IU Bloomington Office of Sustainability

Curious about what makes a building LEED certified? Join us on Friday for a tour of the O’Neill building and learn about sustainable building standards in action! Register: go.iu.edu/c9budL

On this gorgeous day, we’re joined at by an amazing group of volunteers from for some spring cleaning and preparation of the gardens. Thank you to all the student volunteers, community master gardeners, and staff who joined today!

Join us tomorrow for a cooking demo with Chat Tallent! Learn tips and tricks for making the most of the ingredients you buy. Registration link in bio.

Join the IU Office of Sustainability on a tour of Brambleberry Farm, a 32 acre plant nursery, silvopasture, and permaculture farm in Paoli, Indiana. Learn about rainwater harvesting, natural building methods, and how passive solar design can function in Indiana!
Carpooling will be provided. Registration link in bio.

Whether you’re a seasoned winter bike rider or are curious about keeping your wheels turning this season, please join us for a winter cycling event next week at the Ballantine Bike Hub. Enjoy warm drinks, community, and helpful ideas. At 9:30 a.m., Bicycle Indiana will share tips for staying safe and comfortable while biking in cold weather and will give away bike-related goodies while supplies last.
 
Event link in bio.

Our Space Heater Exchange Program is back by popular demand for IU faculty and staff!

Trade in your personal space heater for a FREE, energy-efficient alternative—your choice of a cozy cotton flannel throw, an electric blanket, or an electric seat warmer.

For more information and to sign up: https://go.iu.edu/staywarm

As the Indiana Hoosiers continue through this remarkable season, the Office of Sustainability will have a presence at all home games. Join us in our efforts to encourage tailgaters to properly dispose of their waste!

Scan the QR code or copy the link to sign up:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C054BACA62DA3FFC70-57997612-tailgate

As campus comes alive again, the Office of Sustainability is here to help you make this year a little greener—whether that’s biking to class, reducing waste, or joining us as an intern or volunteer.

Let’s make IU Bloomington more sustainable, together. 🌱

Last week, we partnered with our friends at Department of Natural Resources to host a day-long Tree Steward Training for IU community members - grounds staff, landscape architects, sustainable landscape interns, and more - who contribute to caring for IU's tree canopy.

2025 is what we affectionately refer to as "big tree year" at IU. Every 3 years, our team of Sustainable Landscape Interns inventories all 23,000+ actively managed trees growing on IU's campuses. We use this data to track health issues, inform interventions, measure canopy coverage and carbon storage, develop budgets, and more.

This training was the kickoff to our summer tree inventory season. DNR covered topics like soil health, tree biology and identification, tree maintenance, and live demonstrations of tree planting and pruning. We're looking forward to seeing what our team of interns can accomplish this summer!

🐝 Buzz-worthy news: IU Bloomington has earned its inaugural Bee Campus USA designation! 🐝

This certification, administered by the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, highlights IU’s efforts to support pollinators by providing them with healthy habitats, rich in a variety of native plant species. Other key efforts contributing to the certification include reducing pesticide use and integrating pollinator education into engagement programs.

Huge shoutout to our Facility Operations - Landscape Services team, the true heroes behind the scenes who keep our campus landscapes cared for. We are also deeply appreciative to our Sustainable Landscapes Interns and for their partnership in restoring and creating new, native habitats on campus. We couldn't earn this designation without these folks.

Congratulations to our IUB Sustainability Interns who presented their work at this year's Sustainability Symposium!

With a total of 32 student interns placed across all IU campuses, our interns are the lifeblood of our office. They contribute meaningfully to our office's work, expand our impact, and receive hands-on learning opportunities right on campus. We could not do our work without them!

Our 2024-2025 Sustainability Interns at IU Bloomington:
Tyler Cairncross, Sustainable Transportation
Sophie DeWael, Sustainable Food
Rayan Duffy, Sustainable Landscapes
Madison Heckman, Scope 3 Emissions
Alex Henderson, Sustainable Energy
Amelia Magyar, Sustainable Energy
Olivia Schenkel, Sustainable Housing
Dylan Surkein, Sustainable Labs
Mia Terek, Sustainable Waste Management