SUSTAINABILITY SUCCESSES AT UNH ![Arrow](images/arrow.jpg)
“Sustainability is now recognized as one of UNH’s core identities and strengths as faculty, staff, and students from across colleges and departments are working together in new and innovative ways to advance a common goal.”
-- UNH President Mark Huddleston
Read UNH President Mark Huddleston's "Embracing Sustainability" (April 2008)
Committed to being a Sustainable Learning Community
UNH is nationally recognized as a Sustainable Learning Community -- a land grant, sea grant, and space grant university that unites the spirit of discovery with the challenge of sustainability across the university’s Curriculum, Operations, Research and Engagement (CORE) through four foundational systems of sustainability -- biodiversity, climate, food, and culture.
Overall
- Oldest endowed program in the US: The UNH University Office of Sustainability (UOS) is the oldest endowed sustainability program in higher education in the U.S. It has four full-time staff, four part-time staff, and often employs student interns, faculty fellows, and others in its efforts. Learn more...
- Elevation of the University Office of Sustainability and announcement of its director as UNH's Chief Sustainability Officer: In July 2007, UNH President Mark Huddleston announced the elevation of the University Office of Sustainability (UOS) to strengthen its across-campus mission and reflect its leadership role in continuing the university’s national visibility in sustainability. Along with its move to the Office of the Provost and Executive Vice President, the office’s founding director, Tom Kelly, assumed the role of Chief Sustainability Officer (CSO) for the university. Learn more...
- Overall Judges Award Winner in Business NH's 'Leanest And Greenest' Awards. In March 2008, UNH received the top honor in Business NH Magazine's first-ever Lean and Green Awards. UNH led the winners with the Overall Judges Award, which recognizes the school's extensive sustainable practices, from its cogeneration plant and reuse of purified landfill gas to power the Durham campus to transitioning its extensive public transit system to alternative fuels. "This Lean and Green Award further recognizes that sustainability is one of UNH's core identities and strengths," says UNH President Mark W. Huddleston. "I'm proud of our motivated and engaged faculty, staff, and students who work together in new and innovative ways to advance this common goal." Other winners were Abigail's Bakery in Weare, Bruss Construction in Bradford, Wire Belt Company of America in Londonderry, and Monadnock Paper Mills in Bennington (Green Processing awards); New Hampshire Audobon's McLane Center in Concord (Green Building award); and the BioVu line of inks produced by EFI VUTEK in Meredith (Green Product or Service). Learn more...
- Top Grade on 2008 & 2009 Sustainable Endowments Institute College Sustainability Report Cards: UNH is one of 15 universities in North America to receive the highest score - an A-minus - on the Sustainable Endowments Institute's College Sustainability Report Card 2009. In addition, the SEI awarded UNH one of five national Champions of Sustainability in Communities Awards for the New Hampshire Farm to School Program, housed at UNH. In 2007, UNH was one of just 25 universities to achieve Campus Sustainability Leader status in the Sustainable Endowments Institute’s College Sustainability Report Card 2008. SEI's College Sustainability Report Card assesses the 300 U.S. and Canadian colleges and universities with the largest endowments. Learn more...
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UNH Climate and Energy Leadership Highlighted in ACUPCC 2007 Annual Report and Campus Success Stories: UNH is one of a select group of signatories to the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC) whose innovative climate and energy leadership is highlighted in the ACUPCC's 2007 Annual Report (PDF) and Campus Success Stories Summary (PDF). As UNH President Mark W. Huddleston says in his essay in Campus Success Stories Summary, "At UNH, we organize everything we do around sustainability, and the ACUPCC is a key part of this commitment." Learn more...
- National Wildlife Federation 2008 Climate Leadership Report Cites UNH Efforts: In the 2008 National Wildlife Federation report "Higher Education in a Warming World: The Business Case for Climate Leadership on Campus," UNH figures prominently among the 100-plus schools cited for responding to global warming with best-practice strategies. UNH is the only New Hampshire institution featured in the report. Learn more...
- Sustainability: The Journal of Record Profile: UNH's commitment to sustainability was highlighted in the "Sustainability Program Profile" in the April 2008 issue of Sustainability: The Journal of Record. Learn more (PDF)...
- Inaugural guest perspective on sustainability in higher education: In April 2008, UNH President Mark W. Huddleston wrote the inaugural guest perspective for the new Solutions for Our Future.org. His topic? Embracing sustainability of course! Learn more...
- KIWI Magazine 2008 Review: As in 2007, UNH was one of 50 colleges around the country named in KIWI Magazine’s 2008 ‘Green College Report.’ KIWI, a magazine dedicated to helping families live natural and organic lifestyles, cited UNH for its dining and composting initiatives, its climate change focused courses, and its University Office of Sustainability.
- UNH on Princeton Review's "Green Honor Roll" of Top 11 Sustainable Colleges: In July 2008, UNH was one of 11 universities nationwide to receive the top score in a new "Green Rating" of colleges by The Princeton Review. The Princeton Review collected data from 534 schools in the 2007 - 08 academic year to tally numerical scores from 60 to 99 that measure how environmentally friendly schools are in their policies, practices and academic offerings. UNH, with a perfect score of 99, is on The Princeton Review's "Green Honor Roll." Learn more...
- UNH Makes List of 25 Cutting-Edge Green Schools in 2009 Kaplan College Guide. Produced by Kaplan Publishing, the Guide features 25 green private and public colleges from across the nation, including a look inside the classroom, around campus, and at student life, while shining a spotlight on what's good for the globe at each college. The Guide also profiles 10 hot green careers – from environmental engineering to geothermal development – and includes interviews with professionals from each. The green schools and careers profiles are not rankings. Instead, they give students interested in sustainability and conservation well-researched ideas and a cross-section of options. Learn more...
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Curriculum
Educating citizen-professionals to advance sustainability in their civic and professional lives
UNH has a wide variety of curricula related to sustainability - including but not limited to undergraduate and graduate coursework in atmostpheric chemistry and climate change, energy and the environment, earth sciences, marine sciences, sustainable engineering, complex systems, environmental policy and economics, art and society, the Classics, liberal arts, environmental psychology, ecotourism, women’s studies, organic agriculture, organic dairy management, hospitality, public health, nutrition, and more. (Click here to see all of UNH's academic departments and programs.) Below are just a few curricular highlights...
- 1st Dual Major in EcoGastronomy in US higher education: Integrating UNH's strengths in sustainable agriculture, hospitality management, and nutrition, a new Dual Major in EcoGastronomy was launched in fall 2008. The dual major offers a unique academic program emphasizing the interdisciplinary, international, and experiential knowledge that connects all three fields. And as a dual major, the program provides a complement to any primary major. The dual major is a unique partnership between the Whittemore School of Business & Economics and the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture, in collaboration with the University Office of Sustainability. Learn more...
- Discovery Program: The Discovery Program is the signature liberal education program reflecting our vision and embodying the Academic Plan for UNH. The program is designed to provide a common and unifying framework for the UNH undergraduate experience. The tenets of the UNH Discovery Program include a focus on the first year experience, interdisciplinary learning experiences, and integration with the academic major. As part of this program UNH hosts an annual university-wide series of discussions and events around a theme called the University-wide Dialogue. The 2005-2006 University-wide Dialogue was called "Where in the World is UNH?" and focused on globalization. The 2006-2007 University-wide Dialogue on Energy - “Power to the People” - focused on energy and included faculty authored energy-related papers for discussion sessions. What’s more, the 2007 UNH Undergraduate Research Conference – which highlights students research from all departments and colleges – highlighted energy and climate related research. The 2007 - 2008 University-wide Dialogue is called "We the People..." and focuses on democracy. The 2008 - 2009 University-wide Dialogue will focus on poverty.
- Environmental Research Group: The Environmental Research Group at UNH in 2007 began a PhD fellowship program in sustainable engineering.
- Hands-on, experiential courses on climate change: In the last seven years over 750 students have taken "Global Environmental Change" (ESCI 405), an interdisciplinary undergraduate course in which students study the relationships among global environmental change, climate, and health, and meet with campus administrators to develop greenhouse gas reduction recommendations. Students spend the final one-third of the course participating in the "Search for Sustainability" that includes lectures and a role-play negotiation of the Kyoto Protocol to reduce UNH greenhouse gas emissions.
During the 2007-2008 academic year, new courses were also developed by faculty from the Institution for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space and from the UNH Environmental Research Group -- including faculty who lead Carbon Solutions New England™ -- to involve students in researching "wedges" -- greenhouse gas emissions prevention or reduction strategies -- for New England. In “Building Wedges: Testing Strategies to Reduce Carbon Emissions in New England,” students havelooked into wedges such as biofuel for home heating, solar hot water, and moving freight by rail instead of truck. The work of the class was done in conjunction with, and will eventually be integrated into, the efforts of Carbon Solutions New England™—a public-private partnership that is working to promote collective action in New England to achieve a low-carbon society. The ultimate goal of the class is to incorporate the student-calculated wedges into CSNE’s computer web model and inform decision makers on the relative effectiveness of different strategies to bring regional emissions down, at three percent per year, to 80 percent of their current levels by 2050—the “3% solution.”
- Inquiry 444 First-Year Student Courses: A number of Inquiry 444 courses focus on sustainability, everything from CLAS 444 "Individual and Society in the Ancient World" to ESCI 444 " Water, How Much is Enough" to NR 444A "How to Change the World" to NR 444B "The Real Dirt." Learn more...
- Masters of Arts in Environmental Education Program: The UNH M.A. Program in Environmental Education is dedicated to preparing educators who can effectively promote awareness, knowledge, and constructive participation in deliberation over the important environmental questions that we face.
- Masters of Public Health Program: UNH’s Masters of Public Health Program offers an option entitled “Public Health Ecology,” which educates public health students to address the risks associated with climate change and variability through courses on climate and health (PHP 930 Climate Change and Health) and disease ecology (PHP 932 Disease Ecology). "Climate Change and Health" (PHP 930) helps MPH develop an understanding of the climate system and the impact of climate change on public health. "Disease Ecology" (PHP 932) explores the epidemiological significance of the processes linking the climate system with ecological and social systems that influence the interaction between humans and disease agents.
- Natural Resources & Earth Systems Science Ph.D. Program: Both the global environment and our understanding of that environment are changing at rates that are unprecedented in the history of the Earth. Predicting and preparing for our future in this different world requires that we train a generation of scientists with a foundation in traditional disciplines and an ability to understand the challenge of interfacing among them. The Ph.D. Program in Natural Resources and Earth System Science (NRESS) was designed to meet this challenge and to encourage interdisciplinary research among faculty studying the environment in the broadest sense. The NRESS Program draws on the university's strengths in environmental and earth sciences, life sciences, social sciences, and ethical and policy studies.
- Restructuring of the College of Life Science and Agriculture (COLSA): COLSA’s reorganization will strengthen its leadership in the interdisciplinary fields of sustainable food systems, natural resources and sustainable communities, and molecular, cellular, and biomedical sciences. Academic and research programs in nutrition, animal science, plant biology, and natural resources exist and are being redesigned and/or expanded within COLSA and Hospitality Management in the Whittemore School of Business and Economics. The Thompson School of Applied Science also has programs in culinary arts and applied animal science. COLSAanticipates that this structure will enhance its position as a premier Land and Sea Grant college with nationally and internationally recognized programs in life sciences, agriculture, natural resources, and applied technical and social sciences. Learn more...
- Sustainable Living Minor: Through the UNH Dept. of Natural Resources, students can minor in sustainable living by taking six required courses (in addition to their major courses) and graduating with a minimum of 20 credits and an overall average of C- or better. Required courses include (1) NR 435 Contemporary Conservation Issues and Environmental Awareness or NR 502 Forest Ecosystems and Environmental Change; (2) BIOL 541 General Ecology or NR 527 Forest Ecology; (3) NR 784 Sustainable Living; (4) one of a number of science or social sciences courses like ECON 607 Ecological Economics, NR 719 Wetlands Restoration and Mitigation, or NR 720 International Environmental Politics and Policies for the 21st Century; (5) NR 601 Environmental Conservation and Sustainable Living Internship or NR 665 Applied Environmental Philosophy; and (6) NR 785 Systems Thinking for Sustainable Living.
Other course examples:
- ANSC 602 Animal Rights and Societal Issues
- BIOL 541 General Ecology
- CD 720 Community-Based Natural Resource Management
- ChE 410 Energy and Environment
- ECON 607 Ecological Economics
- EDUC 630 Development of Food and Fiber in Third World Countries
- ENE 797 Sustainable Engineering
- ESCI 405 Global Environmental Change
- ESCI 514 Introduction to Climate
- GEOG 673 Environmental Geography
- HGMT 403 Food and Beverage Managment (Small Quantity Cooking)
- HGMT 698 International Food & Culture
- HIST 618 American Environmental History
- HIST 666 Environmental History of Northeast Atlantic Commercial Fisheries
- NR 444B The Real Dirt
- NR 435 Contemporary Conservation Issues and Environmental Awareness
- NR 502 Forest Ecosystems and Environmental Change
- NR 527 Forest Ecology
- NR 701/801 Ecological Ethics and Values
- NR 784 Sustainable Living
- NR 719 Wetlands Restoration and Mitigation
- NR 720 International Environmental Politics and Policies for the 21st Century
- NR 665 Applied American Environmental Philosophy
- NR 797 Applied Agrarian Values
- NR 785 Systems Thinking for Sustainable Living
- NR 607 Soil and Land Evaluation
- NUTR 405 Food and Society
- NUTR 720 Community Nutrition
- PBIO 405 Sustainable Food Production
- PBIO 726 Integrated Pest Management
- PHP 930 Climate Change and Health
- PHP 932 Disease Ecology
- POLT 444 Science, Society and Politics
- POLT 567 Politics of Global Resources
- POLT 751/851 Comparative Environmental Politics & Policy
- POLT 780/880 International Environmental Politics, Policy and Law
- SOC 665 Environmental Sociology
- TOUR 705 Ecotourism: Managing for the Environment
- ZOOL 444A Introduction to Aquatic Invasive Species
- ZOOL 610/611 Principles of Aquaculture/lab
- ZOOL 772 Fisheries Biology
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Operations
Embodying first principles and best practices of sustainability
- Campus Aesthetics and Public Arts: Unlike most campus sustainability efforts, UNH considers culture and the arts as fundamental to sustainability as clean air and water. UNH's Culture and Society Initiative has helped to develop campus public art guidelines, commission and install the Wildcat sculpture near the Whittemore Center, and sponsored provocative lectures and films and cultural excursions to museums and performing arts.
- Certified organic land-grant base: UNH has over 1,000 acres of university-owned farm and forest land, and much of that farm land is certified organic. UNH’s working farms include the Woodman Horticultural Research Farm, Kingman Agronomic Farm, and the Organic Dairy Research Farm.
- Cogeneration & landfill gas: In 2006, UNH's combined heat and power facility - or cogeneration (COGEN) plant - went online. The primary source of heat and electricity for the five-million square foot Durham campus, COGEN retains waste heat normally lost during the production of electricity and instead uses this energy to heat buildings, in turn reducing sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide emissions and saving UNH as much as $20 million in energy costs over the next 20 years. The installation of the COGEN plant resulted in an estimated reduction in greenhouse gas emissions of 21% in AY2006 compared to AY 2005. In 2008, UNH will become the first university in the U.S. to use landfill gas as its primary energy source. UNH is now working with Waste Management of New Hampshire, Inc., to launch EcoLine, a landfill gas project that will pipe enriched and purified gas from Waste Management’s landfill in Rochester to the Durham campus. The landfill gas, from Waste Management’s Turnkey Recycling and Environmental Enterprise (TREE) facility in Rochester, NH, will replace commercial natural gas as the primary fuel in UNH’s cogeneration plant. When combined with the COGEN plant, this innovative landfill gas project will lower energy costs, provide energy security, and reduce the UNH Durham campus's greenhouse gas emissions an estimated 57% below 1990 levels. In 2008, EcoLine™ was recognized as the "most creative renewable power" effort in higher education by Plenty Magazine. Learn more...
- Energy Efficient Product Standard: Signed into policy in 2006, the UNH Energy Efficient Product Standard strongly recommends that members the UNH community purchase products that meet the specifications of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s ENERGY STAR Program. UNH offices and departments are encouraged to seek out ENERGY STAR products when purchasing new equipment and can find helpful information on doing so through the UNH Energy Office.
- Energy Task Force: In the fall of 2005, then UNH President Ann Weaver Hart announced the formation of the UNH Energy Task Force (ETF). Chaired by the UNH Vice President for Research and coordinated by the UNH Office of Sustainability and the UNH Energy Office, the ETF has faculty, administrative, staff, and both undergraduate and graduate student members from a wide variety of departments and offices on campus. The ETF is charged with: (1) developing immediate and future actions to reduce energy costs and improve energy conservation through technological improvements, increases in efficiency, reductions in waste, and selection of fuels at the Durham campus, and (2) inventorying and promoting educational and outreach programs intended to increase awareness of and behaviors around energy use, efficiency, greenhouse gas emissions, and climate change.
- Environmental health & safety: Through UNH's Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS), UNH assures safe and healthful environments for all segments of the campus population through programs of information and education, review and monitoring, technical consultation, and provision of direct services. OEHS is also responsible for developing programs to ensure compliance with applicable state and federal health, safety and environmental regulations, and campus policies on environmental health and safety. In 2005, UNH co-sponsored with Dartmouth College a new effort called the New Hampshire College and University Compliance Assistance Cooperative (NHC3UA). Membership now includes 16 additional New Hampshire universities and colleges. In 2007, NHC3UA received both an U.S. EPA Environmental Merit Award in recognition of its commitment to the environment and an innovation award from the Campus Safety, Health and Environmental Management Association.
- Green Cleaning: UNH Facilities Housekeeping is responsible for the internal cleaning of 75 out of the approximately 112 buildings on and off the UNH Durham campus, including academic and administrative buildings, residence halls, Health Services, the Field House and the Whittemore Center. They have continued to move toward a program of green cleaning -- less toxic cleaning solutions where applicable, including the use of many Green Seal® certified products, in order to ensure a healthy learning and working environment for students, faculty, staff, and building service workers. New greener products and practices are constantly being tested to see whether they meet expected standards, and new product and green cleaning training happens at various times of the year. Judy Koski, Gene Gargano and Jean Mitchell, managers of UNH Facilities Housekeeping, estimate that “through the use of greener products, more effective cleaners, and precise dispenser systems, UNH Housekeeping has decreased the amount of cleaning product used by approximately 50% in the past 15 years" - a significant reduction in chemical use, and a cleaner, safer environment for anyone who enters and uses the buildings. The remaining 37 buildings of UNH are serviced by UNICCO. UNICCO has a similar green cleaning program that uses similar and different green products than used by UNH Housekeeping. Learn more...
- Green Parking: In 2007, UNH installed the first major pervious concrete parking facility in New England. The installation, which replaced the surface of a parking lot by Williamson Hall, was overseen by researchers from the UNH Stormwater Center, who are studying its effectiveness as a stormwater management tool. Learn more...
- Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory: In the winter of 2000, the UNH University Office of Sustainability partnered with Clean Air – Cool Planet to develop a novel greenhouse gas emission inventory that adapted national and international inventory methodologies to the unique scale and character of a university community. The purpose of completing an inventory at UNH is to clarify the sources of emissions and thus help guide short and long-term reduction policies including education and research. Data have been reported from 1990-2003, and a 2004-2005 update was released in September 2006. Over 700 colleges and universities across North America have downloaded the greenhouse gas emissions inventory and “calculator." Learn more...
- Local Harvest Initiative: As a land-grant University, UNH is committed to supporting and advancing the state's agricultural economy. In recognition of the many benefits a vibrant agriculture affords in New Hampshire, the UNH Local Harvest Initiative will raise awareness and educate students, staff and community members about our local agricultural landscape and its role in sustaining our physical and economical health and wellbeing, now and in the future. Learn more...
Components of this initiative include:
- Use of cage-free eggs, local honey, and fair trade coffee in all dining areas.
- Buying produce grown by the UNH Organic Garden Club for use in on-campus dining areas. UNH Dining also plays an active role by purchasing locally and regionally available processed food and fresh produce. Their produce supplier is committed to sourcing from local farms as much as possible and has buyers dedicated to developing the local market. UNH Dining is currently assessing the quantities of regional and local foods consumed on campus in order to set future targets.
- An annual "Local Harvest" campus/community feast that showcases locally grown food, is open to the public, and is held at a UNH dining hall. Initiated in 2005, the event attracted over 1,600 diners and organizers its first year, and in its second year won a 2007 Loyal E. Horton Bronze Dining Award for a residence hall/theme dinner at a large school! Nearly 3,700 people attended the 3rd annual Local Harvest Feast in September 2007, the largest turnout yet.
- Installation of waterless urinals in Holloway Commons, Stillings Marketplace, and Philbrook Hall. (UNH Dining replaced a total of 17 traditional urinals with waterless ones, saving an estimated 765,000 gallons of water per year and $20,000 in annual water and sewer costs. Because the new urinals eliminate flushing valves, maintenance costs are also less.)
- In 1998 , UNH began a program to compost food waste from several locations on campus and in the wider Durham community. Since the program's inception, over a half million pounds of food waste have been diverted from the waste stream. While the compost program was begun by the UNH Office of Sustainability, UNH Dining Services has taken over compost pickup and drop off. The windrows are maintained by the UNH College of Life Sciences & Agriculture and Kingman Farm. Learn more by reading the December 2006 cover story in BioCycle magazine (PDF).
- Under the mantra “Local - Sustainable - Fresh,” UNH Hospitality Services (UHS) revamped the UNH Dairy Bar to feature local foods, a nutritious and delicious menu, and sustainable operations. Dairy Bar highlights include:
- Installing US EPA ENERGY STAR-rated equipment.
- Serving as much local food as possible, including burgers and chicken from Lasting Legacy Farm in Barrington, deli meats from Old Neighborhood Meats in Chelsea, MA, ice cream from Blake’s in Manchester,and gelato from Doriti Gelati in Brentwood.
- Serving 100% Fair Trade certified coffee.
- Procuring uniforms and hats made from 100% organic cotton and manufactured by companies that practice Fair Trade policies.
- Using biodegradable, compostable containers that will be collected, pulped, and added to the UNH composting windrows. Compost will then be used to grow food for the Dairy Bar.
“We are working on partnerships with the Organic Gardening Club and the College of Life Sciences and Agriculture (COLSA) to grow fresh produce for the Dairy Bar,” adds Rick MacDonald, assistant director of UHS Support Services. “The menu was developed by Ralph Coughenour, UNH Dining Director of Culinary Services, with much help from a team of dietetic interns from COLSA. A team of professors from Animal and Nutritional Sciences served as consultants to the project. The goal was to create a healthy, nutritious and delicious menu.”
- Presidents Climate Commitment: In February 2007, UNH Interim President J. Bonnie Newman signed the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment, adding UNH to the leadership circle of colleges and universities committed to climate neutrality, significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions, and education and research on climate change. UNH is the first New England land-grant university to sign the Commitment and in the early leadership circle of signatories. Presidents signing the Commitment are pledging to eliminate their campuses’ greenhouse gas emissions over time and ultimately to achieving climate neutrality. This involves creating an institutional structure to guide the development and implementation of climate neutrality, completing a greenhouse gas emissions inventory, setting a target date and interim milestones for becoming climate neutral, taking immediate steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions – such as providing access to public transportation or adopting an energy-efficient appliance purchasing policy – and integrating sustainability into the curriculum. Under the guidance and direction of the leadership circle, the Commitment is being supported and implemented by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE), of which UNH is a member, Second Nature, and ecoAmerica. Learn more...
- Recycling: Recycling is handled under contract to Waste Management, and this contract is overseen by UNH Facilities. This contract provides for the collection of paperboard, mixed paper, and glass, metal and plastic containers. UNH has both indoor and outdoor recycling containers all over campus. In 2006, UNH recycled more than 130 tons of commingled waste, according to the 2006 Annual Report for the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. In January 2007, UNH began a pilot project to install outdoor recycling containers adjacent to trash receptacles for mixed glass, plastic, and aluminum containers. Fourteen containers were installed as Phase 1.
- Slow Food Principles: In May of 2006, the University of New Hampshire signed the international Slow Food Principles “for the purpose of creating a worldwide network of universities and research institutions linked to the International Slow Food Association.” These principles include “protection of agricultural biodiversity,” “support of the rights of peoples to self-determination with regard to food,” and “education of civilized society and training of workers in the food and agricultural sector.” As of May 2006, UNH is one of ten universities in the U.S. to have signed the principles, and the first to award the founder of Slow Food—Carlo Petrini—an honorary degree.
- Sustainable buildings: UNH is committed to being as sustainable as feasible in its construction and renovation of buildings, including but not limited to U.S. Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED). UNH’s comprehensive approach targets high impact intervention areas to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as impacts on biodiversity and to promote cultural continuity. Learn more...
- Silver-LEED Equivalent Policy: In November 2007, UNH committed to establishing a process to ensure that all new construction and major renovation projects achieve the equivalent of LEED silver standards. A formal process to achieve this was put in place and will be applicable to all new projects initiated once the UNH Construction and Repair Standard has been modified. Prior to this, all UNH new construction and renovation designs already had to use energy efficient systems and components and to consider environmental impacts. The replacement of DeMeritt Hall is a perfect example of this. The DeMeritt Design Team (Architerra Inc.) estimates that its 2008 replacement will be comparable to a Silver LEED building. What's more, the upcoming renovation of James Hall (starting in 2008) will include designs and renovation that foster energy efficiency, emissions reduction, water conservation, and beyond. The James Hall Renovation has been officially registered with the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC) to seek LEED Certification.
- Nationally recognized energy program: Ranked by the U.S. Department of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) (PDF) in the top 5% of universities in its peer group for energy efficiency, UNH has conducted an on-going energy efficiency program for over 30 years. As a result of this energy efficiency, on average UNH saves over 520,000 MMBTU per year - or approximately $4 - 5 million per year at Fiscal Year 2007 energy prices. Learn more...
- U.S. EPA ENERGY STAR Buildings: In May 2006, UNH was awarded the first U.S. Environmental Protection agency ENERGY STAR rating for residence halls in the country to Congreve, Lord, and McLaughlin. In April 2007, UNH received five more EPA ENERGY STAR Building Awards for residence halls Randall-Hitchcock, Sawyer, and Jessie Doe, for buildings P, Q and R of the Woodside Apartment Complex, and for administrative building Taylor Hall.
- Efficient Lighting: UNH has used energy efficient compact fluorescent lighting (CFL's) for several years. In combination with T-8 and T-5 fixtures, UNH uses CFL's as a matter of routine on new construction and major renovation projects. UNH has also done some specific lighting upgrade projects using this technology. It is UNH Facilities policy to remove all incandescent lighting through attrition and replace this lighting with CFL's. What's more, no new purchases of incandescent bulbs (unless specific conditions are required that cannot be attained through CFL's) are allowed.
- Efficiency Retrofits: Several million dollars have been invested in retrofit projects across the UNH Durham campus, including high efficiency lighting, motor, heating, and cooling, control systems; window upgrades; conversion of electric clothes dryers to natural gas dryers in residence halls; and conversion of domestic hot water conversions from electricity to natural gas.
- Proper Use of Equipment: Just installing energy efficiency equipment is not enough to save energy, however. UNH Facilities staff play a crucial and role in properly maintaining and operating systems and equipment.
- Sustainable landscaping & Campus Master Plan: The University Office of Sustainability strives to collaborate and work with academic classes, faculty, UNH Facilities Design & Construction, UNH Facilities Services, and the UNH Office of Energy and Campus Planning to promote and maintain sustainable landscaping throughout campus for the education and enjoyment of the community, the enhancement of natural systems, and the protection of biodiversity. All groups worked closely with sustainable landscaping experts to develop a UNH Sustainable Landscaping Master Plan (PDF) that has become part of the umbrella UNH Campus Master Plan. The goal is to promote and maintain sustainable landscaping throughout campus for the education and enjoyment of the community, the enhancement of natural systems, and the protection of biodiversity.
- Sustainable Transportation: Under a framework of Transportation Demand Management (TDM), which seeks to reduce our use of single occupancy vehicle private vehicles, UNH takes a holistic approach that includes expanded free transit services, increased on-campus housing, development of improved transit and bicycle/pedestrian infrastructure, support of the Amtrak Downeaster regional rail service, and ongoing educational and information programs aimed at providing expanded mobility without private vehicle use. Designated by U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and U.S. Department of Transportation as a “Best Workplace for Commuters” from 2004-2007, UNH actively works with the state department of transportation and regional MPO to coordinate transit and intermodal transportation activities, and is a critical player in the regional transit system. Learn more...
Related achievements include:
- Planning and construction that promotes sustainable transportation: Three current capital construction projects highlight UNH’s commitment to creating a sustainable learning community that is accessible to all and climate-friendly:
- UNH Durham Main Street Reconstruction (scheduled completion Sept 1, 2007): Reconstruction of primary core campus street to provide dedicated bike lanes that enhance bicycle capacity and safety; improve travel way configuration; improve transit, including bus pullouts and lit shelters; expand sidewalks; and improve crosswalk lighting.
- Intermodal Rail Station Restoration and Expansion (scheduled completion January, 2008): Planned $1 million restoration of our on-campus historic train station and expansion of intermodal faculties to include full intercity bus capacity, indoor rail/bus transit passenger waiting areas, and historic transportation displays highlighting the role of transportation in the founding of UNH-Durham.
- UNH CNG Fueling Infrastructure and Fleet (scheduled completion January 1, 2008): Expansion of our existing compressed natural gas (CNG) fueling facility and our procurement of CNG and low emission biodiesel transit and non-transit vehicle fleet.
- Benchmarking and Standards: UNH collects data on its transportation systems (transit, vehicle fuel consumption, mileage) and community transportation needs and behaviors as a way of benchmarking and tracking progress in its sustainable transportation system goals. This data collection is permitting UNH to measure effectiveness versus peer institutions.
- Expansion of transit offerings: UNH boasts the state’s largest public transit system. In 2008, UNH WildCat Transit won the Federal Transit Administration "Success in Enhancing Ridership Award" in the 50,000 to 200,000 population category. Wildcat Transit was recognized for its efforts in getting at least 5% more passengers per year over a two-year period; UNH has used better traveler information, nicer bus shelters (with solar power lighting), a website with regularly updated transit and parking information, and new biodiesel transit buses to increase ridership by 21 percent. Highlights include the following:
- A free, on-campus Campus Connector shuttle system that is open to all in UNH Durham community and runs on compressed natural gas (CNG).
- A Wildcat Transit (off-campus) system that is free to UNH ID holders and $1 for general public access. Handicap accessible with bike racks for use on all buses, Wildcat Transit connects the UNH community with the Campus Connector shuttle system, with local, state, and region-wide commercial bus service, and with the Dover and Durham Amtrak Downeaster train stations. Wildcat Transit also offers a guaranteed ride home program for transit riders during the academic year. UNH continues to grow its transit offerings, especially into the densest travel routes and off-campus housing areas used by UNH faculty, staff, and students; the Wildcat Transit Fleet will be expanded by March 2009 to include new and replacement vehicles. Ridership has increased at double digit rates for five years, and in Fiscal Year 2007 UNH provided over 1 million transit trips – a new record. The service is operated without federal operating assistance.
- Transition to using alternative fuels and clean technology in transit and non-transit vehicles: UNH is transitioning its entire fleet of diesel vehicles to the use of low sulfur B20 biodiesel. In fall 2006, the UNH transit system began use of B20 in eight new CARB certified low-floor diesel buses. UNH has six compressed natural gas (CNG) shuttle buses, four bi-fuel CNG/gas-powered pickup trucks, UNH's first all-electric non-transit utility van, and over $2 million worth of low emission diesel transit buses to be fueled with biodiesel (B20) to UNH’s growing fleet of alternative fuels and clean technology vehicles. In August 2006, UNH President J. Bonnie Newman, New Hampshire Governor John Lynch, and officials from the New Hampshire Department of Transportation (DOT) officially opened a new DOT biodiesel fueling facility on the Durham campus.
- Promotion of bicycling: Managed by UNH Transportation Services, the Cat Cycles program allows any member of the university community to sign out a bike at the UNH Visitor Service Center and have sole use of the bike for up to a week. All the bikes are durable, single-speed "cruisers" equipped with a lock, fenders, and a cargo basket.
- Carpool lot and program: Designated, select parking for UNH parking pass holders who carpool is available on campus.
- Hybrids in the on-campus Enterprise rental fleet: In 2006, the UNH Durham Campus and the Durham Enterprise Rent-A-Car office signed a voluntary agreement to offer gas-electric hybrids in the Durham rental fleet. These vehicles are available for a $5 daily or $20/weekly surcharge over similar gas vehicles. The UNH Durham Enterprise Office currently has three hybrids: a Saturn Vue, a Ford Escape, and a Toyota Prius. The entire UNH community is strongly encouraged to select these hybrid vehicles for their rental needs.
- Transportation Policy Committee (TPC): The UNH Transportation Policy Committee (TPC) serves in an advisory capacity to the UNH President, making recommendations on the full range of issues that relate to transportation management at UNH, including parking policy and transit services. Chaired by the UNH Vice President of Finance & Administration and comprised of members from across the entire campus, the overarching goal of the TPC is to guide the university toward a systemic transportation system that is consistent with priorities set by the UNH Academic Plan and the UNH Campus Master Plan and that maximizes mobility and accessibility in a climate education framework that emphasizes health and safety, efficiency, cost effectiveness, equity, and sustainability.
- Water conservation: UNH takes several proactive approaches to conserve water under the leadership of the UNH's Energy and Campus Planning Office. These include the following: (1) UNH mandates new construction or renovation in buildings to use low flow toilets, urinals, faucets, and showers. This also extends to dishwaters and cooling systems. The newest aspect has been the introduction of waterless urinals, such as those in Holloway Commons. as part of UNH Dining's Local Harvest Initiative and commitment to sustainability; (2) UNH educates everyone on campus to not waste water by turning off faucets, reporting leaks and drips in sinks, showers, and toilets to residence hall directors or to UNH Facilities Maintenance, and not to dump anything down sewer drains or kitchen and bathroom sinks. Students are encouraged only to wash full loads of clothes - and to wash with lukewarm or cold water, not hot, to turn off the water while brushing their teeth, to take shorter showers, etc.; (3) Master meters at the water treatment plant (WTP) are calibrated bi-annualy where AWWA regulates only once per year. The building meters are checked by monthly readings. Should a meter be 15% above or below a running average, it is investigated. Automatic meter reading (AMR) is being phased in to all meters on campus, not just water meters, in order to be more efficient in the reading process and to allow for instantaneous readings, thus giving a quicker indication of meter discrepancies; (4) At the water treament plant (WTP), clean water is used to backwash (clean) the filters; much of this water is reclaimed by injecting the spent water back into the treatment train to be processed again.
- Waste management: The UNH Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS) partners with all UNH offices handling waste (including UNH Facilities) and the rest of the campus community to create an integrated approach to waste management at UNH. EPA-New England, in partnership with the UMASS Lowell Environmental Management System Service Program, selected UNH to participate in an EPA Environmental Management System (EMS) Pilot initiative for colleges and universities that will help UNH develop a solid waste environmental management plan that will guide UNH in reducing the number of costly waste shipments and the volume and toxicity of the solid waste stream, and increasing recycling efforts at the University. The ultimate goal of this project is to develop a system that decreases the amounts of solid waste leaving the University in a manner protective of human health and the environment while promoting environmental stewardship at the University.
- WildCAP -- UNH's Climate Action Plan: Through UNH's campus-wide Energy Task Force, the university is developing a a climate action plan called "WildCAP" to reduce UNH’s greenhouse gas emissions in fulfillment of the requirements of the American College & University Presidents Climate Commitment (ACUPCC). The plan will be developed and in place by November 2009. Learn more...
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Research
Serving society with engaged scholarship that responds to the most pressing issues of sustainability
- Biofuel and Briocrop Research: UNH is growing its biofuel and biocrop research efforts, all of which help the University meet its commitment to being a Climate Protection Campus that reduces its emissions of greenhouse gas emissions and other air pollutants and that researches, develops, and demonstrates innovative solutions to energy challenges.
- In 2006, UNH Cooperative Extension and Kingman Farm, part of UNH's College of Life Sciences & Agriculture, began a pilot research effort with a local farmer on a pilot sunflower project to test the feasibility of small-scale oil pressing and biodiesel production. The project will measure the yield of oil that can be processed into biodiesel for use on farms, the feed value of the meal that remains after the oil has been pressed from the sunflower seeds, and the food quality of the oil.
- Relatedly, in September 2006, UOS - along with UNH's College of Life Sciences & Agriculture, UNH's College of Engineering & Physical Sciences, and the UNH Environmental Research Group - sponsored a public presentation and series of faculty, staff, and student research discussions with biocrop, biofuel, and biolubricant expert Dr. Duane Johnson of Montana State University's Agricultural Experiement Station.
- In 2006, local business MBP, Bioenergy, LLC, won a New Hampshire Industrial Research Center $40,000 matching grant of $40,000 to help fund research collaboration with College of Engineering & Physical Sciences faculty and students to research automating its patent-pending biodiesel microprocessor.
- Other biodiesel research on campus includes that of the UNH Biodiesel Group and other faculty in the UNH College of Engineering & Physical Sciences.
- Carsey Institute: The Carsey Institute conducts research and analysis on the challenges facing families and communities in New Hampshire, Northern New England, and the nation, providing information to policymakers, practitioners, the media and the general public. Their work related to rural transportation, food security, and northern forest communities all directly relate to sustainability, and the University Office of Sustainability is having on-going conversations with Carsey about possible partnership opportunities between the two offices.
- Climate science: UNH is home to world-class research in atmostphere, climate, and space science. In November 2007, Berrien Moore III, then-director of the UNH Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space, was among the network of scientists awarded the Nobel Peace Prize as part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which shared the prize with former Vice President Al Gore. Dr. Moore served as a convening lead author for the final chapter in the IPCC Third Assessment Report entitled "Advancing our Understanding.” Learn more...
- Community Food and Nutrition Profile: UOS is partnering with the UNH Department of Animal and Nutritional Sciences (ANSC) to develop a profile tool that integrates multiple disciplines and societal sectors to inform systemic assessments, interventions and evidence-based evaluations to improve health and integrity across the entire food system. Specific components of the Community Food and Nutrition Profile (CFNP) include characterization of community members' food resources, acquisition behaviors, and diet and health practices/status. These will be integrated with assessment of the economic, cultural and ecological resources of the community's agriculture and foodways. The CFNP findings will be used to provide baseline data on the University's sustainability and status in terms of food, nutrition and health practices, and will also be used as a benchmark from which progressive interventions and policies will be developed and evaluated.
- Ecology, Climate, and Health Working Group: Formed in early 2006, the UNH Ecology, Climate, and Health Working Group includes faculty from a wide variety of departments, including Microbiology, Zoology, Natural Resources, and Public Health, along with the UNH University Office of Sustainability, the UNH Climate Change Research Center, the New Hampshire Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory, the Jackson Estuarine Laboratory, the New Hampshire Department of Health and Human Services, and the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, to integrate research on ecological health, public health, disease, and climate change.
- Environmental Research Group: The Environmental Research Group at UNH -- which in 2007 began a PhD fellowship program in sustainable engineering -- specializes in five areas, each an important issue to New Hampshire and New England communities and private sector firms as well as to the nation:
- Bedrock Bioremediation Center, specializing in multidisciplinary research to address national groundwater and bioremediation problems resulting from hazardous waste disposal at military bases, industrial sites and landfills.
- UNH Contaminated Sediments Center, which seeks to find sustainable management methods for contaminated dredged materials from ports, harbors and waterways.
- Coastal Response Research Center, focused on developing new approaches to spill response and restoration in marine and estuarine environments.
- UNH Stormwater Center, which conducts independent scientific testing on devices or designs for stormwater management.
- New England Water Treatment Technology Center, a hub for water treatment.
- Recycled Materials Resource Center, which conducts research to ensure that recycling of materials in roads will be free of unexpected long-term environmental consequences
- Freshwater and marine research and engagement: From the Jackson Estuarine Lab to the Atlantic Marine Aquaculture Center to the Cooperative Institute for Coastal and Estuarine Environmental Technology (CICEET) to the New Hampshire Sea Grant College Program to the New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP), UNH leads the region and the country in freshwater and marine research. Learn more and see links to all programs and related efforts.
- INHALE (Integrated Human Health and Air Quality Research): INHALE was an integrated assessment investigating the link between climate and public health in New England by the UNH University Office of Sustainability, UNH Climate Change Research Center, and the UNH School of Health and Human Services. Given the region's poor air quality, INHALE focused on the relationship between air quality, weather, and asthma and broader indicators of pulmonary function.
- Organic Dairy Research Farm: Responding to a need by farmers for scientific research to support organic dairy efforts, UNH is the first land grant university to have a commercial-scale organic dairy farm and education/research center. The organic dairy is a research center for organic production and management and an education center for organic dairy farmers, farmers considering the transition to organic, and students of sustainable agriculture. Learn more...
- Undergraduate research in Africa: Through the generosity of Ellis A. Woodward, Class of 1974, UNH's Hamel Center for Undergraduate Research in 2008 established the Fund for African Development. This permanent endowment will provide comprehensive financial support for student research projects that are based in Africa and focus on a wide range of development activities, such as those related to health, education, economic development, infrastructure, community development, agriculture, natural resources management, and environmental conservation concerns. Learn more...
- Unique agroecosystem research: In spring 2008, UNH researchers received a significant grant to study UNH's organic dairy research farm as a sustainable closed agroecosystem, exploring viable strategies for becoming energy independent. The $380,000 three-year grant, from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Sustainable Agricultural Research and Education (SARE) program, aims to explore whether closing energy and nutrient cycles could help small family dairy farms in the Northeast survive economic vulnerabilities. The study comes as rising energy, feed and capital investment costs shrink the already narrow profit margin of dairy agriculture in the Northeast, threatening the regional sustainability of the industry. Such an ecosystem-level approach to a commercial organic dairy production is unique, at least in the United States. Learn more...
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Engagement
Collaborating locally to globally with extension and outreach
- AASHE: UNH has been a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability (AASHE) since its founding in 2006, and UNH's Chief Sustainability Officer, Dr. Tom Kelly, sits on the advisory board for AASHE's Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System (STARS).
- Carbon Solutions New England™ (CSNE): Carbon Solutions New England™, coordinated by UNH, is a public-private partnership to integrate science, technology, and policy within a sustainability framework to address the challenge of regional carbon neutrality as part of a climate change mitigation and adaptation strategy. CSNE will unite partners from the public and private sectors to build a clean energy future for New England while sustaining its unique natural and cultural resources for future generations. CSNE will focus New England’s formidable intellectual and entrepreneurial capabilities on the development of a clean energy future that reduces greenhouse gas emissions while increasing our resilience and adaptive capacity to a changing climate. Ultimately, this program will provide a regional model of collaboration and cooperation for sustainable development that will serve as a resource for other national and international efforts. Learn more...
- Cultural Excursions: In line with our principle that the arts are as fundamental to sustainability as clean air and water, the UNH Office of Sustainability launched a new program — Cultural Excursions — to contribute to the campus and community’s opportunity for shared cultural experiences that reflect the highest levels of achievement in the performing arts. Beginning in the winter of 2005, the program coordinated five excursions to the Boston Symphony Orchestra and Museum of Fine Arts, which attracted many alums, emeritus professors, and community members. A full program of excursions is scheduled for 2006 - 2007!
- Democracy Imperative: The Democracy Imperative, a new community of practice and national network of multidisciplinary academics and civic leaders in the fields of public deliberation, democratic dialogue, and social change, is are dedicated to the advancement of deliberative democracy through higher education. As a national network, we serve as advocates and resources for colleges and universities interested in developing educational research and programs in understanding, practicing, and modeling deliberative democracy. Learn more...
- Educating faculty, staff, and students about saving energy and reducing emissions: UNH strives to educate faculty, staff, student, and local residents on issues related to sustainability at every opportunity. Examples of this include:
1. “Powerdown” educational campaigns over Thanksgiving and winter breaks. UNH encourages everyone to powerdown -- turn off and unplug office equipment and other electronics -- over weekends and breaks. In 2005, the UNH Thanksgiving and winter break powerdown resulted in over 147,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) and $20,000 in energy costs saved and greenhouse gas emissions prevented equivalent to removing 30 cars from the road for one year. In 2006, through this annual Thanksgiving powerdown initiative and UNH’s first ever Student Energy Waste Watch Challenge, UNH faculty, staff, and students saved over 159,000 kwh of energy, $22,721 dollars in energy and water costs, and over 50 metric tons of emissions of carbon dioxide equivalents. These emissions savings are the equivalent of 116 barrels of oil or not driving 11 passengar cars for one year. (Learn more about the Fall 2006 Challenge and Thanksgiving Powerdown.) In 2007, UNH faculty, staff, and students saved more than 51,800 kwh, more than $7,000 in energy costs, and emissions reductions equivalent to 53 barrels of oil or not driving five passenger cars for one year during the 2007 Thanksgiving break powerdown.
2. UNH’s annual Student Energy Waste Watch Challenge! The Student Energy Waste Watch Challenge is part of UNH's experiential learning for students in how to lessen their ecological footprints while living and learing on campus. During the four week Challenge competition - typically held in either the Fall or Spring semesters - residence halls and on-campus apartments compete against themselves to see who can lower their energy and water use by the greatest percentage. The top three winning halls and apartments win money for their hall funds, bragging rights, and peace of mind. The first place winner also receives the Challenge trophy - an Earth hand-made by volunteer "Energy Captains" in each of the halls and apartments who educate and motivate their fellow students to live more sustainably. The combined savings of the October 25 - November 22, 2006, Challenge and the March 20 - April 17, 2007, Challenge by all UNH residence halls and apartments was 299,193 kilowatt hours in electricity and $40,000 in energy and water costs. These savings are equivalent to reducing 189 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalents - or the emissions reduction equivalent of not driving 41 passenger cars for one year or of 440 barrels of oil. The Fall 2007 Challenge saw all UNH residence halls and apartments save a combined 227,600 kwh and 1,669,000 gallons of water during the October 24 to November 21 competition. These savings translate into $45,000 less in energy and water costs and emissions the equivalent of 272 barrels of oil or not driving 25 passenger cars for one year. (Equivalency calculations were made using the U.S. Climate Technolgoy Cooperation Gateway's Greenhouse Gas Equivalencies Calculator.)
- Hosting sustainability experts: From Slow Food founder Carlo Petrini getting an honorary doctorate at the 2006 UNH Graduation to global health and pandemic security expert Laurie Garrett giving the 2006 UNH Undergraduate Research Conference keynote address, UNH demonstrates its commitment to sustainability through the speakers and guests it hosts on campus.
- New Hampshire Carbon Challenge: Housed at the UNH Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans and Space, the New Hampshire Carbon Challenge is driven by a dedicated crew of New Hampshire residents who firmly believe that climate stabilization requires changes from all of us: as residents, homeowners, consumers, and citizens, and that these changes will not degrade the quality of our lives and can, in fact, enhance it. NHCC helps New Hampshire residents reduce their household carbon dioxide emissions by 10,000 pounds per year. Learn more...
- New Hampshire Center for a Food Secure Future (NHCFSF): The New Hampshire Center for a Food Secure Future (NHCFSF) is a University of New Hampshire-based collaboration among diverse stakeholders in the food system including state agencies, non-profits, business and industry partners and associations, as well as educators and practitioners. The Center was created to address the need for coordinated, comprehensive action linking agriculture, the food environment and health and nutrition in our state and region. Learn more...
- New Hampshire Farm to School: A collaboration of UOS and the NH Coalition for Sustaining Agriculture, the NH Farm to School Program connects New Hampshire farms and schools by integrating agricultural production, school food procurement, and school curriculum with the goal of developing a healthy, community-based, community-supported school food system. To date, over half of the K-12 schools in NH are participating in the NH Farm to School Program. In the fall of 2005, the NH Farm to School Program was selected as the Northeast Regional Lead Agency to explore the establishment of a national Farm to School Initiative. This role included gathering information on farm to school programs in the northeast, as well as leading the process of assembling a set of recommendations for the development of a national initiative. Learn more...
- New Hampshire Estuaries Project: Housed at UNH, the New Hampshire Estuaries Project (NHEP) improves the water quality and overall health of New Hampshire's estuaries; supports regional development patterns that protect water quality, maintain open spaces and important habitat, and preserve estuarine resources; tracks environmental trends through the implementation of a long term monitoring program to assess indicators of estuarine health; among other goals. Learn more...
- Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium (NECSC): The first Northeast Campus Sustainability Summit (NECSC) was convened at UNH in 2004 and was designed to convene the growing network of higher education institutions, non-profits, activists, and community members working to advance campus sustainability in the northeast region and to represent a growing network of institutions of higher education from the northeast United States and Eastern Canadian Provinces. The Summit also actively anticipated the launch of the United Nations Decade of Education for Sustainable Development, which began on January 1, 2005. An annual Northeast Campus Sustainability Consortium Summit will be held through 2014 and will rotate locations throughout the region including returning to UNH for the final 2014 summit. UNH is also a member of the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) and a signatory to the Tailoires Declaration. Learn more...
- Organic Garden Club: Founded in 2003, the student-run Organic Garden Club (OGC) was voted UNH’s Student Organization of the Year in 2007. The OGC maintains a two-acre site on a 30-acre, USDA certified organic parcel of land on the UNH Durham campus - the first certified organic land on campus. The OGC grows a variety of produce, which it sells to UNH Dining and at a weekly farm stand on campus. The OGC also hosts dinners at Portsmouth’s Cross Roads House and a monthly Durham community dinner at the Waysmeet Center. The mission of the UNH Organic Garden Club is to cultivate a campus-community organic farm focused on promoting social, economic, and environmental sustainability. Learn more...
- Promoting public arts and cultural heritage: UOS advocates for UNH public arts, campus aesthetics, and architectural crafts that will enhance and enliven the UNH campus. The goals of this include enriching student learning about the role of art in our cultural environment, stimulating public discourse about art, and fostering a sense of community and institutional identity. Learn more...
Examples of this work include the following:
- Four Hands, One Heart: The UNH University Office of Sustainability, the UNH Arts and Society Program, and UNH Dimond Library, in partnership with Ken Browne Productions and the Currier Gallery of Art, collaborated in making the documentary film entitled "Four Hands One Heart," which celebrates the lives and art of former UNH faculty Ed and Mary Scheier. The film was broadcast on over 100 PBS stations throughout the country. The video is available for loan at Dimond Library or can be purchased on DVD through www.4hands1heart.com or through New Hampshire Public Television. In addition, the University collection of the Scheier's work is on display at Dimond Library.
- Wildcat Sculpture: In September 2006, a new Wildcat sculpture was installed outside the UNH Whittemore Center -- the first public art on the campus that followed UNH's Public Art Guidelines. Commissioned by the UNH Committee for Campus Aesthetics and the UNH Art Program Committee in collaboration with the UNH Alumni Association and the UNH Parents' Association, this sculpture is being funded by donations from the UNH Alumni Association and the UNH Parents' Association. See the new Wildcat sculpture for yourself and learn more about its commission and design.
- Celebrity Series: Chief Sustainability Officer Tom Kelly serves on the planning committee for the UNH Celebrity Series, which brings world-class theater, dance, and music to the UNH campus every year.