Kodiak Cave

Integrate it! 10 Year Anniversary Post

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Today we’re marking an occasion, to highlight the news, stories, features, and Friday Letters that have come out of this blog. It’s been 10 years. While many changes have happened on campus, we’re excited to see what comes next at Cascadia, and our mission holds true to provide accessible education, this blog is here to take a quick look back at some of the fun things Cascadia has accomplished since May 29th, 2014!

Our First blog was a short one – but it kicked all this off! Life was much simpler back then, with the possibility of even student blogs on here!

And Check out this Wetland Day post right after! We’re excited that we still have Wetland day each year on campus, we’re looking forward to today – you can join for a tour at 11:30 or 3:00!

Moving forward to 2015, we had the incredible idea to plant a food forest at the center of our campus. It’s a 1/4 acre green space, and is now home to over 30 fruit trees, numerous shrubs and edible bushes, and plants with various edible plants and fruit/herbs! But check out the photos of the day we planted it! And read about the Food Forest history it’s growth and management!

I personally didn’t know we had sunflowers at first near the library, and check out the pollinator meadow – long before it was a home for bees and insects, and home to our campus peace poles!

Also around that time, we founded our first Bachelor’s Degree, and started the path to changing our name to “Cascadia College” (dropping the Community). For a fun look back, here’s the blog that talks about the program outcomes. We’re so proud of the numerous student and alumni stories that have come from the past 9 years of the program, and you can find them all on our Sustainability Page right here! And of course, please check out our BAS in Sustainable Practices! We also have a new BS in Computer Science starting this fall!

Make sure to scroll through the photos – See all the student’s experiences on campus and beyond!

  • BAS in Sustainable Practices senior, Andre Turner, audits our waste!
    BAS in Sustainable Practices senior, Andre Turner, audits our waste!

YouTube

Did you know we have multiple YouTube Channels?

Common Caws for Sustainability Podcast

During the pandemic, we founded a podcast to focus on sustainable issues, and give voice to students across our campus and beyond. Check out the Common Caws for Sustainability – on Spotify or any podcast app. Pun fully intended for the crows that grace our campus.

Kodiak Cave

The Kodiak Cave is Cascadia’s Food Resource Center! It operates a “choice pantry”, meaning students will be able to pick their food from a wide-variety of cross-cultural items that best meets their needs. This gives guests dignity, reduces food waste, and creates a comfortable environment where students can choose items that they are familiar with. They operate online sharing awesome stories on food, and written and video recipes, and host events and student engagement activities on food, growing herbs and garden plants!
Blog | Videos | Recipes
check them all out – and get cooking!

Global Education Committee: Who We Are

The Global Education Committee (GEC) has a key role of the promotion of global learning in our Cascadia College community. The GEC is responsible for efforts to advance learning in a global context. This includes globalizing the curriculum and supporting multicultural and international education. We also encourage global awareness through community engagement events, often connected with a campus community theme. We hope you’ll be able to participate in our theme for 2024-2025: ‘Artificial Intelligence and Human Rights’!

Popular Blogs!

In closing, we also wanted to share with you some of the most popular blogs we’ve published. We’d love for you to see what has attracted attention to Cascadia College from the internet, so here are some of the most popular blogs of all time (since May 2024):

Student in a brown jacket touching and looking at red fruit on a tree
Student looking at fruit in the Food Forest

Donations, Sustainable Events, and Climate Stories Day

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So much going on this February, we’re excited to share it all with you! There’s of course Black History Month, and the Diversity Center and Sustainability Club are hosting a film showing on February 28th, and we have Climate Stories Day! ”Chrisholm ’72: Unbought and Unbossed”, a documentary about her 1972 presidential campaign.

Did you also know that it’s National Canned Food Month – check out the food drive and awesome blog by the Kodiak Cave below! This link should take you right to all their information, we’re excited to help feature their efforts! They have various donations boxes across campus, and the food will be distributed to students in need through the Kodiak Cave!

February is National Canned Food Month!

The Sustainability Office is also hosting a second donation drive – to support our unhoused neighbors. We’re looking to take donations in similar boxes to the canned food drive, and connecting these items to a community partner, Compass housing alliance! 

Finally, both sustainability offices are extremely excited to help host Climate Stories Day – in partnership with the library community reads team on February 20th!

Community Reads is thrilled to host Lindsey Brodeck, the author of the short story “Afterglow,” for a visioning event launching our Climate Fiction Writing Awards. Lindsey will be giving a short presentation about her own writing process and climate fiction, and then will be available to answer some questions and moderate a community brainstorming session for our own campus visionary fiction writing. This event will be at 11am-12pm, in Mobius Hall.

At 5:30-7:00pm also in Mobius Hall, join us for an evening with Madeline Ostrander, author of ‘At Home on an Unruly Planet’.  The book covers climate change impacts on American families currently, ongoing, and in the recent past.  It talks about adaptation, survival, and managing the climate crisis—something that is vitally important as we move forwards with sustainability and justice.  The event will host local climate action groups, the City of Bothell for a resilience visioning activity, a time for book signings, and refreshments. 

We hope you can join us for any and all of these events! Have a sustainable February! 

Sustainability is no Secret: Get By with a Little Help from my friends!

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written in part by ETSP student Cory C

Here again to spill the beans and raise awareness about Cascadia’s Sustainable Secrets! In preparation for Earth Month 2023, we’re looking back in this blog at some of the ways Cascadia/UW Bothell is building a community around environmental sustainability. From the wetland restoration to providing habitat for native bees to thrive in, the Cascadia Community are showing its commitment to sustainability through environmental action right here on campus.

So yeah, here at Cascadia we’re passionate about the environment. But keep in mind, Sustainability isn’t just about protecting Mother Earth. In addition to protecting our natural resources, we also need to ensure social and economic resources are available to people in need. After all, how can anyone who is struggling to meet their needs or battling for their basic rights have any fight left for the environment?

A core sustainability concept is a framework called the Triple Bottom Line (TBL). The Triple Bottom Line focuses on People (Social action/Equity) – fairness and opportunity for all humans, Planet (Environment) – pushing our actions to not further harm or damage animals or the natural spaces, and Profit (Economy) – making long term, sustainable actions to maintain our practices. Above all, the Triple Bottom Line focuses on the balance between the three areas. Or as former United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon put it, “Saving our planet, lifting people out of poverty, advancing economic growth… these are one and the same fight.”

“We All Need Somebody to Lean On.” – Bill Withers

Actively working at finding that balance and connecting all components of sustainability is part of what makes Cascadia special. All of us, from staff and faculty to students and our greater communities, care about elements within the Triple Bottom Line. Cascadia is committed to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion on campus, with a focus on supporting students and staff through difficult times. Much of what Cascadia commits to in social efforts is focused on supporting and finding ways to benefit all its stakeholders. Our actions and abilities to help students on their path is why education matters for environmental and social justice; diversity, equity, and inclusion; and building towards a more stable and stronger economy for workers and organizations. It is how we build a better society for everyone. 

In case you weren’t aware, some of these efforts in student and community support are highlighted in several programs throughout Cascadia and UW Bothell! For example, The Diversity and Equity Center, located in CC1-002, is a welcoming, equitable, and inclusive environment that promotes strong social connections and encourages students to be social change agents. They strive to serve students of color, immigrants/refugees, undocumented, underrepresented, and LGBTQI+ QTPOC, and help them towards success at Cascadia College.

Additionally, The Kodiak Cave is the food resource center located at LB2-006 on the Cascadia College campus that directly serves the student body of Cascadia College.  Starting in the Fall of 2018, the Kodiak Cave was created to assist Cascadia students experiencing the difficulties associated with food insecurity. Since then, the Kodiak Cave has continued to expand and grow by providing education and fun opportunities for students to learn how to cook and shop in ways that provide the best nutrition while also saving money! We love our students and hope to hear from you soon!

The Cave currently operates as a “choice pantry”, meaning guests will be able to pick the food that best meets their needs. This gives guests dignity and reduces food waste.  Head to the website to learn how it works and how you can get food, or donate to the Kodiak Cave!

Just across Campus Way from Kodiak Cave is the Activities and Recreation Center (ARC) where you can access support with the Health and Wellness Resource Center (HaWRC). The HaWRC is a one-stop hub connecting students with on-campus and community resources to help you thrive. The HaWRC is committed to advancing health and equity for the Cascadia College and UW Bothell community, so all students are supported in their holistic well-being to persist through college.

Just a few of the support programs available at the HaWRC are, Financial Coaching with FAFSA/WASFA & scholarship assistance; Public Benefits Access – Health insurance, reduced fare bus pass, and food assistance (EBT) enrollment; Free Tax Preparation; Homelessness Prevention & Housing Navigation; and more. To see a full list of ARC and HaWRC programs and offerings, visit the ARC website, or stop by. The HaWRC generally has staff in the office Monday – Thursday from 9 am – 4 pm.

Finally, there is another really important resource we want to your attention. We get it. Life has a way of piling up on you and it’s ok to not be ok.  If you find yourself in need of support, Cascadia/UW Bothell provides Counseling Services. Counseling services are available to any student who is struggling with issues including family conflict, divorce, substance abuse, depression, grief and loss, anxiety about academic achievement, and any other issue affecting a student’s mental health. Counseling is confidential, conducted by licensed professionals, and free.

Cascadia College offers counseling services to Cascadia students through a partnership with the UWB Counseling Center. Cascadia College students who are enrolled for the current quarter in session may receive up to 6 free counseling sessions of individual counseling per academic year. The Counseling Center is open Monday – Friday, 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM and 12:30 PM – 4:00 PM. To schedule an in-person or virtual appointment, please call 425.352.3183 or send them an email.

So please remember, if you’re ever in need, there are people and programs here to lend support. We hope that now that you are aware of some of these resources you will utilize them. And keep in mind, these are just a few of the services available to you. We encourage you to get out and explore the resources that are available throughout our community. Like Cascadia’s Veterans Resource Center, Academic Support, International Programs Office, and more! These programs and the people who support them are here to foster a welcoming, educational, healthy, accessible, and sustainable environment for all visitors.

Stay tuned for more Sustainable Secrets that aren’t so secret in the next blog post! And spread the word, there are a bunch of Earth Month 2023 events we hope you’ll join us for!

To learn more about Sustainability at Cascadia Follow our sustainability department on social media!

Common Caws – Podcast | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | Newsletter subscription

Be sure to check out the Common Caws Podcast!

Also, visit this page and our outdoor sustainability efforts page regularly to see what our students, faculty and staff are thinking about, talking about, planning, and putting into action.  We hope you’ll join us!

We’d love to hear from you! BASSP advisor: Stephan Classen

Zero Waste Pathways – Personal Food Gardens

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written by BAS: Sustainable Practices student Annie Hawkins

degree icon heading

Follow our sustainability department on social media!

Main website: www.cascadia.edu/BASSP, join our Bachelor’s program on sustainability!

 The Spruce / K. Dave  

I found a great article on making a small personal food garden on thespruce.com. It goes into detail about the sources needed for planting and also caring for the garden. This idea not only cuts down on travel and emissions from traveling to and from the store, but also eliminates any packaging used. Another option if you do not want to use dirt is a small hydroponic garden; here is a DIY on YouTube. 

A positive point to using organic soil is that you can put  your espresso and coffee grounds into the soil, as fertilizer; “ Coffee grounds make great fertilizer because they contain several key nutrients required for plant growth. They can also help attract worms and decrease the concentrations of heavy metals in the soil”. Read more from, healthline.com.  You can also compost your food scraps and use those as soil eventually in your garden. Here are some options for home composters; from the website: epa.gov – instructions on how to build a worm bin.  

Here is a home composter example from Bamboozle. Bamboozle’s goal, as stated on their site is; “To push our industry towards environmental responsibility. We champion sustainable manufacturing with bio plastics and other renewable materials. Believing that we can decrease the use of disposable items with beautiful housewares you want to keep. Most importantly we can play it forward with materials that biodegrade in decades rather than centuries or millennia”. They have all sorts of kitchen items made from bamboo. The current price for this composter is $40 and it comes with a set of free filters.

This is a great way to incorporate a circular kitchen idea. Here is an example of the definition of “circular economy”; “A circular economy is a systemic approach to economic development designed to benefit businesses, society, and the environment. In contrast to the ‘take-make-waste’ linear model, a circular economy is regenerative by design and aims to gradually decouple growth from the consumption of finite resources”. Have a personal garden, compost your coffee/espresso grounds for fertilizer, and compost your food waste for nutrient rich soil. If you choose the hydroponic route you are still eliminating packaging and cutting down on emissions. Growing some of your food in either way produces fresh healthy organic produce, zero-waste style. 

If you are experiencing food insecurity, here are some options to help out:

  • Our campus has a mobile food bank that comes twice a month; the next day is 5/20. Hopelink’s Mobile Market, has more information.
  • There are also fruit trees and gardens on campus available to everyone.
  • The Northshore Senior Center in Bothell gives away a produce box a few days a month, as well (on Tues/Thus/Fri/Sat).
  • The campus pantry is open (Kodiak Cave) for student free pick ups!
  • There is a “Little Free food pantry” near campus across from the post office in downtown Bothell.

Kodiaks, show us pictures of how you incorporate zero-waste pathways into your life. Please tag or send your pics to: sustainable practices instagram.

The Zero Waste Pathways series is part of Cascadia’s Waste Ambassador Program, sponsored by the Bachelors of Applied Science in Sustainable Practices Program.  Cascadia has both bachelor and associate degrees in sustainable practices(Env. Technology and Sustainable Practices).

Follow our sustainability department on social media!
Main website: www.cascadia.edu/BASSP

Core Sustainability: Equity, Climate Change, and Food

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We’d like, from the sustainability office, to occasionally offer opportunities for learning, building the connections of sustainability, and, in essence, integrate all these things for our campus.

This year has seen a lot of talk on COVID19, social justice issues, and the ever present concerns of climate change. Our campus is no different, and much of our programming and events have tied those together: from our two Climate Dialogs in the fall on Environmental Justice, and with our Earth Week events (the second was focused on Food and Climate), to our amazing Community Reads on various environmental subjects this year – all finding the ways they intersect and interact.

But the core concept and need for our community to learn today is this integration. Environmental damages, and climate change, greatly affect poor communities1, or communities of color more intensely, and the inhabitants are often more vulnerable or less able to protect themselves (for health and wellness) against toxins or environmental damages2. This occurs beyond borders, and has been a growing problem with issues of waste/recycling shipping to historically poor countries, safety and health standards at factories in other countries, and even in our own country, marginalized communities often face less cleaning or regulatory services, higher levels of area pollution, less access to green spaces, and often, less access to healthy food options3.

Food access, and healthy choices matter for families, for the people to have healthy living in our communities, and to fight hunger issues. And climate change will make options, availability, and perhaps, even prices of food worse. We know, in Washington State, we’re in for wetter, colder winters, and dryer hotter summers (see our climate dialog 4 recording), which can mean more wildfires, less easy access to some fruit and vegetables, and more hazardous storms (snow, hail, rain). COVID-19 has shown how we all individually have impact, and collectively, can make change – look how our food systems and access changed during COVID-19 – many have struggled, and there have been organizations stepping up to spread food around our communities to those in need! But there were meat shortages, issues with clean restaurant access and openings, and even grocery outages.

Our campus recently hosted a climate dialog on food effects in the state, and the Community Reads’ event this spring focused on Food Justice, culminating with their Food Justice Panel event last week. Our campus has done great strides in finding ways to provide food access to our community (and the surrounding public) – through the Kodiak Cave Food Resource Center and (for UWB) the Husky Pantry, our campus growing areas (Food Forest, farm, and orchards) which are accessible to all our students when they visit campus! Excess food from the farm (which is open to the public for foraging) all goes to our Husky Pantry and Kodiak Cave. We can’t fix the world’s issues alone, but we can support students in need and our community to do better.

So students, consider getting involved in ways to provide resilience and support for those in need – even with just asking questions and joining the conversation! We are all in this together, so continue to explore how our world is changing with climate – and what that means for our whole society, and all our members thereof. Consider too, looking at our Bachelors program in Sustainable Practices – you can find a career and bachelor’s degree in sustainability, climate or equity work, or environmental activities!

Resources:

Campus blog area on food and outdoor areas: https://cascadiaupdates.wordpress.com/cascadias-cornucopia-and-the-campus-grounds/
Sustainability Blog area: https://cascadiaupdates.wordpress.com/sustainability/
Kodiak Cave Blog: https://kodiakcave.wordpress.com/
Husky Pantry (for UWB): https://www.uwb.edu/studentaffairs/resources/husky-pantry
Hopelink Mobile Market: Food access for those in need, comes to campus twice a month! https://www.facebook.com/HopelinkMobileMarket
Community Reads: (Cascadia/UWB community only) Read with the community and discuss environmental justice! https://guides.lib.uw.edu/bothell/communityreads
EAB’s Climate Justice Student discussion: Kodiak’s for change! (contact EAB@cascadia.edu), see image below!

contact EAB to sign up. There will be multiple discussion topics over time!

References:

  1. https://www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment/blog/2016/10/report-inequalities-exacerbate-climate-impacts-on-poor/
  2. https://books.google.com/books?hl=en&lr=&id=YSRmAQAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PT379&dq=pollution+affect+poor+communities&ots=SHr2YMGuJJ&sig=DwkwSK3ooP5VxZwvfAEXt6JU_R8#v=onepage&q=pollution%20affect%20poor%20communities&f=false
  3. https://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerrilla_gardener_in_south_central_la

Food Support Options near campus

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Food security is an important issue, and a surprising one that some students have found themselves in need of. We wanted to share the various food options near campus (beyond food banks, which are a great option)!

The Kodiak Cave

Cascadia’s food support center, has support in food options for students, please check them out. They do a lot on education on food and cooking too! Our campus farm and food forest support the Cave as well! Cascadia students can access the Cave exclusively!

Kodiak Cave Logo

Hopelink Mobile Market

Hopelink is a social support service for a variety of things, but bring food support right to campus twice a month! You can read more about their activity in the area on their website and schedule. They also list their location events on Facebook for ease of access. There are some restrictions on access by income, but check with their requirements!

Farm Box Fridays at Northshore Senior Center

Northshore Senior Center is now offering “Farm Box Fridays”. Free boxes of produce, meat and dairy on Fridays starting at 11:30 for pick up. It is open to anyone in the community, not just Seniors, and they have an open food pantry/food bank also! They’re a great resource for fresh produce!

Food Bank hours are Tuesday and Saturday 9-12, and Thursday 3-6.

Food Resources – Zero Hunger

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by Stephan Classen and Colleen Willson, with edits from Kim Jones
Something people don’t always realize is that sustainability- one of the things we hope our college is known for promoting- isn’t only about environmentalism- or environmental science.

Our BASSP program states that Sustainability is a concept, a discipline, an ideal. It is the recognition that the prosperity of our planet, our people, and our economy are inextricably linked. And this ties at almost at almost all levels and areas of our society.

The UN Sustainable Development Goals are something we’ve been talking about more around the campus- and the sustainability club has tabled around campus in the past too!
Today we’d like to talk about food, and getting toward Goal 2: “No Hunger”.

Goal number 2- is Zero Hunger

Too many people- even in industrial society- in the US in fact- are going hungry. But tied to that too is the idea of food waste, abundance, local sourcing and distribution of our food.

Food management – reducing waste

How can you reduce food waste? It starts with your shopping habits. Buy only what you are sure that you can eat. Use your freezer to store foods that might otherwise go bad before you can eat them. Use scraps of vegetables (celery tops, onion, carrots) to create the base of soups or stir-fries. This can also save you money when you use these otherwise wasted food. Every penny counts and this is a good way to start with what you have already spent your money on. Share your food with a friend; this enables you to reduce waste while creating community and friendship. And these are just some ideas, we’d love to hear some of yours!

Here is a great recipe on how to make your own broth from veggie scraps.

Buying Local – when possible

Keeping your food local ensures that your food is fresher and will last longer, giving you just a little more time to create that meal you were planning. It also ensures that there will be less food lost in transit. The long time period between harvest and delivery to far away locations creates food waste even with the use of refrigerated trucks, not to mention energy waste and carbon released into the atmosphere.

Food resource centers – Kodiak Cave / Food Growing Areas on campus.

College students should not have to live on a steady diet of ramen noodles alone. Here on campus, our Kodiak Cave team is working to de-stigmatize food insecurity and hopes to encourage students to take advantage of this food resource center. Students with an ID and a current quarter schedule are invited to stop in for some pantry staples or participate in their Meal of the Month plan which includes all of the ingredients and the instructions to create a complete and nutritious meal. They have also expanded their inventory to include frozen fruits and vegetables as well as meat and dairy products and starting next quarter (Winter 2020!) they will be providing students with nutritious snacks like eggs, hummus, and fresh fruits and vegetables.

If you have the opportunity, Kodiak Cave is also happy to receive shelf stable donation items to help support their mission.

For instance, our Campus Farm donated 210 pounds of vegetables and herbs this year to the Kodiak Cave and Husky Pantry, not including farm fruit!

Much of what the Kodiak Cave does follows Goal 2’s mission, but also connects to Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities.

Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities
Building our society and community
– Food donations
– Access for people in need
– Helping neighbors and building community
– Reducing waste in society for your own benefits, and for the greater good.


Sustainability features of Cascadia’s Campus!

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updated 11/20/23

Cascadia College is proud to have a sustainability focus for our campus, our culture, and our curriculum. Each quarter presents us with exciting new sustainable events and projects for our students and community throughout the year.  Here are a few highlights of the features on our campus that create a healthier, more accessible, and sustainable environment for our students.

For those that are inspired, consider applying to our sustainable Bachelor’s programs!

Growing Areas: Food Forest, Farm, and Herb Walk

Food Forest – Cascadia’s Cornucopia

Our Food forest on campus features an edible landscape of trees and planter areas and serves as an example of the integrated learning opportunities at Cascadia.  Students enrolled in various science, social science, and English classes have explored the food forest as part of their education.  The fruit trees are ready for harvest primarily in late summer and early fall, but the food forest shows how urban farming and permaculture can meet to provide food sustainability to the local area!

Our food forest was even featured in Swanson’s Nursery blog!

The campus community is invited to visit the food forest to see what’s growing. But remember… in order to maintain a sustainable food forest, please harvest responsibly.  Take what you can eat but save some for future visitors and pay attention to the “harvest me” signs to ensure that you are getting to taste the fruit at its peak ripeness.

Herb Walk

Our Herb Walk is at the south end of campus, near the UW sign. The community is invited to peruse the herbs growing there starting in the spring and learn about types and even recipes from the guidebook! Herbs are a win-win for human and pollinators alike.  Our campus pollinators enjoy the lavender, rosemary, chives, and other herbs more than we do.

Campus Farm

The campus farm area is a joint working space for UW Bothell and Cascadia College. Combined efforts from classes, Facilities, Grounds team, the community and Cascadia and UW Bothell student clubs work to grow an edible smorgasbord of vegetables and edible plants, and create space for projects, events, and learning about home gardening!  Over the summer, you’ll find an abundance of vegetables such as summer squash, tomatoes, beans, and cucumbers.  Again… pay attention to the “harvest me” stakes to ensure that you are picking the vegetables at the appropriate time and make sure to leave enough for others gardeners to harvest.

Pollinator beds, meadow, and hedgerows

Throughout the campus we have created a welcoming habitat for native pollinators by providing them with floral resources throughout the growing season.  The pollinator plantings provide pollen and nectar to support the health of bees and other pollinators while also providing shelter for nesting habitat.  These areas provide the human population with increased yields in the farm and food forest, areas of research for student learning, and recreational enjoyment for photographers and the entomologically curious.

Human Health Services 

Health and Wellness Resource Center

Human health, wellness, and societal stability are important parts of sustainability. The ARC on campus has a Health and Wellness Resource Center (HaWRC), accessible to both Cascadia College and UW Bothell students for a variety of services; from healthcare, to homelessness prevention, to tax preparation, mental health services and counseling, and financial coaching!

Kodiak Cave

The Kodiak Cave is Cascadia’s food pantry! If you’re food insecure or need some food supplies in times of trouble (like 2019’s largest snow event since 1923!), any current Cascadia student can access our food resource center! There are pick up options, and online resources for times when campus is closed!

Transportation Services

From electric vehicle charging stations to bike racks and maintenance stations to a busy bus transit center; Cascadia continues to make every effort to decrease dependence on single occupancy vehicles. Look for bike racks, explore our trail accessible campus, and discover easy bus routes to classes!

Wetland and Grounds

Our joint campus has a restored 58-acre wetland on it, one of the largest wetland and floodplain restoration efforts in the Pacific Northwest. Since restoration and the campus opened in 2000, we’ve seen a return of local species of wildlife, including deer, beavers, migratory birds, and of course, our crows!

Because of the wetland’s success and our grounds management (see above about our food forest, edible spaces, and management practices!) – our campus was rated #1 in the nation for our sustainable grounds and wetland by the Sustainability Tracking, Assessment, and Rating System through the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education (AASHE) from 2018-this year!!!

The Built Environment

Global Learning and the Arts Building (CC3) and Mobius Hall
Opened in Winter 2009, this 54,000 sq. ft building every effort was made to use the latest and greenest technologies resulting in being named the 2nd LEED Platinum building ever built in the state of Washington. The vegetated roof, 10 thousand gallon rainwater cistern, solar panels, and daylighting design all create a building that is sustainable and in design to use fewer resources.
The wood in the building is Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) certified, and some of it was taken from the land right where CC3 now stands!

Innovation Hall (INV)
Information coming soon!

Research and Projects

Cascadia has a variety of research, education, and engagement projects. Please check out what’s been going on at our website for sustainable projects!

Our campus completed two grants from the Washington Native Plants Society to increase pollinator plant coverage – you can see our student designed and created pollinator beds right by the north parking garage!

We have student led research going on testing our water quality of our wetlands (stormwater) and local pollinator species! If you’d like to get involved, or have a sustainability idea, we’d love to hear about that also!

Friday Letter, 1-25-19

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The Government Edition

Most of you had a shorter week due to our MLK Jr holiday on Monday. Some of you were participating in Service Day activities and I appreciate your commitment to our community. I was in Olympia and I’d like to share today what was happening there this week.

System Governance:

On Monday I met with Dave Habura, the first president of Cascadia from 1994-1998. He had a different title, but he was effectively the first president presiding over the construction and initial set-up phases. He is almost 80 now and gave me a box of Cascadia history that had been sitting in his garage. The stories of the 90’s about our campus were fascinating…and he had a tough go getting us launched. I am hoping to bring him to campus this spring to share his story. I think it would be encouraging for all of us to hear how we began.

Monday night, the Trustees and I sat through a 3-hour dinner in Olympia honoring students who were nominated for the system’s “Transforming Lives” award. While our student didn’t win, our Foundation awarded him a small scholarship for being our student nominee. He sat with the Trustees, Shawn Miller, Rep. Shelley Kloba and me for the dinner. His name is Jordan Barde and his story is posted here.

State Government:

On Tuesday I had 8 formal legislative meetings and a number of informal ones…until about 10pm. Like every year, we have no idea where state and technical colleges will land in the budget. Like every year, it looks like “doom and gloom” during this first week. Like every year, I have been updating Cascadia’s legislators about our college demographics and system messages. My crystal ball predicts…

Community colleges will get some kind of salary assistance (Cost of Living Adjustment) for all employees. Hopefully they will FULLY fund our system’s request. If not, it will mean we have to make some budget adjustments to make up the difference. My primary goal over the next 3 months is to push for as much compensation money as I can. I also predict that some money will come to us to assist with implementing Guided Pathways.

On the other hand, I do not think the legislature will give us an increase in operating dollars. With our declining enrollment, that means we will have to work towards becoming more efficient with our dollars or improving our student retention efforts. On money for CC4, I cannot make a prediction…UW is fighting for it, the CTC system is asking them to “stick to the list” (which means we wouldn’t get money until next biennium).

So things are not completely clear. I’ll keep you updated. Most of Wednesday’s WACTC (all presidents) meeting was to work through these issues. And I will give a brief update on the financial status of the college at the all campus DIA on January 31 from 9:15-9:30.

Thanks to the Trustees for joining me on Monday in Olympia. Thanks to Shawn Miller who also in Olympia and was involved in Trustee Orientation, the dinners, WACTC and various other meetings as a participant in the Washington Executive Leadership Academy (WELA). He represented us well.

Federal Government:

As you know, the partial federal government shutdown has gone on for more than one month. People across the country and in our immediate area are feeling the effects. I realize this may be posing a challenge for many and want to share with you a few updates and helpful resources:

  • Financial Aid is not impacted. The Department of Education funding is intact since it was approved by Congress in September. The agencies that are subject to shutdown are those still awaiting funding in one of the remaining appropriation bills. The Social Security Administration, Department of Defense, and Department of Veterans Affairs are likewise unaffected by the shutdown.
  • Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits were issued on January 20th. No additional benefits are scheduled to be issued for the month of February. Public assistance via Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), State Family Assistance (SFA), and the Aged, Blind or Disable Program (ABD) are not expected to be affected.

 

We hope that those who are in need of assistance feel comfortable reaching out to our community for help. Hardship can bring out the best in all of us.

Government work is before us.

Have a great weekend.

Friday Letter, 11-30-18

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The end of fall quarter brings out the best in our campus. Propelled by a moment of thanksgiving, we turn our minds to the needs of those who are not as fortunate as we are or who struggle to access our services at Cascadia. I see evidence of this all over campus and am glad that we have sustained a caring community. These efforts come in many forms.

  1. Winter Wishes is a program led by the classified staff. For three years now they have launched some type of program to help students in need. This year the goal is to support the Kodiak Cave in a project that reaches across multiple campus divisions to offer support. Referenced here is the email from Marah explaining the program.
  2. Cynthia Anchondo is our newest Vet Navigator. The Veterans of Cascadia Club & the LGBTQ+ Club recently sponsored a Friendsgiving to help connect campus vets with services and clubs. Thanks to Cynthia and the clubs for working together on this. Another example of reaching across silos to help others.
  3. This week, Tracy Phutikanit and I attended a conference at UW Seattle on Reengaging Adult Learners. Others from across the campus attended a second day about support services for students. Tracy and I heard stories from former students who reengaged higher education later in life, we heard about programs to support these students, and we discussed the challenges these students face. Child care, transportation, evening class schedules…these were issues that created barriers. We will be calling together those from Cascadia who attended these seminars to discuss ways we might incorporate a better focus on adult learners as we start forming our new strategic plan next year.
  4. Kerry Levett and I are engaged in a process of building better relationships with the school districts in our service area. We met this week with Riverview officials, we meet next week with the new Superintendent of Lake Washington School District, and we are in the process of setting up a meeting with the four Assistant Superintendents of the Northshore School District. These efforts and our renewed commitment is a way for us to determine how to better support the students in these districts. As an example, 33% of Riverview’s students don’t go on to some sort of higher education. How do we change that? What can we do to engage these students?
  5. The Foundation’s employee giving campaign…I Give Because I Care is a great way for you to do something this season to help others in need. $15 per pay period would make the difference in the lives of two students who need a little extra support to complete their work with us at the college. Visit the homepage of go.Cascadia for more information. .

All of the efforts above are examples of our caring community. We work here because we want to support others. I appreciate all of your efforts to make this happen.

Finally today, I must report that the Cascadia Bowling League has ended. After 10 weeks, hard fought battles, and more French fries than we could stand, the league has come to an end.  We have two more team pictures to share: The Rolling Tomes, consisting of our librarians from left to right Chelsea Nesvig, Cora Thomas, Nicole Gustavsen, Laura Dimmit.  And Livin’ on a Spare, consisting of Katie Russo, Erik Tingelstad, Erika Miller, and Tyson Kemper.

There was a battle for 1st and 2nd place and a battle for 3rd and 4th place. The final results are in, but won’t be shared until the January 12th End of League Party. Thanks to the 32 registered bowlers and the many substitutes during the season. We won’t easily forget Gordon’s Happy Dance or Cham’s psychological gaming. We admire Marah’s super consistent form and Mark’s spin ball. Shawn’s donkey kick, Katie’s bowling vest, the Student Life Team’s wigs…they were all a part of a special moment. Thanks to our UW Colleagues who participated…safety & security, grounds, the library staff, and Food for Thought folks. May you have dreams of strikes and spares this holiday season.

Have a great weekend.