Wanted: Eco Hawks for sustainability

Supporting the University of Iowa’s 2020 Sustainability Vision, Eco Hawks will serve as a resource to their fellow students and colleagues about recycling, energy reduction, organizing and motivating, and more.

Participants will receive a biweekly email with testimonies from Eco Hawks on campus, program progress, sustainability tips, and other news. They will also have access to the Eco Hawk tool kit, a checklist covering sustainable best practices, as well as access to a list serve to connect with fellow change agents.

Training sessions will be held at 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 11, for students and 2:30 p.m. Thursday, March 12, for faculty and staff, both in Room 2520D University Capitol Centre. The training is optional, but it will be an introduction to the program, covering sustainability and behavior change concepts, applications, and testimonies. Plus, it’s a chance to connect with other Eco Hawks and share ideas.

“The commitment is what you make it. You can simply grow your knowledge through a biweekly email, using the Eco Hawk toolkit, or listserve, but you can take it further to become a go-to resource, improve practices and be a leader in sustainability,” says Eric Holthaus, coordinator in the UI Office of Sustainability.

Liz Christiansen, director of the UI Office of Sustainability, says the Eco Hawks program is a way the UI community can come together to help achieve the 2020 Vision goals.

Building a sustainable world is the most serious challenge facing our society. Our campus will serve as a model for this transformation, but enacting profound change required vision, leadership, and commitment at all levels. Through the 2020 Vision, President Mason has asked all faculty, staff, and students to participate in an on-going effort to make sustainability part of our daily lives at the University of Iowa,” Christiansen says. “

The Eco Hawks program is similar to the concept of the Wellness Ambassador program at the UI. In fall 2015, the UI will introduce a certification program to recognize sustainable working or living spaces.

For more information about Eco Hawk, and to sign up and attend trainings, visit the Eco Hawk’s Web page.

Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all UI-sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in either of the training sessions, contact Eric Holthaus in advance at  319-384-3415.