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March 17, 2021

The WHOI Sustainability Task Force (STF) March 17th, 2021 Meeting MINUTES

Attendance: Sarah Youngs, Lauren Dykman, Danielle Freeman,  Sebastien Bigorre, Taylor Heyl, Dina Pandya, Pam Polloni, Stephanie Madsen

#1   WSS – WSS  (WHOI Social Sustainability) - Wellness and Inclusion are emerging as big needs right now at WHOI! Please help:

Lunch and Learns:

  • Lunch n Learn – Bee Keeping at WHOI update (Karen Soenen + Danie Kinkade) March 26, 2021 at Noon

https://whoi-edu.zoom.us/j/96829298940?pwd=TkFoSE5xY0NhLzdON29zUm1kNi92Zz09
• Meeting ID: 968 2929 8940
• Passcode: CFuH7%

  • Boat Shrink Wrap Recycling – SeaGrant – Stephanie Murphy Wednesday, April 14th at Noon (zoom link to come) Join Zoom Meeting https://whoi-edu.zoom.us/j/95485288759?pwd=ZnlycVVzcGNiRGVOUmJ1Qlo0ZWZidz09

Meeting ID: 954 8528 8759 Passcode: w52Q%L

Hikes:

  • 3 Hikes with The 300 Committee led by Colleen Smith – Sign up before they fill (10 spots for each Saturday hike) https://signup.com/go/aLiSFbg   These have been well attended and really positive thus far!
  • Campus open for hikes and tennis!
  • Create Walk-Meet Loop Maps- How long does it take to walk around Ring Road? Can you walk and hold a meeting at the same time? We need volunteers to map the loop, measure the distance and calculate time. Other loops/trails would be great too – a 30 minute bike path loop? A 30 minute Village Loop (Eel Pond)

Action:

  • Generate flyer for Boat Shrink Wrap Lunch n Learn (SMurphy- done)
  • Map loops around campus using All Trails (SY-Eel Pond, SM+DP-Ring Road)
  • Create flyer for Loop Walks – add maps, pictures, quotes

 

#2   Solar Update – Meteor House solar installation is possible. Waiting for an updated proposal from ReVision Energy.

Clark South + Clark Solar Update – net meters installed and inverters were turned on March 19th!.

Residential: Community Shared Solar available (aka Residential Off-site Solar). A new solar installation in Plymouth is looking for residential customers. Expect to save 15% of your utility supply bill.  If you rent a home, have an old roof, and/or can’t install solar on your rooftop, consider purchasing off-site solar through Cape + Islands Self-Reliance. Contact Megan Amsler if interested. megan@reliance.org

Action:

  • If interested in Off-site Residential solar, contact Megan Amsler or Joe Loud 982.0888 TO APPLY
  • Finalize netmetering paperwork (SM- done)
  • Work on ethernet connection and dashboard for our solar webpage (SM) 

#3   LED light installation update – 4 buildings completed, 2 to go (for 2021). These 6 LED installations brought in $380,000 rebate dollars.

  • Blake, Clark South, Losos, McLean (completed Jan-March)
  • Next –Smith (May 4th start date), Bigelow (April 5th start date)

Action:

  • Contact Building Reps in Bigelow + Smith (SM)

#4   EV Chargers at NQF Building (new building on Quissett Campus)- discuss options regarding Eversource’s EV Make Ready Program (pays all 240v wiring, trenching and paving) and MassDOT EVIP Program (pays half of hardware costs).

Action:

  • Contact MassEVIP and apply for EV port rebate which is 50% of hardware cost (SM)
  • Get charging station estimate from SemaConnect – dual port with adjustable cables (SM)

#5   Beach Clean-up Shore Lab - Monthly –STF is partnering with T3C + WHOI neighbors to clean up the beach on the first Thursday of each month at noon. Meet at Gate by Shore Lab. Leaders for Beach Cleanups include:

  • March 4, Thursday – Kevin Nikolaus + Stephanie Madsen
  • April 1 – Dina Pandya and Stephanie Murphy
  • May 6, Thursday – Pam Polloni + Steph Madsen
  • June 3, Thursday – Taylor Heyl + Danielle Freeman

#6 WHOI’s Your Buddy Program being formulated –The goal is to create a more diverse, inclusive, and welcoming environment at WHOI. Coming soon, more information will be posted on the Workplace Climate Committees website

Action:

  • Schedule next WHOI’s Your Buddy meeting- Thursday, April 8 at 11:00am (DP + SM)
  • Write a Welcome to WHOI letter for new employees (SM + team- done, we need edits)
  • Update Buddy Form by adding exemplars (examples) so people know what kind of Buddy Profile we are looking for (DP)
  • Recruit Buddies to Sign up to be a Buddy (https://web.whoi.edu/wcc/whois-your-buddy-program/

#7   STF Garden Plot in the Village – email Seb Bigorre sbigorre@whoi.edu if you’d like to help out at the STF garden this Spring + Summer.

Action:

  • Help start seeds for garden
  • Meet at the Garden Plot on Sunday, March 21 at 11:00am to prep soil for planting

#8 Green it Forward Award (has been on hold during Covid) Do we modify the program or wait until the Pandemic is over? Thoughts include: Raffle for Beach cleanup participants (Helen)

Action:

  • Add this to next month’s agenda, we ran out of time.

#9   New Business    -