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University of Mississippi

Archive for the ‘Red, Blue & Green Blog’ Category

Eating Local: Basil Pesto & Seasonal Snacks

Posted on: July 6th, 2015 by lmphill2

by Ellen Olack, Green Student Intern | June 30, 2015

With two farmers’ markets and the Farmers’ Market Store in Oxford, it is easy to access delicious local food this summer. One warm weather staple available at the markets right now is basil. Pick up a bunch and try making pesto, a real summer delight.

Pesto has more uses than just a pasta topping. Use it as a dip, a substitute for mayo or other sandwich spreads, a topping for fish, poultry or even a baked potato – the possibilities are endless!

During the winter when basil is not in season, make pesto with parsley or fava bean leaves. Pesto also freezes well, but never heat it! Defrost it in the fridge or let it come to room temperature naturally. The color will darken as it ages and is exposed to air. You might miss the vibrant green color, but the taste will remain consistent. If you purchase basil before you’re ready to make pesto, be sure to store it in a cup of water on your kitchen counter. The coolness of your refrigerator will quickly wilt the leaves.

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Complete Street Pops Up in Oxford

Posted on: July 6th, 2015 by lmphill2

by Lindsey Abernathy, Project Coordinator | July 6, 2015

Commuters traveling to campus via University Avenue on July 1 were greeted with a new street design that included bike lanes, a crosswalk and fewer travel lanes.

Overnight, about 15 volunteers—armed with temporary tape, chalk lines and spray paint— transformed the portion of the road between the University Museum and Grove Loop. The project is Oxford’s first-ever Complete Streets pop up, a month-long experiment that will allow community members to try out a new road design, submit feedback and help city and university officials determine what works and what doesn’t.

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DamNation Screening to take place May 12, 2015

Posted on: May 4th, 2015 by lmphill2

Join us for a screening of DamNation at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 12 at the Powerhouse Community Arts Center.

This powerful film odyssey across America explores the sea change in our national attitude from pride in big dams as engineering wonders to the growing awareness that our own future is bound to the life and health of our rivers. Dam removal has moved beyond the fictional Monkey Wrench Gang to go mainstream. Where obsolete dams come down, rivers bound back to life, giving salmon and other wild fish the right of return to primeval spawning grounds, after decades without access. DamNation’s majestic cinematography and unexpected discoveries move through rivers and landscapes altered by dams, but also through a metamorphosis in values, from conquest of the natural world to knowing ourselves as part of nature.

Refreshments provided by Ghost River Brewing and Hill Country Gaining Ground.

This event is sponsored by the UM Environmental Studies Minor, Office of Sustainability, Oxfilm Society, Southern Documentary Project, the Stubblefield Family and the Yoknapatwpha Arts Council.

May is #BikeMonth

Posted on: April 16th, 2015 by

By Dalny Ruel, Graduate Practicum Studen | April 16, 2015

OXFORD – The month of May is National Bike Month. Oxford and UM will join other communities across the nation in celebrating biking and encouraging people to get on two wheels.

The 2015 Bike Month schedule includes Bike Maintenance Mondays at the Ole Miss Bike Shop, Bike to Lunch Tuesdays, RebelWell Community Wellness Day, and group bike rides, among many other events. Moreover, Mayor Pat Patterson will officially declare May as Bike Month for the City of Oxford.

There will be events for all levels of bicyclists whether you are a beginner or an avid cyclist! To learn more about our events during National Bike Month, our bike shop on campus, or our bike initiatives, please visit bike.olemiss.edu or green.olemiss.edu.

 

Dr. Paige West to Speak on Earth Day

Posted on: April 16th, 2015 by

By Will Bedwell, Green Student Intern | April 16, 2015

OXFORD—On Earth Day, April 22, Dr. Paige West will discuss her research on how the indigenous peoples of New Ireland are struggling to adapt to the present day effects of climate change. The event will be held at 7:00 p.m. in the Overby Center on Wednesday, April 22.

New Ireland, a marine province of New Guinea, is home to more than 150,000 people who speak 20 different languages and are dispersed among hundreds of islands.

 

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Oxford Adopts New Complete Streets Policy

Posted on: March 27th, 2015 by

March 27, 2015 by Grace Haines, Green Student Intern

The City of Oxford has adopted a new amendment to its Complete Streets policy intended to increase the safety of all road users including pedestrians, bicyclists, disabled persons, transit riders, motorists, and others.

This amendment revises the previous policy adopted in 2011, targeting the need for more strategic and thoughtful design plans for future roadway development projects and recognizing the impact these projects have on Oxford residents.

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Inaugural Sustainability Fellow Works to Advance Biking in Community

Posted on: March 27th, 2015 by

March 27, 2015 by Lindsey Abernathy, Project Coordinator

Photo by Kevin Bain/Ole Miss Communications

When Sara Douglass joined the University of Mississippi Office of Sustainability’s as its first post baccalaureate fellow, she saw a potential to get more students, faculty and staff on two wheels rather than four.

Douglass, who started her yearlong fellowship in August, facilitated the establishment of the university’s new Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee, launched a new bicycling website for the university community and is planning several biking events for spring semester.

“I chose to work on bicycle infrastructure and improving education and outreach because I felt there was a definite need,” said Douglass. “As the university continues to grow, we are noticing an increase in the number of cyclists on campus. Educating the campus community about the importance of sharing the road and doing so responsibly can help to prevent collisions.”

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Meet Your Ole Miss Bike Mechanic

Posted on: March 27th, 2015 by

March 27, 2015 by Madeleine Achgill, Green Student Intern

Growing up biking around his neighborhood, UM Bike Mechanic Steve Valliant has loved bikes from a young age. Valliant began working in the Ole Miss Bike Shop in the fall of 2013.

His career with bikes began in high school at a local bike shop, where he quickly progressed from sales to mechanics.

“I learned from working in the shop; it was a good set up,” Valliant said. “They rotated us with different jobs every other day, whether we were selling, stocking shelves, or doing minor repairs.”

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UM Forms Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee

Posted on: March 27th, 2015 by lmphill2

March 27, 2015 by Joe Bell, Green Student Intern

 

A new future for bicyclists and pedestrians is being forged at the University of Mississippi. In the fall 2014, the university established the Bicycle and Pedestrian Advisory Committee following the recommendation of the League of American Bicyclists as a result of the university’s Bicycle Friendly University application. Office of Sustainability Post Baccalaureate Fellow Sara Douglass spearheaded the application process and the formation of the committee, which will work to improve bicycle and pedestrian access at the university.

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