Take a virtual tour of the VCU Rice Center

If you weren't able to take the VCU Rice Center Tour this past Friday during VCU's Day of Sustainability, you can still see this LEED Platinum building through this great video tour.

First Broad Street Rapid Transit Meeting Tonight!

The first of two identical public forums on GRTC's plans for a rapid transit line running from Rocket's Landing to Willow Lawn is tonight, 6-8pm at the DMV near the Science Museum. The forum I went to last year on this topic was great, and they made a huge effort to listen to the public's suggestions and concerns. If it is anything like last year there will be posterboards set up with their plans, and the relevant people involved in the planning standing next to the boards to field questions. The presentation on the plan will begin at 7pm, and will be followed by a question and answer period. (See more details below).

Deck & Patio Water Solutions (Part II)

In this 2nd installment of efficient and money-saving irrigation methods, I tackle the problem of deck and patio irrigation. If your deck or patio has easy access to tap water, one of the simplest methods may be traditional drip irrigation. If you don't, keeping your patio plants from wilting in the summer heat can be a time-consuming chore. Watering by hand can require many trips to the tap, and is not the best use of water. The large quantities of water delivered all at once can't be absorbed fast enough by plants before water is wasted down the drain holes. I have a few simple solutions that are easier and use water more efficiently.

VCU Day of Sustainability is October 15th!

VCU's first ever Day of Sustainability is taking place October 15, 2010 from 11am to 3pm. There will be tons of free stuff to do and see, including a recycled sculpture competition, a showcase of sustainable modes of transportation like Segways (with free tours!), Biotaxi, and To the Bottom and Back Bus, and trips to the LEED Platinum Rice Center.

CargoTrike Cupcakes will be on the scene doling out some tasty treats, biodegradable balloons will be flying high, and Backyard Farmers will be on hand to help guests compost and recycle, reducing the event's waste by up to 80%! Lucky participants may get a limited-edition custom designed VCU Sustainability Day t-shirt.

From the Facebook event page at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=150043245031910&ref=ts :
This day is intended to promote, educate, and make going green fun!

Come and be a part of something NEW and HAPPENING at VCU!

Music!
Free Food!
Free Segway Tours!
Electronic Recycling Drive!
Bus tours to the Rice Center by 2BNB!
The Farm to Family bus!
Tips on going GREEN!
and FUN!!!

Sign up for FREE Segway tours:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Y6PPK3M

Sign up for FREE Rice Center tours:
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/3DY6FQF

How Boulder Fought for Bicycle Traffic and Won

Check out this awesome video on how Boulder, CO has made their city one of the top bike-friendly cities in the United States:

Zipcars cruise into Richmond

Richmond community members and Virginia Commonwealth University student, staff, and faculty members now have access to Zipcar, the world's largest car-sharing company as of this Monday, August 23rd. For individuals affiliated with VCU, as a special introductory offer, the $35 annual fee will be used as a credit towards rentals in your first month. To get an additional $25 worth of driving credit, click here to sign up with a special promotional code. Under "are there other ways to join" search for VCU to get the cheaper university registration rate if you are a faculty, staff, or student. There are currently 2 cars available at the MCV campus bookstore, and 2 cars at the Monroe Park campus Cabell Library. With a $50 total driving credit and 30-day money back guarantee, why delay, try Zipcar today!

Educational Outreach at VCU New Student Orientation

MCV Green Unity is working to integrate sustainability into new student orientation on MCV campus at Virginia Commonwealth University this year. Part of VCU's Climate Action Plan, this educational outreach effort aims to show students what VCU is doing to be green, and let them know what small, easy behavior changes they can make to help reduce their own environmental impact and CO2 emissions.

MCV is a medical campus consisting of five different academic schools (Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Allied Health). The Schools and groups participating in this sustainability initiative so far include:

• Student Commons & Activities: Information table at the MCV Orientation Fair
• VCU Card Office: Information table, various dates and times
• Nursing: Information table
• Medicine: Information table at SOM organizational fair
• SOM, Dept. of Human Genetics: Sustainability presentation
• Pharmacy: Sustainability information in orientation packages
• Dentistry: Sustainability information in orientation packages, information table, recycling facilitators at luncheon events
• Allied Health, Dept. of Anesthesia: Sustainability presentation, sustainability information in orientation packages

For dates and times of events, please see our Google Events Calendar. If you would like your department or school to include a sustainability component in their student orientation or staff/faculty orientation let your administration know and/or contact us. We are also willing to give short presentations to your group, department, or school.