All Posts - Page 28 of 40

Go Play Outside

Posted on May 31, 2017 by Jerrod Bley

by Melanie Stewart

photo credit: freeimages.com/BrainLary

Memorial Day celebrations are wrapping up, signaling the unofficial beginning of summer! That means school is out and now the fun challenge of keeping kids occupied (without a screen) is here. Did you know that spending time in nature is great for kids and adults and can improve health? There are lots of inexpensive ways to spend time outside whether you are a seasoned naturalist or a newbie, and you don’t even have to leave the area.

Most of you are probably aware of options like the Henry Doorly Zoo and Lauritzen Botanical Gardens, but LiveGreen would like you to know there are LOTS of options in and around this area: hiking, biking, fishing, bird watching, trains, camping, relaxing, there’s something for everyone. Everything below is linked to easily allow you to find details and make plans for your weekends or staycations (and some have day camps for kids and teens):

Fontenelle Forest
Two Rivers State Recreation Area
Chalco Hills & Wehrspann Lake
Mahoney State Park
Hitchcock Nature Center
Neale Woods – which includes the Millard Observatory
Heron Haven
Boyer-Chute National Wildlife Refuge
Loess Hills State Forest –did you know that Loess is a soil found in only two places on earth?
Ponca State Park
Kramper Lake at Danish Alps
Omaha City Trails
Prairie View Recreation Area
DeSoto Bend National Wildlife Refuge
Gifford State Forest
Blackbird Marsh County Preserve
Fremont State Recreation Area
City of Omaha Parks (lists all parks, locations, and amenities)
Schramm Park State Recreation Area and Ak-Sar-Ben Aquarium
Platte River State Park
Prairie Queen Recreation Area
Fort Atkinson State Historical Park
Lake Manawa State Park
Douglas County Parks with access to rivers
Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park and Wildlife Safari (Check out the calendar so you can time your visit to see enrichment activities for the Wolves and Bear. Go in the summer but make sure you come back in the fall to hear the elk “bugle”, it’s an experience you won’t forget!)
Nebraska Game and Parks

Have fun and enjoy your summer!

P.S. Know of something we forgot? Feel free to share it in the comments below!

Challenge Accepted?

Posted on May 30, 2017 by Jerrod Bley

3 Comments

Tis the season to get outside and get moving, so why not earn some prizes along the way?

We know you’ve heard of Med Center on the Move; a campaign this spring to encourage Med Center employees to pick an active mode of transportation for one of their commutes each week. Just one trip per week! You pick the day and the mode that works for you.

Whether it’s walking, taking the bus, biking, carpooling or a combination of them, active transportation helps keep you healthier AND cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions. Did I mention you can earn prizes by participating? Or prizes for encouraging others to participate? Click here for full details.

You can also take part in Nebraska’s Sesquicentennial celebration by participating in the NE 150 Challenge. Join UNMC’s team or form your own to challenge others and qualify for special prizes. Click here for details.

While you’re at it, sign up for the Live Well Omaha Commuter Challenge. It occurs in conjunction with the National Bike Challenge and encourages all of us to use active transportation. Sign up for the Omaha Commuter Challenge here and log bus, bike, walking, and carpooling trips. Oh, did I mention you can win prizes here too?

Participate in the National Bike Challenge. Signing up is free, (indicate your team as Omaha VeloCity and your employer as Nebraska Medical Center), it allows you to track your cycling miles whether for transportation or recreation, can promote improvements to cycling infrastructure in our community, and you can win prizes. Are you sensing a theme here?

Omaha VeloCity began in 2014 to compete with other mega-teams created in other cities across the country. Omaha VeloCity finished #2 in the nation in 2014, #5 in 2015, and was back to #2 in 2016. Jack Mayfield, an avid cyclist who worked on campus and with UNeMed, was instrumental in starting and promoting team Omaha VeloCity and you can read about him here.

If tracking and prizes aren’t your thing, consider the 30×30 nature challenge, from the U.S. Green Building Council (USGBC). You don’t have to sign up, there’s no cost, no checking in; just the simple task of putting down electronic devices and spending 30 minutes a day in nature, for 30 days. Physical and mental benefits are the prizes here.

So what are you waiting for? Challenge yourself! Prize or not, everyone wins.

Earth Week Tally

Posted on May 16, 2017 by Jerrod Bley

Let’s Get the Med Center on the Move

Posted on May 9, 2017 by Jerrod Bley

416 Comments

Would you like to save money? Are you looking for ways to fit more exercise in your day? Would you like to reduce pollution and traffic congestion in Omaha? Have more fun?

Then let’s get the Med Center on the Move!

Med Center on the Move is a campaign this spring to encourage Med Center employees to try taking an active mode of transportation for one of their commutes each week.

That’s it, just one trip per week! You pick the day and the mode that works for you.

Whether it’s walking, taking the bus, biking, carpooling or a combination of modes, active transportation helps keep you healthier AND cuts down on greenhouse gas emissions. This campaign aligns with the City of Omaha’s Midtown on the Move, an active transportation campaign for all of Midtown.

Between April 17^th and June 30^th, sign up for TravelSmart* and have a chance to win a free bike tune-up at Ponderosa Cycles, a gym/travel bag, a Camelbak water bottle, a walk/bike safety light, a drawstring backpack, or a hot/cold beverage tumbler!

If you’re already a TravelSmartie, refer a coworker for a chance to win a 20-minute massage from the Wellness Center, a walk/bike safety light, or a zippered padfolio!

*We encourage any employee or student to use active transportation. However, please note that only employees and students at the 42^nd and Dewey campus are currently eligible for TravelSmart.

Did you know? TravelSmart offers….

FREE parking for carpoolers (in your same lot!)
FREE bus passes
FREE indoor bike parking, shower, and locker access for cyclists and walkers
FREE emergency ride home if needed
FREE carpool matchingif you need help finding a carpool partner, and
Convenient $3 daily-rate flexible parking.

Please note that you do NOT have to give up your current parking permit, nor do you need to use active transportation every day to participate in TravelSmart or see the financial benefits.

Did you know?

Moms and dads with kids to drop off and pick up use TravelSmart
Students and colleagues with inconsistent schedules use TravelSmart
Business professionals use TravelSmart

… and so can YOU!

If you are interested in active commuting but don’t think it will work for you, contact me. I will be happy to help you with trip planning.

Earth Week Winners Announced, Feedback sought

Posted on May 2, 2017 by Jerrod Bley

1 Comment

By Melanie Stewart

Earth Week was a little cold and rainy this year, but that didn’t stop us from having fun! We celebrated our new 2030 goals, had our first booth at Earth Day Omaha, saw how creative, resourceful, and talented our fellow colleagues are in the Re-Purpose It contest, collected items from your home for appropriate recycling, brought in lots of subject matter experts to answer your questions and provide you with information (and free stuff!), taste-tested vegan chocolate chip cookies, planted a tree, gave away free trees and seeds, and last but not least, got expert advice from Master Gardeners.

So we want to know what you thought! Please click on the link below to take our less than 2-minute survey. Your feedback will help us to know what to do, or not do, next Earth Week and what changes we can make so it’s even better.

Click here for Earth Week Survey.

Re-Purpose It Contest Winners:

Grand Prize, Winner of popular vote:

#1 Bret Gardner, MD/PhD Student; Cedar fence pieces into dining benches.
- Receives a 20-minute chair massage from the Wellness Center ($20 Value) and $25 Gift Card to Union Junktion Store.

Second Place in popular vote:

#31 Cynthia Pickinpaugh, Patient Financial Counselor, UNL Health Center; Toddler bed into garden bench
- Receives a $20 HyVee gift card courtesy of Sodexo

Third Place in popular vote:

#19 Deana Sorgenfrei, Prof Coding Sr. Assoc, Orthopaedic Revenue Cycle; Fire pit lid to solar gazebo chandelier
- Receives a hot/cold tumbler, Bobble filtering water bottle, and 8GB USB drive

2 Winners selected by LiveGreen Ambassadors:

#11, Tuire Cechin, Program Coordinator for Path/Micro, IPID; Wall sheeting, lumber scraps, pallet pieces, netting, hollow plant stems into a pollinator house.
- Receives a $25 gift certificate to The UNMC Bookstore
#4, Patty Ostronic, Volunteer Services Lead; Wedding Dress into pillows, tree skirt/bag, sachets, wreath, and rosary bag
- Receives a $25 gift certificate to The Company Store

Winners of 10-minute chair massage from Sustainability Expo feedback drawing:

Pam Welch, Vice Chancellor for Research Office
Anne Skinner, AH Research Administration

We’ll get information gathered from our recycling event, the rest of Earth Week and the effect it had, and bring that to you in a future article.

Thanks for helping to make Earth Week a success and for your valuable feedback.

Earth Week in Full Swing

Posted on April 25, 2017 by Jerrod Bley

Items Collected at Sustainability Expo

Posted on April 17, 2017 by Jerrod Bley

1 Comment

By Melanie Stewart

Next week is Earth Week! We have lots of great entries in Monday’s RePurpose It contest, look forward to seeing all of you at our personal document shredding, electronic and techno trash recycling event on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sustainability Expo on Thursday, and Master Gardener Q&A and tree planting on Friday.

There will be many great groups to talk to at the Sustainability Expo, but one of the new additions this year is the UNMC Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) department. They will be collecting items that need to be properly disposed of but are often overlooked in office/non-laboratory areas, such as aerosol cans, batteries, and flammable chemicals.

Aerosol cans (including empty aerosol cans) must be handled as hazardous waste, according to The Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality (NDEQ). All used, unwanted, empty aerosol cans must be collected. Examples of aerosol cans include: compressed air dusters, WD-40, spray paint, hair spray, whipped cream and cooking spray. For more information on Aerosol Can Disposal, refer to the Hazardous Material Fact Sheet: Aerosol Can Disposal.

EHS will collect flammable chemicals from office and non-laboratory areas. These items include, but are not limited to, hand sanitizers, rubbing alcohol, correction fluid (white out).

Batteries are generally regulated because of high amounts of heavy metals. Though alkaline batteries are not EPA regulated, work-related batteries can be recycled at no cost to your department through the Alkaline Battery Recycling Program. When you have a full container of used alkaline batteries you may now request a pick-up on-line here.

Rechargeable and button batteries are not recycled through that program; they need to be tagged and turned in to EHS. Look at the Hazardous Material Fact Sheet: Battery Disposal for proper management methods of the different types of batteries.

Did you know? The med center has recycled 5.8 tons (11,694 pounds) of alkaline batteries since 2014!

If your work area has any aerosol cans, flammable chemicals, or batteries to dispose of, you can bring them to EHS at the Expo; no tag needed! Please place any corroded or leaking batteries in a plastic bag and keep battery types separate.

If you are unable to attend the Expo but have these items, please contact EHS for proper disposal at 9-6356 or unmcehs@unmc.edu

If you have any questions about items you may have in your area, please reference the Hazardous Material Fact Sheet: Office and Non-Laboratory Areas Checklist.

Girl Scouts Earn Bronze by Going Green

Posted on April 10, 2017 by Jerrod Bley

3 Comments

Ronald McDonald House Charities® in Omaha provides a temporary home away from home for families of ill or injured children receiving treatment at Omaha medical facilities. The temporary nature of the guests made consistent recycling difficult.

Enter Omaha Girl Scout Troop #41706.

Troop #41706 completed their Bronze Award project, the highest honor a Girl Scout Junior can achieve. The troop has 19 fifth graders from Loveland Elementary and Swanson Elementary in Westside Community school District. Each girl completed 20 hours of community work individually for the project. Together with their troop leaders, this is over 400 hours of service.

The troop partnered with Nebraska Medicine/UNMC to help make the Ronald McDonald House’s recycling program more robust. While the House had a recycling program, it had yet to be used to its full potential, as many of the things thrown away could have been recycled. Thanks to this project, more than 160 families who stay there each year, along with staff, will be able to significantly cut back on the amount of waste discarded at the House.

Lindsey Rai Reasner, Executive Director of RMHC in Omaha, was happy to see the improvements. “We’re thankful any time a community member provides a service to our families, but to have a group of young people so committed to helping families and our community at large inspires such a feeling of pride and excitement for our future.”

To ensure the program would be sustainable, the troop operated in separate committees for the various tasks involved. These committees decorated cheerful recycling bins, developed signage to be posted around the House, wrote a manual detailing the program, and created video and written communications explaining the project.

“It was fun to work together to help the kids at the Ronald McDonald House and the earth,” said Marigold Helvey, age 11, and 5th grader at Loveland Elementary School. That spirit of collaboration extended beyond the troop itself.

Troop co-leader Ann Anderson Berry says that this project “represents the best of Omaha: with efforts from our Girl Scout troop, the support of the Med Center’s LiveGreen initiative, and the support of Westside Community Schools, the Ronald McDonald House and the community will benefit from what we anticipate will be a large increase in recycling.” Prior to this project, the troop worked with LiveGreen & Nebraska Medicine to reduce the use of Styrofoam in the NICU.

Net Zero Waste

Posted on April 4, 2017 by Jerrod Bley

1,806 Comments

By Melanie Stewart

Hopefully you have heard about the Med Center’s impressive new goals: Net Zero Emissions, Net Zero Water, and Net Zero Waste, all by 2030.

Net Zero Waste sounds impressive, but what does it really mean? Ultimately we plan to divert 90% of all waste leaving campus away from the landfill. I know what you are thinking: 90% is not “Zero Waste,” and you are technically right. Net Zero Waste is defined as 90% being diverted with 10% remaining as some waste will always be created.

This is an ambitious goal. Disposable single-use devices have become the norm in medical care as a means to promote patient safety. We will not put employees or patients at risk in order to meet this goal. However, the industry is realizing how much waste is inherent in this practice in terms of cost as well as landfill space, and we can build on the changes that are starting to happen. Several of you have noted items or processes that could change—thank you and keep ‘em coming!

We can avoid waste by changing some of our personal habits as well. Take the easy step to recycle! Put that pop bottle, soup can, or frozen lunch tray in the green recycling bin. Dump any liquid and scrape out the bulk of the food—no need to rinse clean. Flatten all grades of cardboard and place against the wall. Check out this video to see what to recycle on campus.

Remember that reducing and reusing come before recycling. Start with something easy: instead of getting coffee each morning in a disposable cup, bring your reusable cup. You’ll drink fewer chemicals and keep you coffee warm longer. Don’t underestimate the impact of a simple action repeated over time.

We also know that many of you find fun ways to reuse items at home; consider entering them in Earth Week’s RePurpose It Contest (for details, click here). It’s free to enter, and you can win a prize as you inspire others with your great ideas. You do not have to be a master craftsman or seamstress to win a prize; some of the best ideas are simple things that most people can do. Check out LiveGreen’s Pinterest Page if you need inspiration.

World Water Day

Posted on March 28, 2017 by Jerrod Bley

2 Comments

By Melanie Stewart

Photo by Lynn Betts, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service

How safe is your water?

Last week the United Nations marked World Water Day, did you observe? Did you hug your aquifer? More seriously, maybe you installed a low flow showerhead, taught your child to turn off the faucet while brushing their teeth, or installed a rain barrel? {Don’t know how to make a rain barrel? Come to the Sustainability Expo for free instructions and demo!}

Water is one of those things that we take for granted; we turn on the faucet and clean water comes out–for us, our pets, even our yard. So it is mind-boggling to consider the fact that the U.N. estimates 1.8 billion people are drinking water that is known to be contaminated. That’s 1 in every 4 people drinking water that has feces in it; increasing the chances of them contracting polio, dysentery, cholera, and typhoid.

You could be thinking, “The people drinking that water aren’t here; they’re in a Third World country halfway across the globe. My water source isn’t tied to theirs, so this doesn’t directly affect me.” You could be right.

Maybe.

Personally, I find it difficult to picture children bathing in water that also has livestock in it. Unfathomable that people collect water they can’t see through to drink. Heartbreaking that diarrhea accounts for 1 in 9 child deaths worldwide, killing almost 2,200 children every day, more than AIDS, malaria, and measles combined.

Even if that doesn’t have an effect on you, our water sources are not guaranteed. Our region relies heavily on the Ogallala Aquifer, but it’s being drained faster than it can refill threatening not only our drinking water, but agriculture and our way of life.

This past year has demonstrated the vulnerability of water with the crisis in Flint, Michigan, protests surrounding oil pipelines, and water contaminated with methane to the point that it can be lit on fire.

Our habits outside of direct water usage matter too. Numerous companies are using water sources in other countries to make the products that the developed world wants. Water is needed for bottle production as well as the product in that bottle—which we consume at an alarming rate.

UNMC and Nebraska Medicine have set the goal of Net Zero Water by 2030. Reducing our usage at work means more clean water for everyone. It also means we create less wastewater, which can be part of the problem as well.

How can you help?

Resources from the U.N.

Check the condition of your local waterways

Make a difference in your own backyard

20 easy ways to conserve at home