Campus Sustainable Features Map

Sustainability Self-Guided Tours - Short (~15 minutes; 0.8 miles)
Follow the map above utilizing the orange walking icons to view six locations on campus and learn about the initiatives, programs, and features that you may walk past every day. Not every icon is featured on this tour, so feel free to wander and learn more on your own!
Level of Difficulty 2/5 - the campus' geography is somewhat hilly and due to the nature of a long and skinny layout, tours will involve more walking; feel free to take a break in any of the buildings and enjoy the wonderful view of Pikes Peak from the bluffs! - wheelchair accessible notes are italicized

1) Starting Point: Roaring Fork
Built in 2014, Roaring Fork is a LEED Gold building that houses the main operations for the UCCS-run Dining and Hospitality Services. DHS continuously wins awards in regards to their sustainable initiatives and programs. Some of these awards include: NACUFS Nutrition Awards, Bronze - Most Innovative Wellness and Nutrition Program, 2016 and the first university in Colorado and only the 13th nation-wide to receive Marine Stewardship Council certification for serving sustainable seafood on campus, October 2016. The building's namesake is the Roaring Fork River in western Colorado. The building has neat features like the terrazzo floor, which reflects an interpretation of the geography of the Colorado Front Range region. Roaring Fork also has raised beds on the northeast side of the roof for growing produce and herbs that are used directly in the kitchens below! The station inside Roaring Fork, Food Next Door, was a freshman seminar project. Four students wanted to see the food grown at the UCCS Farm and Greenhouse in one location, so instead of saying some of the food you're eating in the dining halls are from the Farm, this allows consumers to know that everything on their plate either came from the Farm or Arkansas Valley Organic Growers (AVOG.) Graduate students in the Sports Nutrition program plan out recipes depending on the produce that is in season and serves the meals. This project led to more Sustainability & Wellness (SWELL) recipes integrated into the overall dining hall meal plan. Check out the Nutrition section of the Dining website to learn about the various meal served for the month. 
Complete sidewalk from Roaring Fork to Gallogly Recreation and Wellness Center; very little slope.

2) Gallogly Recreation and Wellness Center
The original Recreation Center (the eastern side of the building) was the first LEED certified building at UCCS. With the new addition, the Recreation and Wellness Centers have been able to more easily collaborate on initiatives that involve mindfulness, active transportation, and healthy eating. Don't forget to check out the newly renovated Tava Trail behind the building that links Alpine Village with main campus - enjoy the views of the Front Range while increasing your heart rate on the way to class! Stop by the SOLE Center to learn about bike maintenance classes, whitewater rafting trips, and the indoor climbing wall. All of these activities emphasize the importance of Leave No Trace principles. 
The Tava Trail is not wheelchair accessible.

3) Rain Garden
The rain garden between Copper Hall and Eldora Hall not only slows the water that rushes off of the bluffs, but the plants are chosen specifically to help reduce the amount of pollutants that end up in our City's stormwater. By reducing the flow and the contaminants, the campus is doing its part to improve our City's infrastructure. 

4) Edible Garden
Another garden, but with a different purpose. This edible garden was a student project to show our campus community how easy it is to plant edible plants that are also attractive. The idea is that wherever we water, we should be growing food. The students encourage passersby to stop and pick a raspberry or some mint to flavor your tea or add a few more sprigs of lettuce to your lunch!
This .1 mile walk includes a slope with an average of 3% and a max of 11%.

5) Kraemer Family Library
Before you walk into the Kraemer Family Library, look to your right and you'll see one of four solar umbrella tables on campus. Bring your laptop and recharge in two ways - outlets for your electronics and the outdoors for you! The library has a very active Team Green that has initiated many programs to make KFL even more sustainable. They not only initiated compost throughout the entire library, but they've also received Green Action Fund grants for the free, bike locks rental program, reusable tote bags that you can check out with your books, and the fitness study stations where you can leisurely bike or walk while studying or reading.
The next part of the tour, you'll be completely inside the building. Go through the library, exit, and take a left. At the end of the long hallway to your left, you'll see ramp access to Cafe 65.

6) Cafe 65 - Green&Go Reusable To-Go Containers
Stop by Cafe 65 for lunch. If you need to run, make sure to ask for your food in a Green&Go container! Each container helps reduce 350 single-use disposable containers. Take your lunch and eat outside at one of fours solar tables. Plug in your laptop to do homework while enjoying the Colorado sunshine!

- - - - - This is the end of the short walking tour! To continue on the longer walking tour, follow the instructions below. - - - - - 
 

Sustainability Self-Guided Tours - Long (~50 minutes; 1.4 miles)
Follow the map above utilizing the orange walking icons then continue with the dark-red walking icons to view nine locations on campus and learn about the initiatives, programs, and features that you may walk past every day. Not every icon is featured on this tour, so feel free to wander and learn more on your own!
Level of Difficulty 2/5 - the campus' geography is somewhat hilly and due to the nature of a long and skinny layout, tours will involve more walking; feel free to take a break in any of the buildings and enjoy the wonderful view of Pikes Peak from the bluffs! - wheelchair accessible notes are italicized

7) Native Plant Garden + Solar Installations
From Cafe 65, head east out the doors and follow the Pedestrian Spine. The native plant garden will be on your right. You can choose to walk past or through the garden. An Outdoor Services staff and student employee received a Green Action Fund grant to replace the plant ID signs. Some are icons for Plant Select, which is a non-profit that helps identify native and low-water plants for the Rocky Mountain and Front Range regions. While you're enjoying the garden, you're also surrounded by two of UCCS' solar panel installations! One is located on the roof of Centennial and the other is on the roof of Gallogly Events Center. The system on the Gallogly Events Center helps the building perform close to a net-zero energy consumption. This means that for an entire year, the panels produce enough energy to almost cover the entire amount of energy used. If you're hiking the trail behind these buildings on the bluffs, you'll be able to see the installations. 
If the incline is too steep, go into the Gallogly Events Center, turn right, follow the hallway until it dead-ends. Take a left and the elevator will be on your right. The elevator will take you up to the second floor. Head out the doors straight ahead. You'll be in front of Dwire Hall. You can see the garden from this vantage point. 

8) Sustainability Minor + Tree Mapping + History of Main Hall
As you move through the native plant garden, head towards Main Hall. You can either admire the historic building from the outside or head inside to meet with your Academic Advisor! No matter what major you are working towards, you can add the Sustainability Minor. With one intro course and one capstone course as your only mandatory classes, the others are open for you to explore the aspects of sustainability that engage you the most! Along with the beautiful Main Hall that used to be a Sanatorium for tuberculosis patients, the trees in this part of campus play an important role in creating a sense of place and positively impacting our air quality. A Green Action Fund project was awarded to map the trees on main campus and create a data base that will help us care for our tree canopy along with understanding how much carbon the trees sequester. 
From Dwire Hall, use the ramp to lead you towards Main Hall. 

9) Sustainability Demonstration House + Farmhouse + The Farm
This last part of the tour is a longer walk with many talking points at the end. Enjoy your stroll through what used to be Historic Cragmor Village Neighborhood. Many of these homes have been renovated into UCCS building space, while some are still private residences. Many birds, deer, bunnies and other wildlife frequent this area of campus. 

Once you've arrived to the ninth stop on your tour, you'll see three distinct buildings that are all working on aspects of sustainability. The first is the Sustainability Demonstration House. This is home to the Office of Sustainability, Green Action Fund and the Heller Center Staff. The inside house tour provides DIY and resources to reduce your utility bills, make your space more comfortable, and save water and energy. The outside tours show you a low-maintenance way to maintain a beautiful landscape with native and low-water plants along with research projects funded through the Green Action Fund. 

The Farmhouse is home to SWELL programming and the Sports Nutrition Graduate Program. Many opportunities for our campus and Colorado Springs communities are hosted in the Farmhouse. From the Farm Stand to Farmhouse Fridays, check out their website for ways to engage in local, sustainable food options. 

The Farm is a one acre, urban farm that has growing space inside the greenhouse, high tunnel, permaculture-based outside space, and raised beds. The Farm has student employment and volunteer opportunities. Are you a faculty member? Reach out to them to schedule class trips!
From Main Hall, go into Cragmor Hall, the elevator will be at the end of the hallway. Take it one floor down; this will lead you to a ramp that will point you east. Continue heading east until you reach the ninth stop. The SDH has a very steep driveway. 

Thank you for taking the sustainability walking tour! For more ways to engage, please contact the Office of Sustainability sustain@uccs.edu and we'll connect you!