Sustainable Carolina

The 3rd annual Champion Sustainability Game celebrated sustainable transportation on + around UNC.
@unc-ie.bsky.social @sustainable-unc.bsky.social Director
@mpiehler.bsky.social joined Chancellor Roberts and Mayor Anderson for a half-time show convo!

More: storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/daaf...

Yesterday, OWASA attended the UNC Sustainability Social hosted by @sustainable-unc.bsky.social.

We talked to students and faculty about OWASA's sustainability initiatives, including:

💧Reclaimed Water System
💧Forest Management Program
💧Solar Energy

UNC Institute for the Environment flag stands on the left, with the UNC IE table beside it, on the right. Three students talk to two people at the table.

Orange County Solid Waste's table has a green table cloth. Two people talk to a student that approached the table.

A representative from the NC Botanical Garden talks with a student during the Sustainability Social.

A faculty member talks with a staff member sitting at the Center for Public Engagement with Science table.

2025 Sustainability Social ✅

19 University units, 12 student organizations, and 3 community groups gathered in the Student Union yesterday. It's so much fun to see this event grow every year! @unc-ie.bsky.social

Event poster with the words "Come see us at this year's Sustainability Social. Carolina Union, Great Hall, Wednesday, Sept. 10 9 a.m. - 12:30 p.m.

NEXT WEEK! Come chat with us at @sustainable-unc.bsky.social's Sustainability Social, Wed., Sept. 10, 9 a.m. -12:30 p.m. at the Carolina Union! CLE credit available; 300 limited edition Champion Sustainability Football game posters, pastries and beverages!

Details: heellife.unc.edu/event/11351848

It's almost here! The Champion Sustainability Football Game. A sold out stadium. A celebration of safe and efficient transportation 🚌

Our August newsletter covers all this and more 🏈🐏https://mailchi.mp/unc/august-2025

What would we do without Melanie Elliott?! Our fierce number cruncher and savvy relationship-builder 📈✌️

Nathan Halsey | Cultivating a Beekeeping Business The Sustainable Carolina Podcast · Episode

#NationalHoneyBeeDay! You know what that means 🐝 🍯 Time to reshare our #SustainableCarolinaPodcast episode with Nathan Halsey, president of the Carolina Beekeeping Club and CEO of Halsey's Hives.

Great work out of #UNC's Environment, Ecology and Energy Program looks not just at the major flood events, but the smaller ones too.

Even these events can be damaging and disruptive to families, said Assistant Professor Antonia Sebastian. @unc-emes.bsky.social

uncnews.unc.edu/2025/07/14/u...

ICYMI: Last week, @unc-ie.bsky.social's @mpiehler.bsky.social shared insights on the potential impacts stemming from the 6.8 million gallons of untreated wastewater that spilled into the Eno following Tropical Depression Chantal.

Five Questions with Anne Smiley '24 - UNC Institute for the Environment Meet postdoctoral research associate Anne Smiley!

We were lucky to have @annesmiley.bsky.social analyze data that our water quality intern gathered from our campus creeks. And we're so excited to share the beautiful graphs in an upcoming story. But for now, check our her Q&A with @unc-ie.bsky.social 👩‍🔬

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

Our favorite part about kicking off a new school year and it's less than two months away 🎉

The Sustainability Social brings together #UNC units, student groups & community organizations. A wonderful chance to connect the sustainability dots across the University!

Germany’s Energy Transition: Lessons from Rooftops and Windmills - Sustainable Carolina Nicky Coursey's third installment of her sustainable adventures in Germany.

"Here, it felt like everyone – regardless of income or location – had access to the sun’s energy. I found myself wondering: What policies or financing mechanisms made this widespread access possible?"

Our traveling interns latest installment is here!

Millions of gallons of sewage flowed into the Eno River. Is it harmful? Experts weigh in on what risk the sewage overflows pose to the environment.

.@unc-ie.bsky.social Director @mpiehler.bsky.social weighs in on wastewater contamination during flooding events caused by Tropical Depression Chantal.

Read more ⬇️
www.newsobserver.com/news/local/c...

Compost, Croissants and Community: A Taste of Freiburg - Sustainable Carolina Story by Nicky Coursey, our summer 2025 traveling intern.

"It’s a regenerative, continuous cycle made possible by community members who care deeply."

When she's not analyzing net zero pathways through her summer internship, Nicole Coursey has found herself spending time in Freiburg's community gardens.

sustainable.unc.edu/2025/06/comp...

Conference | ACC Sports Sustainability Team Join the ACC Sports Sustainability Team for their annual conference or watch past conference recordings.

The Collegiate Sustainability Sports Conference is just one month away 🏈 🏑 Duke hosts this year, and welcomes students, sustainability and athletic representatives, along with anyone interested in the intersection of sports, sustainability and #HigherEd.

"Reducing Harmful Plastics in Healthcare: From Awareness to Action." June 20, 2025 at 1 - 2 pm. Featuring Julie Jacobson Vann, Bill Pevec and Yvonne Huckleberry.

One of our Carolina Sustainability Council members, Julie Jacobson Vann, joins this virtual panel on reducing harmful plastics in healthcare! Tune in on June 20 at 1 pm ET!

Register: medsocietiesforclimatehealth.org/event/reduci...

Sustainable Labs - Sustainable Carolina Making Laboratory Studies Sustainable Sustainable Labs is the new name for Green Labs. Founded in 2009, this program retains its basic function as a sounding board for laboratory sustainability…

It has been so exciting to revamp our lab sustainability program. And even more exciting to bring our first four labs on board via a pilot this past semester. We're seeking #UNC labs to participate this fall, and it's not exclusive to STEM labs. Join us!

I also rode the city bus to elementary school (77C Shady Side for yinz old folks), but I think it is clear that that sweet 70s hair got me on Mr. Rogers.

Get to know the trees on campus | UNC-Chapel Hill University arborist Tom Bythell shares his favorite stories about some of Carolina’s thousands of trees.

Not every university can say they have a tree doctor on campus, but we can! Tom Bythell's job is more than simply diagnosing trees; it's about creating a thriving, picturesque and inviting campus.

Heavier rainfall from hurricanes is causing water quality concerns at the coast Poor water quality after a storm can have an affect on health.

WATCH: W.R. Kenan Jr. Distinguished Professor Hans Paerl talks to Spectrum News about increased water quality concerns due to heavier rainfall from storms.

A champion for environment and sustainability, Piehler named Cary C. Boshamer Distinguished Professor  - UNC Institute for the Environment Piehler is a renowned leader in coastal environmental science.

Since he was just a kid growing up in Pittsburgh, @unc-ie.bsky.social‬ Director @mpiehler.bsky.social‬ has enjoyed #sustainable transportation 🚲 He may have even achieved fame on a certain children's television show!

Student Internships - Sustainable Carolina Sustainable Tar Heel Internship Program: How to Apply Applications are now open for fall 2025 and will close Monday, June 9 at 11:59 pm. We are currently offering one position: Water Quality &…

Our campus water quality data repository is growing robust! We are looking for the next intern to nurture this campus stewardship project 💧 🌱 Our water quality and biodiversity internship is open to #UNC students. Apply by June 9. @unc-ie.bsky.social‬

Coastal areas flood more frequently than thought: Study | Coastal Review Coastal communities are inundated more often than previously believed, with levels taking longer to recede in rural areas, and the way government agencies gather data to predict floods fails to provid...

A study by UNC Chapel Hill and NC State researchers published Monday found that coastal communities are inundated more often than previously believed, and floodwaters take longer to recede in rural areas than in urban areas.
coastalreview.org/2025/06/coas...

Gillings on the Ground trains students for Helene-level disaster response - UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health April 30, 2025 In the wake of Hurricane Helene, which devastated many parts of Western North Carolina in September 2024, the course featured community experts in emergency management and public health...

Yesterday, June 1, marked the start of hurricane season. Western NC is still feeling Hurricane Helen's impact. But through unique experiential education training, Gillings on the Ground participants made a difference in Ashe County. #UNC
sph.unc.edu/sph-news/gil...

From the blog: Student-powered and community-driven, SolarEquity is transforming affordable housing across North Carolina with rooftop solar—making clean energy accessible where it’s needed most.

Read the full blog post by #UNC rising senior Macy Floyd ⬇️
environmentblog.web.unc.edu/2025/05/powe...

UNC Research is campus as a laboratory.

Research opportunities abound at Battle Grove, a lush green spot in the center of campus. Ever since Battle Branch Stream was brought out of its pipes beneath the ground in 2017, the space has teemed with wildlife.

That makes it the perfect place for UNC Biology Professor Allen Hurlbert’s ecological community studies and citizen science activities.

It also served as an excellent location for Martina Gonzalez Bertello’s ’23 graduate work on water quality and stream nutrient removal with the Piehler Lab.

UNC Research is campus as a laboratory.

Battle Grove, a stretch of green space in the middle of campus, serves as the perfect spot for citizen science work, research and water quality monitoring. 🔍🌱

Discover the impact: www.unc.edu/carolinas-re...

#UNCResearchisNC #UNC #SustainableCarolina

UNC Research is rooted in N.C. communities.

When Hurricane Helene devastated communities in western North Carolina, @unc-ie.bsky.social mobilized educators to provide a day of hands-on learning for kids displaced by flooding.

Explore more: www.unc.edu/carolinas-re...

#UNCResearchisNC
#UNC

UNC Research is creativity and intellect.

For 26 years, the UNC Office for Undergraduate Research has hosted the Celebration of Undergraduate Research. For three years, UNC OUR has given hashtag#SustainableCarolina the opportunity to award outstanding research related to topics like energy, water, waste, air quality, biodiversity and more.

This year, Sustainable Carolina judged 27 posters for its Prize for Excellence in Sustainability Research. A group of first-year students took home first prize.

UNC Research is North Carolina.

UNC Research is creativity and intellect.

It's an honor to present the Prize for Excellence in Sustainability Research at the #UNC Office for Undergraduate Research's Celebration of Undergraduate Research.

Discover the impact: www.unc.edu/carolinas-re...

#UNCResearchisNC #UNC #SustainableCarolina

UNC Research is clean air and water for all.

Researchers at @unc-ie.bsky.social are at the forefront of research that contributes to clean air and clean water for everyone.

Learn how Carolina research serves N.C. and beyond. Visit: www.unc.edu/carolinas-re....

#UNCResearchisNC
#UNC

UNC Research is excellence in sustainability.

Five years ago, sustainability at Carolina found a new home in the UNC Institute for the Environment. Sustainable Carolina advances and amplifies efficiency initiatives in campus operations, research and academics.

In 2025, Sustainable Carolina reintroduced its lab sustainability program, piloting it in four labs on the medical side of campus. Any lab can become certified by taking on sustainability measures in their space.

UNC Research is North Carolina.

UNC Research is excellence in sustainability.

Working under the @unc-ie.bsky.social, #SustainableCarolina provides guidance to capstone courses, the Sustainable Triangle Field Site and campus labs.

Discover the impact: www.unc.edu/carolinas-re...

#UNCResearchisNC #UNC #SustainableCarolina