9 Ways to Get Your Green on!

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Photo: A woman and a man dressed in several pieces of green clothing pose in front of the Aggie Stadium scoreboard
Second-year biological sciences major Rebecca Caabay-Lainez, left, and second-year chemical engineering major Brian Trat are showing their sustainability color at Aggie Stadium. Karin Higgins/UC Davis photo

Mix UC Davis' school colors — blue and gold — with a special measure of environmental care, and you've created Aggie green. Discover nine ways that Aggie green colors what we do on campus and join in.

1. Celebrate our energy-efficient buildings

 Building with skylights and people walking through
Skylights contribute to the energy efficiency of the Student Community Center, one of the campus buildings to be awarded the highest platinum status under the Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. Greg Urquiaga/UC Davis photo

You've got reason to be proud of the places you eat, sleep, study and hang out on campus. Some newer UC Davis buildings have incorporated cool features on their way to earning bragging rights under the U.S. Green Building Council's Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design program. Take the skylights in the Student Community Center … the way waste water vapor provides heat and hot water for those Tercero residence halls named for trees … and how natural ventilation cools the common areas of Gladys Valley Hall. UC Davis' West Village, home to some 2,000 students and employees, is the nation's largest planned zero net energy community.

2. Put yourself on the sustainability map

A map of the UC Davis campus with sustainability points of interest
The sustainability map highlights points of interest where UC Davis is putting sustainability into practice. UC Davis Map

Start walking or pedaling to see how UC Davis is putting sustainability into practice. The campus's sustainability map guides users through a 2.75-mile walking or 5-mile biking tour. Explore the Salad Bowl Garden for fresh-picked ingredients on "salad bowl lunch" days. Learn how motion sensors wait just for you to light up library stacks or a parking garage. And tune up your wheels at one of the more than dozen self-serve bike repair stations.

3. Get in a green class

 Three men hover over a computer with a car in the background
Engineering students work with staff of a smart energy software company on designs for the drive train of an electric vehicle. Karin Higgins/UC Davis photo

Choose from about 250 courses related to sustainability or dive into a related major like sustainable agriculture and food systems or a minor like energy efficiency.

4. Be diverted at our football games

 A woman and a man dressed in several pieces of green clothing pose in front of the Aggie Stadium scoreboard
Aggie football fans themselves compete with other campuses to reduce stadium waste and divert it from landfills. Karin Higgins/UC Davis photo

And get in the game too! UC Davis aims to be zero waste by 2020. The campus participates in the national Game Recyling Day Challenge, which highlights waste diversion efforts at Aggie Stadium during football season. In 2014 and 2015, UC Davis finished first in the diversion rate categories for the NCAA Division I FCS, or Football Championship Subdivision.

5. Wheel on your way to move sustainability forward

 A bicyclist riding fast along a path
Commuting by bike is a point of Aggie pride at what is one of the nation's two most bicycle-friendly universities, according to the League of American Cyclists. Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis photo

Hop on a bike or Unitrans bus, and you're helping move sustainability forward. The goClub offers students and employees many green transportation options — with great incentives. The goClub can also be your route to the Zimride ride-sharing service or to renting a Zipcar on campus.

6. Get involved in our sustainability efforts

 Man holding recyclable materials in an area where people are sorting
A student shows how to recycle in his efforts to contribute to sustainability. UC Davis photo

Students power many sustainability initiatives at UC Davis. Check out opportunities at the Sustainable2ndCentury website and the EcoHub. Adjacent to the Bike Barn, the hub houses three units of the Associated Students of UC Davis:

7. Bring your own mug or bottle

 coffee urns with someone filling up a mug
With your own reusable mug, grab a coffee and a discount at many campus eateries. Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis photo

Lots of campus eateries offer a discount on drinks when you bring your own container. And don't forget to use those handy H20 hydration stations around campus.

8. Reuse it before recycling

 A large store with shelves and a counter in the background where two men are doing business
Aggie Surplus sells excess university property to the public. Gregory Urquiaga/UC Davis photo

We have two special ways for you to give extra life to something before it gets recycled or goes to the landfill. The Aggie Reuse Store, part of the EcoHub, sells discarded school and office supplies, arts and craft materials, and clothing. Aggie Surplus sells excess university property. Browse in the store or search online. Pick up some bookcases, a computer or even a Unitrans bus!

9. Swear to our Aggie Green Pledge

 a line of graphic buttons for sustainability fir food, energy, waste, commuting and water
Through the Aggie Green Pledge, you can promise to act in any of the areas of food, energy, waste, commuting and water. Russ Thebaud/UC Davis graphic

Now, take the Aggie Green Pledge to make your contribution to campus sustainability. Look for pledge opportunities at the UC Davis Farmers Market or other major events. Choose one of three specific actions in any of the categories of food, energy, waste, commute and water. Wear a button representing your pledge and be proud.

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