge about watershed sustainability, specifically for his work on the Conewago Creek.
Plant for the Planet: The first club meeting with Ferguson Elementary will be held on October 30th from 3:30-5pm. The elementary school is also holding a yard sale to raise money for their club on Oct 14th, so please bring any used clothing or goods they could sell to our next meeting on Oct 11th. If you are interested in getting involved in Planet for the Planet, contact Alison Kelly (akk158@psu.edu). 
 
Walnut Springs Invasive Species Removal: Come volunteer with us on Oct 28th 11-1pm at Walnut Springs Park in State College.

Earth Day: 

Student Programing Association (SPA) Meeting: The Earth Day Committee will be meeting with SPA at 1pm on Friday Oct 6th. Everyone is welcome. If you would like to attend please email Alison Kelly (akk158@psu.edu).

Eco Action Update

Hi Eco Action!

 
We apologize for cancelling the meeting so last minute, but we hope you all enjoyed the beautiful weather on Wednesday. We also had a great turn out for the Peace March and the Sunrise Movement Speakers, so thank you to everyone who joined us! 
 
Tailgate Ambassadors – We need 10 volunteers to help encourage sustainability practices at tailgates from 10-2pm on Saturday September 30th (you can still go to the game!). Our club will make 500$ if we get 10 volunteers to help. There is a training at 7pm on Wednesday September 27th with free dinner provided. We will end out next meeting early so we can all walk over together. This is an awesome opportunity because you get to help promote sustainability and get money for our club! Please sign up here if you can come: 
Sustainability Showcase – Dr. Rachel Brennan is speaking tomorrow at 12pm in the Huck Life Science Bridge. She will be talking about her work in environmental engineering. I am not sure the particular focus of her talk, but I know she does a lot of research about micro-beads in local watersheds. Free lunch is provided. (http://www.pennstatecsl.com/showcases.html)
 
Camping and Volunteering – This weekend Eco Action will be camping out and then volunteering in Rothrock State Park. If you are interested contact Conner McInerney (connor.m.mcinerney@gmail.com), however he has already done a lot of planning so we may not be able to accommodate anymore people. 
Project Wild Utah – We are partnering with Penn State Outing Club to host a speaker from Project Wild Utah. He will be presenting about current issues surrounding public lands, which is especially relevant given recent policy changes towards national parks. This will take place on Tuesday September 26th at 8pm at the Outing Club meeting in 254 Health and Human Development Building. 
 
Next Meeting (September 27th)- We will be partnering with the Sierra Club to show the first part of the documentary A Fierce Green Fire (~20 mins), a documentary about the history of the environmental movement. We will follow the short movie with a discussion. The current plan is to have a combined meeting with the Sierra Club on the last Wednesday of every month. Each meeting we will watch another part of this 5-part documentary and discuss the current projects both groups are working on. (http://www.afiercegreenfire.com/)
 
LEED Accreditation – LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) is a sustainability scorecard for green buildings. Buildings can become LEED Certified as can people! The LEED Green Associate is the only professional designation to show employers and clients you have certified knowledge in the field. This training will take place on September 27th from 6-10pm at the Penn State Days Inn. 
 
 
Homecoming Float Planning Meeting – We will start planning the homecoming float on Oct 4th. Keep collecting bottles and brainstorming ideas! 
 
Food For Thought – We are partnering with the Student Farm and the Vegetarian Club to host a sustainable meal and discussion about the environmental implications of personal food choices. This will happen in the evening on Thursday Oct12th, so mark your calendars! 
 
 
I am continually inspired by the passion our members have for environmental advocacy. Keep up the AWESOME work! The world needs you.
 
-Maddy Nyblade
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Bald Eagle State Park Clean-Up

Eco Action helped clean up Bald Eagle State Park on Saturday September 9th. We want to keep this place beautiful and healthy:

View over lake at Bald Eagle State Park

 

The CRAZIEST stuff we found:

A nice moccasin and ribs someone probably just chucked after eating them.

Nick Macelko wins the award for picking up the most trash: