FGCU Sustainability

21/08/2026

The 2026 Sustainable Futures Challenge is your chance to turn bold ideas into solutions that create a more sustainable future. 💡🌱

🌎 Big ideas. Real-world impact. $15,000 in cash prizes.

The 2026 Sustainable Futures Challenge is your chance to turn bold ideas into solutions that create a more sustainable future. 💡🌱

✨ Win up to $7,000
🌍 Address a UN Sustainable Development Goal
🎓 Open to FGCU students & recent alumni (Fall 2024 or later)

📅 Applications close Sept. 11 at 11:59 p.m.

Ready to make an impact? Apply today! 🔗 Check the link in our bio for more information.

21/08/2026

🌧️ Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes

Did you know that anything left on sidewalks, driveways, and streets can be washed into storm drains during rain events?

Chemicals such as fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides, as well as soaps and other cleaning products can travel through our stormwater system and eventually reach local waterways, impacting water quality and wildlife.

✅ Apply products carefully
✅ Sweep up spills instead of hosing them away
✅ Keep chemicals off sidewalks and paved surfaces

Small actions help protect our rivers, lakes, estuaries, and Gulf waters.



💧Program note: This information is provided through FGCU's MS4 Stormwater Management Education & Outreach Program to promote awareness of stormwater impacts and encourage actions that protect local waterways and improve water quality.

Alt text: A colorful illustration showing two houses with a girl running on a sidewalk while holding a watering can. Below, a cross-section shows stormwater flow, with text urging the avoidance of chemicals on sidewalks.

20/08/2026

First Scholar Series next Wednesday!

Join in for lunch and a lecture by Dr. Joshua Olowoyo, Associate Professor of Environmental Health, titled "Tracking Pollutants in the Environment: Lessons, Challenges, and Future Directions in Environmental Health Science Research." All are welcome; lunch will be served in person, or join virtually via Teams. To access the Teams link, please visit the University Library Calendar of Events. https://fgcu.libcal.com/event/16937960

Registration is encouraged, but not required. Please sign up on Eagle Link to let them know you are coming.

https://getinvolved.fgcu.edu/event/12474505

Discover unique opportunities at! Find and attend events, browse and join organizations, and showcase your involvement.

17/08/2026

🌎 Every trip matters.

Transportation is one of the biggest contributors to greenhouse gas emissions, but everyday choices can make a big difference. Whether you walk, bike, ride the shuttle, take public transit, or share a ride, you're helping create a healthier, more sustainable FGCU community.

Check out our latest article - "Getting Around FGCU: Do You Need a Car on Campus?" - to learn about transportation options, cost-saving tips, and ways to reduce your environmental footprint.

👉 https://getinvolved.fgcu.edu/news/340713


https://getinvolved.fgcu.edu/news/340713

Short answer: Not necessarily! Many FGCU students live, learn, work, and explore SWFL without bringing a vehicle to campus. Here are some of the best transportation options and resources available to you.

05/08/2026

Where Does a Zip Tie Go After Move-In?

If left behind, a single zip tie can travel from a parking lot to a storm drain, into campus lakes, through local estuaries, and eventually even to our Gulf waters.

Move-in day generates a lot of packing waste. Help keep cardboard, Styrofoam, plastic wrap, packing peanuts, and zip ties out of the stormwater system by:

✔ Recycling cardboard
✔ Securing lightweight materials
✔ Using designated trash and recycling bins
✔ Picking up litter when you see it
✔ Remember: leave only rain in the storm drain!

Small actions. Cleaner waterways. Healthier ecosystems.
Protecting our waterways starts right here on campus.

💧Program note: This information is provided through FGCU's MS4 Stormwater Management Education & Outreach Program to promote awareness of stormwater impacts and encourage actions that protect local waterways and improve water quality.

Alt-text: An infographic detailing the environmental impact of a discarded zip tie, illustrating its journey from a parking lot to storm drains, lakes, estuaries, and finally Gulf waters, with tips for maintaining clean waterways.

20/07/2026

Rain washes more than water into our waterways. Keep trash and contaminants out of drains to help protect local wildlife and water quality. 🌧️🦆

💧Program note: This information is provided through FGCU's MS4 Stormwater Management Education & Outreach Program to promote awareness of stormwater impacts and encourage actions that protect local waterways and improve water quality.

Alt-text:
Illustration of a child cleaning trash by a lake with ducks and a deer, under a cloudy sky with raindrops. Text promotes keeping trash out of drains.

Transcribed Text:
Keep trash out of drains.
Where Stormwater Flows, Everything Goes
EPA

17/07/2026

🌦️ Did You Know?

Right here on FGCU's campus, a WeatherSTEM station is collecting real-time weather and environmental data near the Food Forest!

This advanced monitoring system measures conditions like temperature, humidity, rainfall, wind speed, solar radiation, and more. The data helps support education, research, and a better understanding of our local environment.

For the Food Forest, these observations can provide valuable insights into growing conditions, seasonal changes, and how weather influences plants and wildlife.

Whether you're a student, researcher, or just curious about the weather, it's a great example of technology helping us connect with the natural world.

🌱🌤️ Explore the live data and see what's happening on campus in real time!

Complete WeatherSTEM website for Florida Gulf Coast University where it is currently 78.4 F. Get forecasts, data, educational materials, and so much more.

14/07/2026

Watch as these SWFL high school Students race on by on their go-karts powered by solar energy with the help of the Whitaker Institute at FGCU! To learn more, visit fgcu.edu/cas/centers/whitaker/

https://youtu.be/8lIPxRHZibM?si=L-z5JUcWcjcxy8M7

19/06/2026

🌧️ Rainy Season is Here - Help Protect Our Campus Waterways!

Southwest Florida's rainy season brings much-needed rainfall, but it also increases the risk of stormwater pollution. When rain falls on parking lots, sidewalks, roads, and landscaped areas, it can pick up pollutants and carry them directly into our campus ponds, wetlands, and local waterways.

You can help keep our waters clean by:

✅ Properly disposing of trash & recyclables
✅ Picking up pet waste and placing it in a trash receptacle
✅ Not washing vehicles on campus and making sure to promptly clean up any vehicle fluid leaks
✅ Never spilling or dumping paint, chemicals, oils, or other waste onto the ground or into storm drains
✅ Reporting spills or illicit discharges when you see them

Remember: Storm drains are not treatment systems. What goes into a storm drain ends up in our ponds, rivers, estuaries, and the Gulf.

Every member of our campus community plays a role in protecting water quality and supporting a healthy environment. Small actions make a big difference, especially during the rainy season.

💧 Only rain down the drain!
🌎 Protect our water. Protect our future.

💧Program note: This information is provided through FGCU's MS4 Stormwater Management Education & Outreach Program to promote awareness of stormwater impacts and encourage actions that protect local waterways and improve water quality.

Alt-text:
Exterior view of the Cohen Student Union, featuring a blue section and clock tower, alongside a calm water body and lush greenery.

16/06/2026

For your personal sustainability - keeping yourself safe at work!

Hazard Quest: Workplace Safety Escape Room
From slips and trips to chemical, ergonomic, and environmental risks, hazards can appear in unexpected places. This 60‑minute interactive workshop equips general staff with practical tools to recognize hazards early, respond safely, and protect themselves and their coworkers—no technical background required.

Sign up on WorkDay: https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwd5.myworkday.com%2Ffgcu%2Flearning%2Foffering%2F3f1828421b691000c59e350294900000%3Frecord%3D3f1828421b691001ad90a7c31a3c0000%26metadataEntryPoint%3D%252Ffgcu%252Flearning%252Foffering%252Fdd32603a54c21000cd94020dc3320000%253Ftype%253D7c48590b5257100009485b7a25ae0068%2526record%253D3f1828421b691001ad90a7c31a3c0000%2526metadataEntryPoint%253D%25252Ffgcu%25252Flearning%25252Foffering%25252F3f1828421b691000c59e350294900000%25253Ftype%25253D7c48590b5257100009485b7a25ae0068%252526record%25253D3f1828421b691001ad90a7c31a3c0000%26type%3D7c48590b5257100009485b7a25ae0068&data=05%7C02%7Ckcrawfor%40fgcu.edu%7C99306aab739e415e4d9208decbac37af%7Cf7a5a4ef4ffa4c80bfb3c12e28872099%7C0%7C0%7C639172137702461859%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=5hMki%2BYMxi3gWjURfANJITBB85A5d0j7mdjF3%2Bmhjuw%3D&reserved=0

Alt-text:
Flyer for Hazard Quest: Workplace Safety Escape Room on June 18 at 10:00 AM in Cohen 214.

Transcribed Text:
HAZARD QUEST: WORKPLACE SAFETY ESCAPE ROOM
Workplace safety is a shared responsibility and part of everyone’s role—regardless of position or department.

📅 June 18 | ⏰ 10:00 AM | 📍 Cohen 214

This interactive session reinforces workplace safety awareness and reporting through guided problem-solving activities. Open to all faculty, staff, and student workers.
No technical skills required.
Register via Workday: Hazard Quest Sign Up
SAFETY FIRST
FGCU Environmental Health & Safety
Questions? Contact Jennifer Marsico at [email protected]