Future Recommendations for a Sustainable Dominican

Overall recommendations – the tippets Spring 2002

• Introduction of an Environmental Studies major and minor in the Science Department
• Dominican Environmental Group
• Adoption of The Natural Step Principles by administration
• Official Certification of campus as a sustainable wildlife habitat by the National Wildlife Federation
• Stop using truck for campus grounds employees and start using electric mini-cars or bicycle powered carts to transport compost, recycling, and other debris as well as for transportation
• Tuition credit for not driving to school and using public transportation.
• Electric shuttle from bus terminal to campus making stops at each end of campus
• Work study as grounds keeper
• Rain water collection system
• Planting more native trees around the borders to separate residential neighbors
• Design and create a natural Labyrinth on the corner of Grand on the lawn outside the convent for public use.
• Cut down and fully remove all of the eucalyptus trees along Sisters Creeks

Sustainability Yurt: Structure

• Large, moveable structure
• Made from recycled wood and durable natural fibers (hemp)
• Thick insulated recycled plastic windows that zip closed for heat and cold retention.
• Super absorbent sky light in top for solar heating and lighting.
• Non-harming for ecosystems surrounding the structure
• Circular design creates sense of community and sustainability

Function:

• Community meeting place for environmental group meetings
• Sustainable living library
• Serves as platform for ecological and social change both on campus and in the community
• Offers classes in sustainable living in the areas of agriculture, commerce, building design, civil engineering, urban development, resource reuse and recycling, and community building.
• Serves a the Marin Center on The Natural Step with outreach and consultation projects throughout the Bay Area with students working as interns and earning credit for involvement.
• Meeting place for the Dominican Environmental Group, a student run club that expedites campus and local community projects to integrate sustainability principles.

Reuse Center Yurt: Function

• Central sorting location for campus-wide reuse and recycling program
• Main composting sight
• All glass, paper, plastic, aluminum, wood, yard waste is collected

Student Generated Ideas for Sustainability Center - Rough Draft

Compiled by Joanne Tippett from the Biology 40/140 Fall '99 class

Overall Sustainability Objectives

"Apart from the physical parts of our sustainability center (vineyard, greenhouse, hiking trails, research centers, main buildings, other sustainable technology and assets) we will educate the public on WHY a sustainability center is necessary. From first hand experience, I can say that I knew nothing about sustainability before I took this class. I am willing to predict that most people are in the same shoes I was."

"I think that the main goals of any sustainability center built at Dominican should be preservation of the environment and interaction of the community within a spread of ecological understanding. Most people don't really care about the environment not because they are evil, but because they are so removed from it in their everyday lives, that the environment never really enters into anyone's mind. If we had a sustainability center that people and students worked and studied in, these people's understanding about environmental concerns would be greatly expanded. If students taking science classes actually get to apply the things they are learning and see first hand what has been described to them in class, their overall understanding will go up, and they will get more into the class."

"Most important to us for the center was to have a home for environmental science majors."

"I think that if the entire center is not sustainable, then the purpose of the center is defeated"

Ø Balance of flows - an ecological balance that cycles waste to create energy or put it back into the system or cycle - showing sustainability in practice

Education

§ Information from research projects and about the interconnections of the design displayed in education exhibits in sustainability center

§ Nature interpretation - nature center with exhibits

§ Library and info about sustainability

§ Research center and labs

§ Environmental Science Major classrooms and center

§ One-credit classes on 'green practices'

§ Teacher training program

§ Research into medicinal plants and health

§ Cancer research center

Social/community

· Social spaces for students and community

Ø Theater for performance

Ø Picnic area

Ø Chapel/meditation space

Ø Camp site and cultural programs

Ø Nature trail that is part of a fitness center - bikes for rent, walking and running

Ø Good areas for children - educational and fun

· Day care center

· Eco-student dorms (mainly for Environmental Science students and work study students)

· Student clubs, student interns, work for credit

· Equity - education for poorer population of Marin about efficient energy and resource use - including home visits with evaluation and advise, assistance in setting up food gardens

· Community information - e.g. sustainable local businesses

· Community planning and decision making structures facilitated

· First aid and emergency help

· Extending nursing services and health resources throughout the North Bay

Landscape

· Stream restoration and native re-vegetating

· Biology and Environmental Science experiments - monitoring water flow, vegetation, wildlife

· Learning how to deal with Eucalyptus and non-natives and monitoring changes on the site as vegetation is changed.

· Agricultural production - compost, medicinal herbs (linked to health research), bees, orchard, native plants

· Vineyard

· Agro-forestry demos - gradations of use - hill farming, low maintenance crops, different uses of plants

· Research into interactions between pigs and chickens and the land, use of animals to recycle food from campus facilities

· Sustainable fish production, and interactions with constructed wetlands

· Integrated pest management for the entire campus

· Greenhouse, demo of water use and different plants

· Vegetable gardens

· Solar fountain - central piece of vegetable gardens, educational paths and trails well signposted with educational materials

· Reusing gray water from Calurega and/or dorms on campus - pumped to an ecological filter and used for agricultural purposes

· Ponds - wetlands and gray water filtration

Resources & Technology

· Rainwater harvesting

· Recycling center to provide materials for construction, arts and industrial design projects

· Incentives to reduce car transport - free admission for those who arrive by bicycle or public transit, bike rentals, sustainability center/campus tricycles or smart card available bikes

· Variety of toilet types

· Alternative energy generation - windmills, solar panels, daylighting

· Super efficient buildings