September 12 th, 11AM! Join the Islander Green Team in Building Garden Boxes for the Islander Green Gardens!

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1 The Semi-Annual Newsletter for the Islander Green Team The Islander Green Gardens Get an Upgrade! September 12 th, 11AM! Join the Islander Green Team in Building Garden Boxes for the Islander Green Gardens! These boxes require No Tools! They lock into place without screws or nails! First Entrance to Campus. To the end of the road. September 12th, 11AM!

2 Join us for the Fall Beach Cleanup! Saturday, September 26 th, 2015 Registration begins at 8:30am and the cleanup is 9am until noon. There are 30 Cleanup Sites along the Gulf Coast. Visit for more information Corpus Christi Area Check-In Sites Rockport - Aransas County Check - in: Rockport Beach Park beachfront pavilion Aransas Pass/Redfish Bay - Nueces County Check - in: Lighthouse Lakes Park, 4 miles east of Aransas Pass on Hwy. 361 Portland - San Patricio County Check - in: Sunset Lake Park, 201 Sunset Drive, adjacent to Highway 181 St. Jo Island/Port Aransas - Nueces County Check - in: 8:00 am, Fisherman's Wharf, 900 Tarpon Street Port Aransas - Nueces County Check - in: Avenue G at the beach Mustang Island State Park, Corpus Christi - Nueces County Check - in: Park Headquarters Parking Lot, State Highway 361 Packery Flats-Nueces County Check - in: Parking lot off Hwy 361, on Mustang Island near the Packary Channel North Beach, Corpus Christi Nueces County Check - in: Texas State Aquarium, 2710 North Shoreline Blvd. Cole Park (Kid's Place), Corpus Christi - Nueces County Check - in: 1526 Ocean Drive North Padre Island, Corpus Christi Nueces County Check - in: Padre Balli Park Office, Park Road 22 Padre Island National Seashore - Kleberg County Check - in: Malaquite Visitor Center, Park Rd 22 Baffin Bay, Loyola Beach, Riviera - Kleberg County Check - in: Kaufer - Hubert Park, FM 628

3 Do You Know About The Solar Power-Dok? Located In the Curlew Plaza by the Dining Hall! Features of the Solar Power-Dok: - Generates and stores electricity for use day or night for true Off the Grid GREEN power! - Provides (4) 110vac 60 Hz GFCI outlets and (4) USB Type A power outlets - High intensity LED lighting system with timer, operated with the push of a button - (3) 45 Watt Solar Panels (1) 100 Watt Solar Panel, total capacity 235 watts power generation Watt continuous pure sine wave power, 1200 watt peak surge (10min) - Robust capacity deep-cycle Gel Cell battery bank - Provides surge protected electricity for your electronic devices - Adjustable angular settings for the umbrella to maximize the sun s exposure on the solar panels for peak seasonal efficiency - Table constructed from poly-recycled plastic materials - Solar charge controller with digital readouts to show power levels - Easy to clean surfaces - Umbrella surfaces can accommodate custom logos - Each product is fully customizable with many color choices available for table top, seat surfaces, structural aluminum components, and umbrella panel surfaces - The Solar Power-Dok is Made in America!

4 The University promotes Green ideas. You may follow the latest tips, news or offer suggestions for our Green Initiatives at The suggestions listed below are the latest we have to choose from. Use the Islander Green Webpage to vote for one of the initiatives listed or suggests a new idea to Go Green on TAMUCC. Solar Panel Shade Canopy: Provides shade and recharging station for smart phones and tablets. Solar Power DOK Touchless Hydration Station Project: These stations can be found at the following locations: CCH, Student Welcome Center, Facilities Services, Conrad Blucher, Dugan Wellness Center, Center for Instruction, Center for Science, Bell Library Solar Panels Street Lights, Parking lights, and Hike-N-Bike trail lights: Lighting from stored battery electricity generated from solar panels to illuminate the Boulevards, parking lots and Hike-N-Bike trail Outdoor benches and bike rack made from recycled plastic Solar powered water heater on campus: Use solar panel electrical power to power water heaters for campus buildings. Irrigation Sensor System: A system to detect when watering is needed. Hummingbird and/or Butterfly Gardens for the Campus Retrofitting University Lighting: Move away from incandescent and florescent lighting in university Building Retrofit existing Condensate Water Collection Systems with a two 2 pipe to increase flow velocity out of tanks, connect to irrigation systems, and increases usage of collected water. Solar car ports Biodegradable plastic alternative: polyethylene like products made from plant cellulose, for trash bags and dining supplies. Bigbelly solar trash cans: Solar Powered Trash Compactors. A Trash Can that compacts the solid waste inside and holds five times the amount of trash in the same footprint. Condensate Water Collection System for Corpus Christi Hall: Condensate water will be collected from the HVAC system at Corpus Christi Hall and diverted to a storage tank. A pump and water line will direct water to the existing irrigation system to water the area between Corpus Christi Hall and University Services Center. Project will conserve 600 to 800 gallons of water per day during the hot summer months. Projects will consist of purchasing a 1000 gallon tank, pump, controls, and pipe. Shaded Outdoor Dining/Picnic Tables for the new Dining Hall made from recycled materials. Sun tracking solar panels Have another Idea? Contact or on

5 Climate Change in Coastal Communities Information from the Environmental Protection Agency What are the potential impacts of climate change to estuaries and coastal areas? Estuarine systems are particularly vulnerable to many of the projected effects of climate change, such as: Sea level rise Increased temperatures Changes in precipitation and storm intensity Ocean acidification Examples of specific impacts that may occur in estuaries and other coastal areas include: salt-water intrusion into aquifers as the sea rises, flooding of coastal wetlands and marshes, changes to water availability and quality, changes in habitat and species distributions, lower oxygen levels in wetlands, ocean acidification (due to higher concentrations of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere), and a range of impacts from more severe coastal storms These impacts may occur in tandem with other existing stressors, such as coastal population growth, presenting new and different challenges to National Estuary Programs and coastal communities. See more examples of climate impacts in coastal areas. What can be done to make estuaries climate ready? Coastal resource managers can reduce risks and improve resiliency by: proactively identifying areas that are particularly vulnerable, monitoring for changes, and developing and implementing adaptation plans These adaptation plans may contain a wide range of adaptation actions that are designed to reduce impacts or exploit beneficial opportunities resulting from climate change. Adaptation plans are linked to management goals, such as maintaining water quality of marshes and wetlands, protecting coastal development, preserving habitat, or controlling invasive species. For example, if the management goal is to maintain wetlands, adaptation strategies might include: prohibiting the construction of bulkheads, establishing rolling easements, or incorporating wetland protection into the planning of new infrastructure If the goal is to maintain sediment transport, managers could: trap or add sand through beach nourishment, remove barriers to sediment deposition on wetlands (e.g., levees), or trap sand through the construction of groins