Ecológica, an indigenous botanical garden designed to give students and the surrounding community a first-hand look at how native landscape enhances wildlife, is Palo Alto's latest green initiative. The urban oasis will be a 2.5-acre outdoor laboratory that boasts a Butterfly Garden, a Duck Discovery Lab, and Semillas, which means 'seeds' in Spanish.
Semillas will introduce Palo Alto students, faculty, staff and neighbors to the herbs and remedies native people have used for centuries. The garden will be maintained by students and will create a sense of community and provide unique insight to our ancestors' use of medicinal herbs and plants. It will also highlight a variety of chilis native to the area.
Ecológica will serve as an educational beacon for the Chemistry, Biology and Horticulture students at Palo Alto, bringing their textbooks to life. Ecológica was first forged as the Science Exploration Laboratory and Interpretive Center through a two-year grant received from the U.S Department of Education for the College Cost Reduction and Access Act.
According to information provided by the college's Director of Institutional Advancement Development & Planning, Yolanda Jimenez, Palo Alto's MOTIVE (Motivating Opportunity to Involve Valuable Education) will fund the upgrade of two science labs, the SELIC Center itself, and education for faculty involved in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics), a grant intended to further student success in these fields.
Sabrina Carey, assistant to the president and CIP liaison who oversees the construction and renovation projects on campus, said the college is trying to manage its resources wisely by making eco-friendly choices.
Ecologica is the latest step toward the greening of the entire campus, which began in 2008 when the Go Green! ¡Viva Verde! Committee was formed by faculty and staff.
A Declaration of Environmental Sustainability, signed by Palo Alto's president in April of 2008, committed Palo Alto to fostering environmentally responsible citizens, reducing solid waste, maximizing recycling, conserving water, reducing energy consumption, protecting natural habitat and indigenous wildlife, improving air quality, purchasing green supplies, and building green when remodeling or constructing.
Kim Corbin, Fine and Performing Arts Lab Technician, serves as the chair of the Recycling Subcommittee that initiated a recycling program that has been very successful. Since January of 2009, more than 42,000 pounds of recyclables (paper, cardboard, plastic, metal and glass) have been rescued for re-use.
Club Earth, a student organization re-activated by Biology Professor Deborah Dixon, is dedicated to "improving our school by making students more knowledgeable on how to conserve our planet," according to Club Earth President Cynthia Treviño.
Treviño also stated that the club involves the community in events such as the Basura Bash, Graffiti Wipeout and Texas Recycles Day. It will also participate in PACfest this spring, Round Up Week and the Club Fair.
For information on Club Earth, drop by the SWF Building, Room 127, every first and third Wednesday of the month at 3 p.m. Or visit them on Facebook (ClubEarth PAC) or Myspace (club_earth_pac).
Initiatives on the horizon include planting bluebonnets by the 410 entrance to the Poteet Highway and the introduction of the Go Green and Lean ¡Viva Verde! Bike-Sharing Initiative, which hopes to motivate students, faculty and staff to use alternative means of transportation.
One hundred day-glow green bicycles will be available for use around campus, encouraging biking rather than driving, reducing consumption of non-renewable energy and improving air quality.
The bike program will be sustained by students and the community. To be involved in its planning or to donate a bike, contact ESOL Adjunct Anna CohenMiller at anna.cohenmiller@gmail.com.
For more info on the Go Green! ¡Viva Verde! Committee, visit www.alamo.edu/pac/vivaverde. To join the green movement, contact Dr. Denise Barkis Richter, Comm professor, at drichter@alamo.edu.