October is Campus Sustainability Month, and the med center’s campus sustainability events encourage faculty, staff and students to get outside, connect with colleagues, learn something new and make a hands-on impact.
Events include:
Oct. 8: Prairie maintenance and monarch butterfly tagging, 4:30-5:30 p.m., UNMC Lot 16 (near the Center for Healthy Aging)
Join the LiveGreen Ambassadors to:
- Catch and tag monarch butterflies
- Gather native prairie seeds for spring planting
- Help maintain the campus prairie by clearing overgrown plants
- Learn from professionals and connect with fellow sustainability-minded colleagues
What to bring: Comfortable clothes and shoes for yard work. Work gloves, loppers and butterfly nets will be provided (but feel free to bring your own gloves).
How to join: RSVP here or look for the Prairie Maintenance and Monarch Tagging event on the UNMC event calendar.
Oct. 15: Tree planting ceremony, 12-1 p.m., between the UNMC College of Pharmacy and the UNMC Center for Healthy Living
Hosted by HEAL and supported by the Office of Sustainability, this community gathering is a chance to plant a new American sycamore on campus and:
- Learn why trees are an important part of a sustainable future
- Connect with colleagues and the campus community
- Enjoy snacks and conversation
- Suggest a name for the new campus tree
How to join: Stop by during the noon-hour event.
Oct. 28: RIP and RENEW volunteer opportunity, 12-1 p.m., 4230 Building, FMP Conference Room 1015
For those looking to turn sustainability into action, RIP + RENEW is a new monthly volunteer opportunity for UNMC and Nebraska Medicine staff, students and faculty, hosted by the Office of Sustainability in partnership with the LiveGreen Ambassadors.
The event will include food, music and community.
You’ll be able to jump into hands-on waste-diversion projects such as:
- ‘De-logo’ing lab coats for donation
- Disassembling plastic tubes for recycling
- Testing batteries for donation
- And more ways to support our net-zero waste goals
How to join: RSVP for RIP + RENEW Wednesdays by filling out the registration form. Directions and additional instructions will be shared after registration.
Healthcare Culinary Contest
Taking sustainability into the kitchen, the med center team will be submitting a recipe to the Healthcare Culinary Contest again this year.
More information will be available soon on this year’s entry. Learn more about the med center’s national recognition in 2025 and support your culinary team in 2026.