On Sept. 23, sustainability week kicked off with a giveaway at the IQ wall followed by a tree planting and guest speaker at Indiana University Kokomo throughout the week.

Andy Tuholski, director of the IUK office of sustainability, is proud to announce that IUK is certified in the following: Bee Campus USA (Xerxes), Bird Campus (Audobon Society), TreeCampus Higher Education (Arbor Day Foundation), Sustainable Campus (Indiana Wildlife Federation). IUK is the first to be recognized as a bird campus in the state of Indiana.

“These reflect our long-standing commitment to preserving ecosystems and promoting biodiversity,” Tuholski said. “We are the first and only campus in Indiana to simultaneously hold all four of these certifications.”

Mark Booth is the head bird trainer at Take Flight! Wildlife Education. He brought native

North American species such as, peregrine falcon, red tailed hawk, American kestrel, and barn owl.The live eating demonstrations were a hit with students. While Booth did most of the talking, the birds were the real stars of the show.

This semester was the first time that honey made from bees on campus was available for purchase to students, faculty, and staff. The proceeds will benefit the Student Sustainability Council at IUK. The sale was successful, and all of the honey was purchased. There will be more available next fall.

“Honey is harvested on campus in the late summer. The bees have ample time to forage and collect from a wide variety of flowering plants, allowing them to produce a more abundant, flavorful honey,” Tuholski said. “The timing also ensures that the bees have enough honey left in their hives to sustain them through the winter.”

Lacy Salgat, a student, was excited to purchase the honey to use as a sweetener for her teas and as an ingredient in meat rubs and glazes.

Later in the week, members of the community gathered at the observatory to plant trees and pick up trash along the Kokomo creek. 50 volunteers were in attendance, making it the biggest tree planting and campus clean up event to date.

If you are interested in attending more events offered through SSC and the IUK Office of Sustainability visit iuklife.iu.edu