Last week U-W-S held a ground breaking ceremony to mark the beginning of construction of two new energy efficient buildings on campus.

"It's going to be very efficient in terms of usable square feet; it is also going to be very very efficient environmentally."

UWS Students are also getting involved with the expanding green agenda and getting recognition for their efforts.

"SWARM... Students for wise and accountable resource management."

Their first completed task was getting the chancellor to sign the Climate Commitment to focus on a campus-wide reduction of carbon emissions.

Free bus passes were provided for students, faculty, and staff to reduce congestion and pollution, while SWARM concentrated on raising recycling awareness.

"Planting seeds I guess is the best way to put it. You plant seeds and you inform people and you give them ideas and let them see what other people are doing and how easy it is to make a difference."

The "Should-Have-Been-Recycled" Tree was a project created to show how many recyclables were being thrown away.

Over a three day span, two-thousand-seven-hundred-sixty-one pieces of paper, seventy-two cans, eighty plastic bottles, and thirty-nine cups were collected from garbage cans in one building.

Students are also being encouraged to bring in junk from home for the "Art of Garbage" program.

"Bring in an old can or a pop bottle, or a freezer door like I brought in."

This garbage art mural is a work in progess, but SWARM hopes it will be completed by the start of the fall semester.