tree sale...

Students admiring our Native Redbuds...

Photo Courtesy of SCC

Trees are a great investment, and will always appreciate in value. This is difficult to keep in mind when at a local nursery and when you turn over a price tag, often the tree is over one hundred dollars, and sometimes into the thousands!

Often, here in the grounds department, we get chances to team up and root in with organizations that are working on campus projects and other projects that assist students in their educational endeavors. This spring we are supplying the SCC Outdoors Crew with trees that will be sold as a fund raiser opportunity. The proceeds benefit the SCC Outdoors Crew Club that partakes in many Green and ecological projects, whether cleaning up a local stream, or studying ecology across the United States, this club is one of the most active clubs on campus.

Arbor day is just around the corner, and planting a tree with a child or grand child is a special moment of bonding, and a great educational opportunity for the both of you! So if you are interested in a new tree, look no further. Trees are around one to two feet tall, planted in one gallon pots and sell for only six dollars each, or a three for fifteen dollar deal! This is a TREEMENDOUS savings and you can feel confident your funding is helping SCC students leaf out. These trees go fast and are in limited supply so order yours today! E-mail me dporter@stchas.edu to place an order today. I hope you enjoyed all of my puns.

Trees Available:

Redbud Cercis canadensis $6.00 Each

Norther Red Oak Quercus rubra $6.00 Each

Witch Hazel Hamamelis virginiana $6.00 Each

Or purchase any 3 for only $15.00!

(Must be able to pick up by April 20, 2011)

school begins...

SCC North Entrance to the "parking spot plentiful" Orange Lot.

That is right, classes begin next week and us here at the grounds department are in full throttle mode, trying to prepare campus for the thousands of students that will grace the parking lots and sidewalks! So here is where reading this blog will pay off, as those of us that take care of the outside grounds know all the secrets!

The best secret is parking. We know if you want the best parking, get here early! Arriving early may sound like a tough decision, but if you drive around in circles for twenty minutes, with your blood pressure rising, you might have saved yourself some time and stress. Also we have a new parking lot, the Purple Lot, located near the Social Science building. Another great idea is to learn the campus ahead of time, find a nice central parking location for all your classes, that way when you claim that perfect spot, you can stay in it until your day is over.

Assistance is only a smile away. Everyone at the college prides themselves on student support. So if you happen to be lost, and spot a S.C.C. employee don't be afraid to ask for directions, we know all the shortcuts too! With the first stressful week of classes upon us, we will also be helping with parking traffic control. Sometimes it is hard for us to turn you away from your preferred parking lot, but they fill fast, and sometimes we have to direct students to another parking lot. We don't like to do this anymore than you like to park in another lot, so please take it easy on us, and we will be certain to help out any way we can!

It would be a "waste" if I didn't spare some time to remind everyone about our recycle program. We have recycled nearly five tons of would-have-been landfill material since November. Yes you read that correctly, five tons! Each class room and office have two separate cans, one for non-recyclables (food items, Styrofoam and other non-recyclables,) and Recyclables (Plastic, Paper, Aluminum, etc...) That's right, all the recyclables go into one container and get sorted at a sorting facility taking the guess work out of where to put what! Recycle if and when you can.

I look forward to the mass of excited and dedicated students as they arrive next week. I say welcome, and thank you for being such an asset to our community. There will be challenges in your academic endeavors, just remember you have what it takes to succeed, and SCC has the tools to assist you in every way possible. Now get to work!

"SCC enriches our community by providing life-changing educational and cultural opportunities focused on personal growth and student success in a global society." - SCC mission

wasted ramblings...

Missouri Botanical Garden, December 26, 2010.

Returning from the holiday break is always a double edged sword, happy to be back producing, doing something, doing anything. Yet, watching the snow fall from the comfort of my living room couch was a rare relief. I even got to get outside and enjoy the snow, as opposed to the stressful action of removing it from a college campus.

One of the things I like to do is experiment in the kitchen, and I got to do some of that over the break. In doing so I had a moment of clarity if you will. I never stopped long enough to realize how much food goes to waste in my home. There is only two of us, no children, well, no 2-legged children that is. So one art to cooking I have yet began to conquer, is portioning. Sure that large can of carrots is only nine cents more, but if I only eat half the can, and the other half winds up going to waste, isn't that essentially throwing that nine cents out the window? I realize this "Bargain" shopping mentality is a hard habit to break, but when it is all said and done, buying proper portions will save us money on the bottom line.

Another area for waste reduction and money savings is household cleaners. I have a unhealthy addiction to a particular green cleaner. Its only unhealthy because my heart is broken it has been discontinued. In a pathetic attempt to prolong the life of this particular "General purpose" cleaner I diluted it about fifty percent. In doing so I extended the life of the cleaner, and I also extended the life of its plastic spray bottle. Surprisingly, the cleaner was just as effective diluted as it was full strength. I will continue to dilute my household cleaners from now on. This will be a big money saver!

"Recycling" is one of my favorite words of the passing decade, but "Reusing" is an old term I hope to see revived in this decade. Those plastic spray bottles can be reused for homemade cleaners. Vinegar is an amazing cleaning agent that is cheap and much more environmentally friendly than most cleaners. Also, water works great on soaking stove tops and counter tops, that's right, straight water makes a great cleaner! Old clothes can always be easily distributed to clothing donation boxes around the state. They are now easily found and often in convenient locations, and when some clothes are unfit for donating, they make great dusting rags! How many dusting rags do you have with "Hard Rock Cafe" screen printed on them? Old items can always be dropped off at thrift stores, shelters, or given to friends. The Red Cross is in need of items and financial aid as they help assist our local disaster areas from the recent tornadoes and storms.

I am lucky to have such kind and considerate friends who recently gave me some items they didn't need anymore, their kindness inspired this post, and surely will inspire me to remember to reuse and give instead of waste.