Sustainability Cafes

CWU Sustainability Cafes

What is a Sustainability Cafe?

The CWU Sustainability Cafe is a place where students, staff and faculty can come together to collaborate on impactful and implementable campus sustainability projects. The projects are selected based on the interests of the attendees and provide an opportunity to create meaningful change at CWU. At a Cafe, you'll decide on a project you want to work on, create an action plan for implementing the project, and work with members of the CWU community to make it happen. If you're passionate about making CWU a more sustainable place to study, work and live, then join one of the upcoming cafes!

2021-2022 Sustainability Cafes

Cafes are held in SURC 137A/B.

Fall Quarter Cafe: Wednesday, October 20th, 2021, 3:00-4:30pm

Winter Quarter Cafe: Wednesday, January 26th, 2022, 3:00-4:30pm

Spring Quarter Cafe: Wednesday, April 13th, 2022, 3:00-4:30pm

2021-2022 Sustainability Cafe Projects

If you have a sustainability project that you would like to see implemented at Central Washington University, attend a Sustainability Cafe and form a group with other individuals interested in this topic.

Previous Sustainability Café Projects

2020-2021 Sustainability Café Projects

Sustainable Transportation
Sustainable Grounds and Landscaping
Earth Day Celebration
Sustainable Investments
Sustainability Across the Curriculum
Addressing Food Insecurity

2019-2020 Sustainability Café Projects

Waste Reduction in Residential Halls
Xeriscaping (planting native plants)
Earth Day
Sustainable Investments/Green Loan Fund
Bike to Campus Day
Sustainable Transportation
Wildcat Neighborhood Farm
Riparian Revegetation of Wilson Creek on CWU’s Campus
Sustainability Across the Curriculum
Student Food Access Coalition

2018-2019 Sustainability Cafe Projects

Earth Day sponsored by CWU Operations & Earth Week sponsored by the Central Environmental Club

Education: Infusing Sustainability into Campus Tours and Recruitment

Creation of Sustainability rack card to promote sustainability measures and the sustainability certificate
Create a sustainability tour route including LEED buildings, recycling opportunities in residence halls, bike racks around campus, etc.
Create a quarterly sustainability newsletter

Grounds/Dining: Permaculture Project at Wildcat Neighborhood Farm

The Food Forest project at the Wildcat Neighborhood Farm is focused on the design and implementation of a perennial, edible landscape that mimics relationships found in nature. We are in phase one of the project, which will eventually culminate in a productive, educational living laboratory.

Grounds: Xeriscape on Campus

Environmental Studies program student, Savannah Fields, is working on implementing xeriscape on campus. She has partnered with CWU Facilities Department and is creating a list of native plants to be used on future landscaping projects on campus.

Sustainable Investments
Review and change of the university’s investment practices
Create a CWU student investment fund
Set up investments so that donors can donate to a specific project
Get STARS score up so it can be a good for publicity and getting donors
List investment opportunities on the Sustainability website