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Environmental Action Committee: Lighting retrofits, approval for butterfly garden top accomplishments for 2008-09

New energy-efficient light bulbs on portions of the Grayslake campus, an increase in the number of recycling bins and grant approval for a new butterfly garden are among several 2008-09 accomplishments of CLC's Environmental Action Committee.

Here's a list of highlights from each of the group's five subcommittees:

Native Landscaping/Pesticide Use

Committee members Rory Klick (horticulture chair), along with Cindy Trombino and Kelly Cartwright (biology instructors) successfully sought funding from the CLC Foundation to create a new 4,416-square-foot butterfly garden on the south side of the campus, between the C and B Wing entrances. Work on the garden will begin in June. (See accompanying feature.)

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Education to take wing in
new butterfly garden

By this time next spring, the College of Lake County should be the summer home of a breathtaking array of colorful butterfly species with noble-sounding names like red admiral, monarch and viceroy.

A new 4,416-square-foot butterfly garden has been approved for construction on the south side of the campus, between the C and B Wing entrances, according to Cindy Trombino, a biology instructor who has been a proponent of the project. Trombino, along with Kelly Cartwright, biology department chair and Rory Klick, horticulture department chair, coordinated efforts to secure a $5,000 CLC Foudation grant to pay for the garden's construction.

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Fixing eco-friendly cars: Sabbatical to research training methods, assess CLC's program

As the gas/electric hybrid cars, plug-in electric cars and fuel cells continue to grow in popularity, just how well-trained are College of Lake County (CLC) automotive grads at fixing them? How does CLC's automotive technology program compare to other colleges? What does CLC need to do to keep its program cutting-edge?

Answers to the above questions will be answered in fall semester 2009, as Dr. Lance David, CLC automotive instructor, takes a sabbatical leave to study automotive education at colleges and corporate training centers in the Midwest.

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Green thumbs up: New campus garden yields veggies, flowers and camaraderie

CLC's new community garden, created in May on the Grayslake campus, is starting to yield many dividends beyond sunflowers and juicy, lip-smacking fruits and vegetables.

The garden, occupying about one-fourth of an acre on the east side of the horticulture building, is divided into 38 plots. Tended by faculty, staff, students and community members, the new garden has been a source of relaxation, learning, new friendships and even a way for parents to help their children eat more vegetables.

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Fall courses, workshops teach green practices

Interested in going green at home or at your business? The College of Lake County is offering several opportunities to learn green practices during the fall 2009 semester. Formats include both one-day seminars and semester-long credit courses, and topics range from green construction to locally grown sustainable food production.

One-Day Seminars

For more information on these seminars and how to register, visit http://wpdi.clcillinois.edu/professional. Instructors and course materials are provided by the Wisconsin-based Midwest Renewable Energy Association (MREA).

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