Individuals attending Earth Day events hosted by the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences learned about DENR's sustainability efforts and leadership role in state government; a variety of agencies participated in these events. The sustainability team's vision is that DENR is the foremost environmental agency in North Carolina and a model of sustainable actions for all government agencies. Combined attendance for 2010 and 2011 Earth Day events exceeded 16,000.

The sustainability team again produced the Greener DENR series of online articles dealing with sustainability issues. Analytical data from Google indicates that these articles are the driving force behind traffic to the team's portal and that topics dealing with cost savings and efficiency generate the greatest interest. The most viewed topics included: Sustainability Award Winners; Green Holiday Tips; 10 Easy Ways to be Sustainable at Work; It is Spring Cleaning Time; and Money Saving Driving Tips.

In preparation for the department's move from its other Raleigh offices to the new Environment and Natural Resources Building, the sustainability team purchased and distributed bins for collecting floppy disks, compact discs, VHS tapes and other electronic storage media, or techno trash, not regulated by OITS. More than 2,600 pounds of techno trash was collected from the Archdale Building and the building at 2728 Capital Boulevard, and all costs were covered by the sustainability team. Some material was recycled by Green Disk, a company that recycles techno trash, while the North Wake Recycling Center handled the rest.

Book exchange events held in Raleigh at the 2728 Capitol Boulevard building and the Archdale Building allowed Raleigh-based DENR employees to participate in book swaps. The North Carolina Zoo, the North Carolina Aquariums and the N.C. Museum of Natural Sciences also hosted events.

The 2010 Triangle Transit Authority Alternative Commute Survey was actively promoted by the DENR Sustainability Team. Results were distributed by email to all Triangle-based DENR offices.

Sustainability team members served as hosts and provided information and directions for visitors during the Green Square ribbon cutting ceremony and open house on Oct. 13, 2011.

Old denim clothing collected during the sustainability team's first denim drive was recycled as insulation for Habitat for Humanity construction projects.

The first DENR employee sustainability conference was held March 4, 2011 at the N.C. State University Library. Sixty-eight employees attended in person and 48 participated via webinar. The conference featured a variety of speakers and included the presentation of the 2010 DENR Sustainability Awards. Following the conference, online evaluations indicated that 97 percent of participants were satisfied or very satisfied with the presentations and agreed that the conference sessions were appropriate and informative. Based on this positive feedback, a follow-up conference is planned for early 2013.

The DENR sustainability team is comprised of volunteers representing 27 DENR divisions, offices and programs. Monthly meetings allow team members to share ideas that will inspire a culture of sustainability within DENR by promoting environmentally-responsible actions. Team members also assist their divisions with sustainability issues and solutions.

John Seymour, an environmental engineer in the Division of Environmental Assistance and Outreach, gave a presentation to the North Carolina Business Sustainability Network (NCBSN) on December 12, 2011. Twenty-one executives from Bayer, Burt's Bees, Duke Energy, Eaton, IBM, Ingersoll-Rand, John Deere, Novozymes, Quintiles, SAS, Wells Fargo and Facilities Solutions Group learned about DENR's sustainability initiatives.

By offering gently used office supplies for reuse before being sent to surplus, the swap shop on the sustainability portal conserves resources and can eliminate the need for new purchases.

Within the DENR sustainability team, there are eight subcommittees that work to achieve prioritized objectives and accomplish a set of strategic sustainability goals each year.

The following awards were presented by Manly Wilder, chief deputy secretary of DENR, at the March 2012 senior leadership meeting:

• Large Group Awards:

  • N.C. Division of Parks and Recreation
  • N.C. Aquariums Division - Jennette's Pier

• Small Group Awards:

  • N.C. Aquarium at Fort Fisher
  • N.C. Zoo "Recylinators"
  • DENR Sustainability Team – Recycling Subcommittee

• Individual Project Awards:

  • Elizabeth Freeman, N.C. Zoo
  • Ranger Jack Singley, William B. Umstead State Park

A highlight of the 2011 DENR sustainability conference was the presentation of the following awards by Secretary Dee Freeman:

• Group Project Awards:

  • Pilot Mountain State Park
  • Hammocks Beach State Park

• Individual Small Project Awards:

  • Ken Reininger, N.C. Zoo
  • Sean Brogan, N.C. Division of Forest Resources

• Educational Outreach Award:

  • The Rocky Coast Mammals Keepers, N.C. Zoo

The team assisted the Triangle Transit Authority (TTA) with their "Smart Commute Challenge" by securing pledges from DENR employees at the Archdale Building and the building at 2728 Capital Boulevard. Using email, the team also surveyed employees about commuting habits and then distributed the results of the 2011 TTA Commuter Survey to employees.

Separate policies were developed for occupants of the new Green Square Complex and other DENR facilities to promote sustainable behaviors in the workplace. Both policies were introduced by Jill Pafford, Green Square's project manager, during the March sustainability conference. The team also adopted a comprehensive Green Events Planning Checklist to assist with hosting green meetings and conferences. All are available on the DENR sustainability portal.

To assist DENR employees in finding the fuel sites managed by the N.C. Department of Transportation and other alternatives, a smart phone application is now available at: http://portal.ncdenr.org/group/sustainability/fuelsites.

To bookmark this map to all state Department of Transportation fuel sites, scan this code with your smartphone.