On a warm but windy April day, about 40 faculty and staff gather at the squirrel statue near the 麻豆视频 Library for a noontime 鈥淲ellness Walk & Talk鈥 tour organized by the Employee Wellness office and led this day by Melanie Knowles, 麻豆视频鈥檚 manager of sustainability. We expect to get some exercise and learn about recent sustainability initiatives on the Kent Campus.
鈥淎 couple locations are going to require you to use your imagination, because some things don鈥檛 always happen on schedule and other things are inside buildings,鈥 Knowles says, as she sets out at a brisk pace.
Providing Alternative Transportation
Heading past Risman Plaza along the Lefton Esplanade, Knowles points out a stand for eBikes and eScooters鈥攁lthough there鈥檚 only one bike left at this spot as the rest have been checked out. They are part of the Department of Recreational Services鈥 new partnership with , a leading micromobility company that operates dockless electric scooters and bikes on campuses and in cities across North America and Europe.
The program launched in March with 100 eBikes and 100 eScooters on the Kent Campus and within the city of Kent for use by students, faculty, staff and the community. The goal is to reduce traffic volume, connect riders to local businesses and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The scooters and bikes provide a convenient way for users to get to class and run errands鈥攁nd they鈥檙e a fun recreational activity for the community. Participants can download the SPIN app, view the safety videos and take a safety quiz to earn a $5 ride credit and a free helmet.
鈥淲e鈥檙e always working to make the campus more bike friendly so people can get where they need to go without having to own or use a car all the time,鈥 Knowles says. 鈥淚鈥檓 not taking anyone鈥檚 parking pass away, but we want to make it easy and convenient to use alternative transportation as much as possible.鈥
So far, one month after the launch, she says there have been 20,900 trips on bikes and scooters, more than 5,000 individual users, 23,545 miles traveled鈥攁nd 75% of the checkouts are for the scooters.
Charging Electric Vehicles
麻豆视频 currently has five electric vehicle charging stations for electric cars and trucks on the Kent Campus, located in the parking lots of Harbourt Hall, Heer Hall, the Center for Philanthropy and Alumni Engagement, the DI Hub and the Kent Student Center visitor lot.
鈥淲e received a grant from the to add six more charging stations, but thanks to COVID-19 and supply chain issues they don鈥檛 have the computer chips that go into the stations,鈥 Knowles says. 鈥淭he new charging stations are already roughed in, so we are hoping to have them in operation by the end of the calendar year. The new locations will be here [she points to a spot near Bowman Hall], behind the Liquid Crystal Institute and by the Center for the Performing Arts.鈥
Turning Food Waste Into Renewable Energy and Fertilizer
Knowles stops outside the DI Hub for another 鈥渦se your imagination鈥 talk. 鈥淥ne of the things we have at the DI Hub is the system,鈥 she says. 鈥淔or years we鈥檝e been looking at how to divert food waste on the Kent Campus away from the landfill. I鈥檓 not talking about unused food that can be eaten; if we can feed people, that is our first priority. I鈥檓 talking about kitchen scraps and leftovers from people鈥檚 plates.
鈥淔or the Grind2Energy system, all those food scraps go into bins,鈥 she adds. 鈥淭hroughout the day, staff members take the organic material in the bins to a processing table, which is basically an industrial size garbage disposal made by InSinkErator. It grinds up the food waste, mixes it with a little water and that slurry goes directly into a holding tank inside the building. It鈥檚 contained so there is no odor. When that tank is full, a liquid waste hauler from transports the slurry to a local anaerobic digestion facility in Collinwood.鈥
Anaerobic digestion鈥攁 process in which bacteria break down organic matter in the absence of oxygen鈥攃reates two main products. One is natural gas that can be converted into electricity by a turbine or used for vehicle fueling stations鈥攕o the truck that picks up the waste is fueled by the waste. The other product is a nitrogen-rich fertilizer鈥攕o nutrients from the food waste restore nutrients in the soil to grow more food.
The Grind2Energy system recently was added to the Eastway Dining Facility through a grant from the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency. 鈥淏etween these two facilities, so far we have diverted more than 80 tons of food waste from the landfill,鈥 Knowles says. 鈥淭hat translates into reducing our carbon impact in a way that鈥檚 equivalent to 134,000 miles not driven in a vehicle and it produces 4.6 tons of fertilizer.鈥
Connecting with Farmers
Before leaving the DI Hub, Knowles adds, 鈥淚 will plug the 麻豆视频 Farmers鈥 Market that鈥檚 being held in the DI Hub this semester. You should definitely check it out.鈥
麻豆视频 has partnered with Haymaker Farmers鈥 Market to provide students with opportunities to learn about local farmers, select fresh produce and connect with the broader Kent community. In addition to food, the market includes crafts, educational workshops related to food, and performances (music, dance, theater).
Relocating Trees to Maintain the Tree Canopy
Pausing at the Crawford Hall construction site, Knowles acknowledges that the view has dramatically changed with the .
鈥淏ut don鈥檛 worry, 28 trees in that area were relocated around the campus,鈥 she says. 鈥溌槎故悠 has been designated a Tree Campus USA by the Arbor Day Foundation every year the designation has existed (since 2008). Our Tree Advisory Board, which includes people on campus and off, is always looking at how to maintain and expand our tree canopy.
鈥淢oving trees is a big part of that because we don鈥檛 want to stop progress. But if you cut down a mature tree and plant a tiny tree, the canopy takes a big hit. So it鈥檚 important to us that we maintain the existing trees as much as we can.
鈥淭he company we work with鈥擝usy Bee Services in Novelty, Ohio鈥攗ses a special tool called an air spade that uses high pressured air to remove soil from around the roots without damaging root tissue. That allows the tree to keep its tiny roots, which helps trees have more success when they鈥檙e transplanted elsewhere.鈥
Knowles heads behind Dunbar Hall to show the group two of the transplanted trees. 鈥淭he one closest to me is an , which is a member of the pea family with showy white flowers for pollinators and appealing bronze bark that adds winter interest,鈥 she says. 鈥淭he one further away is a , a deciduous conifer that is part of a Planting Partnership memorial for a residential services staff member鈥攁nd we take special care of the trees that are part of that program.鈥
The Planting Partnership is a tree sponsorship program offered by University Facilities Management that gives donors the opportunity to dedicate a tree as a gift or memorial. They can choose from a wide variety of trees and ornamentals that have been selected according to guidelines of the Kent Campus Landscape Master Plan. A $2,500 donation pays for the cost of purchasing, planting and maintaining the tree鈥攁s well as replacing it if it should die.
Aiming for Zero Waste
Stopping at Eastway Center, home of the other Grind2Energy system on campus, Knowles takes the opportunity to talk about Campus Race to Zero Waste, which used to be called Recyclemania. The competition, in partnership with the National Wildlife Foundation, is a tool to help colleges and universities across the United States and Canada advance campus recycling and waste reduction efforts.
鈥淲e just finished the competition, so I don鈥檛 have the results yet for this year, but last year 麻豆视频 won in two categories,鈥 she says. 鈥淥ne was the 鈥榤ost electronics recycled鈥 category. This year we collected 33,904 pounds of electronics for recycling in 30 days. The other category we won last year is called a 鈥榸ero waste鈥 category. It鈥檚 not the whole campus; we picked three buildings and measured all the waste coming from them to see which had the smallest waste per square foot. It was exciting to see 麻豆视频 recognized for the work we鈥檙e doing in those areas.鈥
Planning for the Future
Looping around Manchester Field and returning to where we started, Knowles says, 鈥淭here鈥檚 always so much more to talk about than we have time for!鈥 And she reminds the group that in January 麻豆视频 embarked on its first comprehensive campus sustainability plan. 鈥淭here have been a couple opportunities for the general campus community to provide feedback, but there will be more,鈥 she says. 鈥淪o please keep an eye out; I鈥檓 trying to make sure they鈥檙e always in FlashLine Alerts. We also have a great advisory group of experts on campus contributing to that effort as well.
鈥淭hanks again, everyone, for coming out and walking with me,鈥 she adds. 鈥淗ave a great day!鈥
Learn more about 麻豆视频鈥s sustainability initiatives.
Learn about upcoming 鈥Walk and Talk鈥 tours by visiting the Employee Wellness Calendar.